Wrecked Cars equals Costly Repairs

Technology within the auto industry continues to evolve. The problem is that when a vehicle is involved in a wreck, the costs to repair the vehicle also go up. As a company that pays cash for wrecked cars, we see that vehicles with damaged components (such as deployed airbags) cost a fortune to replace. When you trade in or sell an old car seeking the “latest and greatest” model—you may want to think twice. On March 24, 2015 Richard Truett posted an article titled ‘The latest tech is great — until you have to replace it’ on autonews.com with the following findings: “There is a downside to advancing automotive technology: Break something, and you’ll pay an eye-popping amount to get it fixed. We all know about showroom sticker shock. Average transaction prices for light vehicles in the US hit a record in January, according to KBB, before falling slightly to $33,299 last month, up from about $28,000 in 2010. And nearly a third of new loans are now 74 months or longer. But there is another side of the affordability problem you don’t hear much about: hefty repair costs for even minor accidents. At least 2 factors are driving up the cost to fix vehicles: electronics and the way cars are built today. Automakers save money on engineering, purchasing & manufacturing by replacing individual items with complete, non-serviceable assemblies. This also helps raise vehicle quality because there are fewer items that can be installed wrong on the assembly line. The cost to repair what used to be inexpensive items — headlights, taillights, bumpers — has ballooned.

If you back into a fencepost with a 2000 Cadillac Escalade and break the taillight lens, you can visit the dealer and replace it for $56.08. If the whole taillight assembly is broken, GM will sell you a new, OE replacement part for $220.49. But what a difference 15 years and those flashy LED lights make. On the 2015 Escalade, you can’t replace just the taillight lens. It is no longer available as a separate part. Now, you’ll need a whole new taillight unit. Cost: $795. Headlights are even more expensive. Let’s say a rock breaks a headlight on the 2015 Escalade. That’ll be $1,650 to replace the entire unit, according to the price quoted by a Cadillac dealer components department. On the 2000 model year Escalade, a GM replacement headlight unit costs $21.

These higher repair costs are showing up in insurance premiums. One way to reduce insurance costs is to have a higher deductible. For older, lower-tech vehicles, there is a large variety of cheap, knock-off replacement components available. These are typically imported from mostly Asian countries & sold on eBay, some auto components stores and online. Perhaps the only option for replacing a broken trim part or light other than with a new factory item is finding a used one from a scrapyard. But even that doesn’t offer much savings. Three secondhand headlights from 2015 Cadillac Escalades were on eBay recently for between $1,119 and $1,500. Most insurance companies don’t offer the option of using secondhand replacement components for most repairs.” The link to the complete article is here: http://www.autonews.com/article/20150324/BLOG06/150329954/the-latest-tech-is-great-until-you-have-to-replace-it

About Barberton Junk Cars

We offer cash for wrecked cars throughout the (330) area code. Need a price for a junk car? Need to sell an old car? Call BJC to get cash for wrecked cars today. The price for a junk car that you can expect is between $150-$350, which includes towing of the scrap car, truck, van or SUV. To sell an old car in the areas of Chapel Hill, Kent, Highland Square, Barberton or Ravenna you simply need the vehicle title and an ID. Our scrap car buyer is available to provide a price for a junk car 7 days a week throughout Springfield Township, Merriman Valley, Bath, Canal Fulton, Silver Lake, Canton and Copley. Our expanded scrap car service area now includes these areas: Mogadore, Warren, Stow, Lakemore, Clinton, Medina and Cuyahoga Falls. Residents of Fairlawn, Firestone Park, Norton, Monroe Falls and Peninsula are encouraged to call (330) 732-JUNK today. Even if your car is damaged in Tallmadge, New Franklin, Massillon, Kenmore or Green—you can sell it!