This piece explains how to read a smash repair quote and decide whether repairing a damaged car actually makes financial sense. It's aimed at car owners in Western Australia who have just received a repair estimate after an accident and are weighing whether to go ahead or sell the vehicle instead. It breaks down what typically appears on a quote and frames the repair-or-sell decision around the car's real market value rather than the quote total alone.
The advice covers the usual line items on a repair quote - parts (genuine, aftermarket, or reconditioned), labour hours broken down by task, paint and materials, and sublet work sent to outside specialists - and explains what each one represents. It then recommends comparing the total repair cost to the car's pre-damage value, taking into account age, mileage, model demand, service history, and registration status, and flags warning signs that repair isn't worth it: structural or chassis damage, a repair bill that's a large share of the car's worth, hidden damage discovered once panels come off, or flood/fire damage. It also touches on practical steps for selling in WA, such as keeping number plates and lodging a Notification of Disposal.
The main point is that the quote's dollar figure means little on its own - what matters is how it stacks up against the car's actual value, and it's better to get an independent sense of that value before looking at the repair quote rather than after, to avoid anchoring on the repairer's numbers.
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