To what extent can a vehicle be considered for scrapping after a collision?
3 Answers
Vehicles can be scrapped when they are severely damaged or no longer have repair value. The following methods are introduced to determine whether a car has repair value: 1. If the repair cost after an accident exceeds 80% of the vehicle's value before the accident, it can be scrapped. 2. Vehicles that are severely damaged or in poor technical condition and cannot be repaired can also be scrapped. 3. The assessment of the extent of damage and whether the vehicle should be scrapped must be conducted by specialized appraisal agencies. Generally, this can be handled by the traffic police department for appraisal or follow the instructions of the vehicle management office and the designated scrapping assessment points for inspection and damage assessment.
I've been repairing cars for over 20 years, and there are three main criteria for scrapping: First is the degree of frame deformation. For example, if structural parts like the A-pillar or B-pillar are bent more than 10 cm, even welding can't restore them properly. It's like a leg that's been set wrong after a fracture - never quite right. Second is damage to critical safety components. If the longitudinal beams are crumpled or the engine is displaced causing structural failure, driving it would be like stepping on a landmine. The most practical criterion is when repair costs exceed 60% of the vehicle's residual value. Especially for cars over ten years old, the repair bill could buy you half a new car, and insurance companies will advise you to sign the scrapping papers. I've seen owners insist on repairing accident-damaged cars, only to end up with chassis noises so bad three years later that they had to remove seats to drive - that's real suffering.
Last time my brother's car got rear-ended and he asked me if he should repair it. I said first check the front-end damage: a bent hood is no big deal, but if the radiator support is knocked crooked and the frame gets twisted into an S-shape, the car is basically totaled. Nowadays with cars using more high-strength steel, deformation exceeding 5% can easily cause fractures at weld points. Also, I never recommend repairing cars with deployed airbags—the sensor recalibration costs could buy you a set of tires. Most importantly is post-repair handling—if the steering wheel is off by more than three degrees or braking distance increases, driving it would be like skating on watermelon rinds. It's better to just file for salvage.
