A tap in a car park, a rear-ender at the lights, a scrape reversing out of a driveway — the damage often looks straightforward at first. Then the repair quote arrives and the number bears no resemblance to what you expected. If your car has been through a minor accident, here’s why putting it right can cost so much more …

A crash doesn’t always total a car in the way people expect. Sometimes the damage looks alarming but the repair is straightforward. Other times a minor-looking knock turns into a repair quote that makes no financial sense at all. Working out which situation you’re in — before you commit to fixing the car — can save you weeks of back-and-forth …

If your car has been written off after an accident in Perth, the number your insurer puts on it can feel like it came out of nowhere. Knowing how the figure is built – and where it tends to fall short – makes it easier to decide whether to accept the payout, negotiate, or look at what an accident-damaged car …

If your car has been in a crash, sat outside since a flood, or simply won’t start any more, you’ve probably weighed up whether to sell it privately or just call a wrecker. The honest answer depends on how bad the damage is — but for most accident-affected cars in Perth, a private sale turns out slower and less certain …

If your car has been in an accident and you’re weighing up whether to repair it or sell it, one question trips up a lot of Perth car owners: will selling the car affect your insurance claim? The honest answer is that it depends on where you are in the claims process. Get the order of events right and there’s …

If you’ve just sold, wrecked, or handed over an accident car in Perth, one government step is easy to forget once the tow truck has left: lodging a Notification of Disposal with the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure (DTMI) in Western Australia. It’s a short form, but skipping it can leave you legally responsible for a car you no …

If your car has been in an accident, dealing with the vehicle itself is usually the straightforward part. The paperwork that follows — what happens to your registration (rego) and your Compulsory Third Party cover — catches a lot of Perth owners out, mainly because the rules aren’t spelled out anywhere obvious. This is separate from lodging a Notification of …

If you’ve got a damaged, unregistered or barely-running car sitting in the driveway due to an accident, it’s fair to wonder whether you need to get it inspected before you can legally sell it. In some states the answer is yes, and it can be an expensive step for a car that’s already on its way to the wreckers. In …

If your car has just come out of repairs after an accident, storm damage, or a WA Police yellow sticker, getting it road-legal again usually means one more step: a vehicle inspection. In WA this is officially a vehicle examination, and it confirms a repaired car is safe to drive and can be licensed again. Here’s what it involves, what …

If your car has just come out of a smash, you’re probably staring down two quotes: one from the panel beater, and one from your own gut telling you the car might not be worth fixing. Repairing or replacing it is a decision a lot of Perth drivers face, and the right answer isn’t always obvious — it depends on …