There’s nothing worse than discovering your van is broken – especially if you have a job or long journey coming up. It throws a spanner in the works and adds stress you don’t need to your day. However, a broken van doesn’t have to be the end of the road. Some problems can be fixed quickly, while others don’t impact how it runs at all. Before making rash decisions, it’s important to know all the facts.
Depending on how serious the problem is, your budget and what timeframes you’re working with, there are options available to you, such as repairs or even selling the van and buying a new one. Even within these options, you have various avenues open to you and the right decision can make things much simpler.
What’s Wrong With Your Van?
The first thing to figure out is what’s wrong with your van. Without knowing this, there’s no way to make sure you take the right course of action. Van faults can fall into different categories, from surface or cosmetic damage to mechanical issues and even electrical issues. All require different solutions and some are more expensive to fix than others.
Some examples of these faults are:
- Flat tyres
- Dents
- Broken lights
- Gearbox issues
- Brake problems
- Engine faults.
Once you know where the problem lies, you can determine whether you have a chance to complete van repairs or whether it’s better to sell the vehicle and invest in a new one. The cost – not just of this repair, but any other recent work and if any will be required in the near future – can determine if it’s worth continuing with this van.
Does Your Van Still Run?
If your van still runs, then you have a decision to make. Some issues can be lived with until you can get them repaired. As long as it doesn’t compromise the safety of you, your passengers and other people on the road.
This will mostly be small things and surface issues, such as rattles in the cabin, scratches and dents, and door or window seals, for example. Larger problems that affect the running and handling should be looked at as soon as possible, such as brakes, suspension, fuel line problems, transmission, gearbox and more.
The more time your broken van spends off the road, the bigger an impact this has on your work. This means not only do you have to pay for repairs, but you’re not earning while you wait – and there’s no guarantee you can get the issue resolved quickly.
Does A Broken Down Van Have Any Value?
If you’re left with a broken down van, and you’ve spent more than you’d like on repairs already, then it may be time to sell and replace with a new van. You might think that a broken van has no value and that it’s best sent to the local scrap yard, but this isn’t your only option.
Selling a broken van can actually yield more cash than you think, and there are buyers beyond local dealers, scrap yards and those on Facebook Marketplace. With each of those options, you’ll be subject to haggling, and that’s not only a hassle but could lower how much you have to invest in a replacement.
Whether the van can be repaired or is used for parts is for the buyer to decide, but if you are as open and honest about the van’s condition, you can check online tools to get an idea of how much you could get. For reference, though, a van could lose between 10-40% of its value in the first year alone, depending on how it’s maintained and any faults that develop. This is only going to further drop each year, so good van care is essential.
Is It Worth Looking At Van Repairs?
In a lot of cases, damage or faults with your van can be repaired. However, it can become a case of when is it too much? If your van is heavily used, or was bought second-hand, then you might find faults or issues arise more often than if it was bought new.
Keep in mind the value of your van, and how much a replacement would cost, before working out how much you’re willing to spend to keep this model running. If you spend too much in a short period of time, it might not be worth continuing if more repairs will be needed in the near future. Even over its lifetime, a budget of what you’re willing to spend will help make sure you don’t lose money.
Even with this in mind, new vans can still develop faults and be damaged.
How Much Do Van Repairs Cost?
Van repairs can vary depending on what the problem is, making it difficult to know how much you’ll have to pay. Two vans with suspension issues, for example, might feel or look to be the same but cost very different amounts to repair depending on what the actual problem is.
Some estimate prices could include:
- At least £100 per tyre (not including fitting and balancing)
- Dented panels that cost more than £500
- Brake disc replacements for around £250
- A full engine replacement coming to £5,000 or more.
Always seek out the advice of an expert before agreeing to any repairs and check for the best prices without compromising on quality.
Have You Considered Selling Your Van?
If the repair costs of your broken van continue to add up, selling is a perfectly good option. There’s no point in continuing with a vehicle that lets you down or costs more to fix and run than it helps you earn. However, if a good replacement isn’t available within your budget, it might be worth holding on until one is so you can be happy with the switch.
While finding a private buyer can take time, and often involves haggling, you should be aware that plenty of businesses are willing to buy your broken down van, even if you think it’s worthless.
Do Broken Vans Have Any Value?
The short answer is yes. Even if you think your broken van is only worth scrap, buyers may not agree. You might not have the expertise or resources to fix a broken down van but someone else might. That means they could either use it or sell it on themselves, leaving you free to invest in a new vehicle.
Even if the van is better turned to scrap, that’s something the buyer can decide. They can handle the transportation after you sell your van and strip it for parts and materials. This could be used on other vans or for any number of reasons.
Where Can You Sell Your Van?
There are plenty of places you can sell your van, both locally and nationally, but you should look at the process and not just the price. Any buyers that want you to transport the van to them could leave you with a long and expensive journey home – not to mention trouble if the van isn’t roadworthy.
There are companies like ours at We Buy Broken Vans who will pick up your broken van at a convenient time for you. This saves you hassle and time, and you can still get a good price on the vehicle.
You can check other buyers to see how much you can get for your van, but be aware of how long prices are held for and don’t miss out on the right deal.
Would You Like To Know More About Selling Your Van?
A broken van doesn’t have to mean you scrap your vehicle. Not only can it be repaired, but there are parts that might be useful, too. If the cost of repairs mean it would be better to buy a new vehicle, then you can sell your van first and use that to help buy a replacement.
You can check with local dealers and scrap yards for a price on your broken van, but at We Buy Broken Vans, we offer a fair price to help you invest in a new vehicle. This means you can budget properly and avoid putting a strain on your finances by buying the right model. If you’d like to know more, get in touch with our team and find out more about how our process works.
