Ask Honest John

Honest John Ask Honest John » Insurance write-off - what should I do?

Insurance write-off - what should I do?

My beloved 16 year old Toyota Avensis (owned from new, 112,000 miles) was reversed into while it was parked by an unscrupulous elderly gentleman who "didn't see it" and is as a result uneconomical to repair and will be written off by my insurance company. The front passenger door needs to be replaced and I was quoted in excess of £800.

What are the long term implications of buying back a written off car from the insurance company? Or should I cut my losses and buy a replacement?

Asked on 22 January 2015 by Christina

Answered by Honest John
Because of insurance for the youngster learning to drive it will be far better to seek out a small hatchback such as a Yaris 1.0 or a Fiesta 1.25 than to even attempt to fix the Avensis. £800 is a fair settlement.

We give you the low down on how to save on insurance, little-known tricks and tips, what insurance groups mean and how to use insurance aggregators to beat insurers.

Insurance group finder and how to save on insurance
Similar questions
While my car was parked in a retail park car park it was hit and severely damaged by a third party. It is likely to be a write off. I have the third party's insurers details. The third party is obviously...
My car was scratched by another driver and subsequently written off because of its age. Can I ask to retain the car and will I still be insured with my company? Plus is it easy to insure again?
I have a bit of an odd scenario. My car was parked on a slight incline and the handbrake must not have applied enough as 20 minutes later it had rolled down the slight hill and crashed into a wall. The...