8:12 am, October 21, 2013
RECENT research has revealed that up to 300,000 cars previously involved in an accident could return to dealer forecourts by 2016.
As much as 30 per cent of new vehicles are being part-exchanged back to the original dealer within three years, and it’s estimated that nearly one in four of these cars could have been involved in an accident.
In a recent survey of several of the UK’s top dealer groups, of the 40 per cent of vehicles sold back into the network or part-exchanged within three years, 300,000 of them would have suffered an accident in the same period.
Because damage can affect safety or resale value it’s important that cars undergo necessary repair work. Poor or extensive repairs can mask serious mechanical issues, which ultimately surface later or go unnoticed – this could affect the value of stock or even pose a safety risk.
This therefore highlights the importance of OEM-standard body repairs to protect the customer and safeguard dealer profits.
Accident Exchange’s director of sales development at Accident Exchange, Liz Fisher, said: ‘No dealer wants a car on the forecourt, which is effectively, a dud. If customers, especially in these straightened times, cut corners and don’t have their cars adequately repaired, it could cost a dealer later.
‘The franchised network, together with its approved repairers, must do more to retain and educate customers to call the dealer in the event of an accident.’
