Scrappage: load of rubbish or diamond in the rough?
Over three grand off the price of a BMW 1 Series? Five grand off a Ford?
Carmakers are pulling out all the stops to get buyers back into showrooms – and the government’s latest initiative to refuel the car industry has got manufacturers bending over backwards with offers.
For, for example, is now offering a range of deals on its models, including £4,500 off a Ford Mondeo and £2,000 off a Ford Fiesta.
Nissan is offering £2,000 trade-ins on eight-year-old cars, while Volvo says the £2,000 incentive can be used as a deposit to help reduce monthly payments on a new vehicle.
Carmakers offer bigger scrappage discounts
We want to know YOUR scrappage stories – have you scrapped your old vehicle or planning to scrap it? If so, what will you change it for?
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136 Comments
June 25, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Just bought a new VW transporter, was offered a better deal not using the scrappage scheme, can any one tell me the point of this….I dont understand how i was not at least £1k better off just from using the governments subsidy. I was told that unless i paid full list price for the car the 2k was not available, i understand that dealers have to put in 1k as well but what about the gov 1k it makes no sense – please someone explain!
June 26, 2009 at 4:24 pm
How does buying a Hyundai or even an Audi for that matter help the BRITISH car industry?
I thought that is what this scrapage scheme was set up for.
June 26, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Well, if industry means dealerships it helps us
If I earn a nice big bonus, I might just spend it on something you sell?
Kev
July 6, 2009 at 12:34 pm
In the interim, of course it helps dealerships and temporarily helps the economy (and of course youself). And none of that is a bad thing.
But…
Fundamentally, money is leaving the country in larger proportion than it is returning so we’d all better hope the government has a longer term plan to rebuild our flagging industries or else in a few decades we’ll all be out of money and begging on the street.
After all, if we have nothing the rest of the world wants to buy… then where are we going to get the money to buy cars with?
July 1, 2009 at 8:26 am
I have a vehicle one day the wrong side of the 10 year old scrappage deal.
Any vehicle other than a micra do less than 10 years?
The media claim the scrappage won’t be extended, who knows.
Any suggestion or news
Thanks
July 1, 2009 at 8:43 am
It might be worth taking it along to your dealer of choice anyway and seeing if they’ll do you a deal on it.
July 1, 2009 at 8:56 am
Hi Andy,
As far as the real scheme goes, if it ain’t 31/8/1999 or earlier, it does not count.
Any other scheme is unlikely to be as good, although your mileage may vary (forgive the pun).
I would go along anyway, as most dealers are keen to move on used stock, which at the lower end has been decimated by this scheme, and given the very low margins being made on scrappage, you may get a nice surprise.
Kev
July 2, 2009 at 7:20 am
Just thought I would share my own personal circumstances to the scrappage scheme, and a deal I am currently investigating.
I own a qualifying car (1999 306 Diesel) and have owned it for a few years.
A few months ago a nice gentleman decided to drive his van into the back of me causing damage significant enough for the insurance company to write it off, yet its only really cosmetic, everything works as it should.
2 weeks later, after getting a nice £1500 cheque from his insurance company, its back on the road, having purchased it back for 10% of the settlement figure, and with a fresh MOT to ensure its road worthy I am more than happy.
So I have now got a cheque for £1500, minus the £200 it cost me to get the car back, but a dealer is willing to give me £2000 for that very same car against a nice new car. At the moment I can not find any caveats in the scheme to say a previously accident damaged vehicle does not qualify.
So the question: Is a Brand new Suzuki Alto worth the £1500 (4800-2000 scrappage -1300 insurance payout) of my hard earned cash?
Based on the projected residuals, I could be in for a few years free motoring.
July 2, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Well here’s our review of the Alto: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/CARS/FEATURES/credit_cruncher_driving_the_new_suzuki_alto.html
And a few of its rivals:
Toyota Aygo
Citroen C1
Peugeot 1007
Fiat 500
Fiat Panda
Hyundai i10
Ford Ka
VW Fox
Hope that helps you make a decision! Do let us know which one you pick…
July 4, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Please note the i10 review is a bit out of date, as all UK ones now have the (quite a lot better) 1.2 engine.
Kev
September 1, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Please note the i10 is a bit out of date, as all UK ones now have the (quite a lot better) 1.2 engine.
July 2, 2009 at 5:58 pm
If it is a Catagory A or B write off, it does NOT qualify, and if it is a Cat C if does qualify subject to a couple of caveats.
The dealer will find this out eventually so its not worth leaving it too late to find out.
A simple HPI will show you if you do not know which Cat it was.
Kev
July 4, 2009 at 10:41 pm
Hyundai’s advertised price of £4995 for an i10 Classic 1.2 if you buy it on the scrappage scheme is false advertising. They add on an “admin charge” of £50 for “filling in the scrappage paperwork”, making the price £5045. And there is only one colour available at this price, because all other colours are metallic paint, and metallic paint costs £355 more. Just thought you should know.
July 4, 2009 at 11:16 pm
No, No and No again!!!! There is now way Hyundai is doing this, sounds like you have found a dodgy dealer somewhere, maybe name and shame.
I can guarantee you this is NOT supposed to happen.
The 1.2 Classic in Red is £4995, which, after the recent (small) price rise means you are actually getting £2205 scrappage allowance not just the £2000.
As doe metallic costing more, sure it does, but what is odd about that?
Come on, £4995 for a car with Air Con, 5 doors, CD with 3.5 Aux input jack, electric front windows, and a 5 year manufacturers warranty, surely that is a bloody good deal?
Just avoid any dealer doing the above scam, and at the very least please tell Hyundai who it is.
Kev
July 13, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Even better than this buy a car 5 years old called a Seat Ibiza FR 1.9 TDI and you wont have a guttless pos. Unless they come to any sense and put a decent engine in it like alfa have with their new mito.
Oh by any chance do you work for hyundai kev?
September 1, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Kev has shares in hyundia, either that or he is married to hyundia,
July 6, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Absurd.
Yet more propaganda and ridiculous behaviour from our government. Is it any wonder we have lost faith in them?
Anyone with a 10 year old car that they actually rely on simply doesn’t have the thousands of pounds necessary to buy a new one.
Equally, much of these scrapped cars, indeed any parts that have no monetary worth to the recyclers, end up in landfills.
And finally, many of them are perfectly roadworthy: My 13 year old TDi Rover, whilst not exactly exciting, just passed it’s MOT first time, no work needed, has never broken down on me, doesn’t burn oil or have any other faults and still has a shocking amount of power out on the open road. In addition it does 30mpg when I turbo around town and 50mpg when I hit the motorway.
Now try and give me one single justification for putting that in a landfill.
People who keep old cars alive and in good condition are doing this country’s environment a favour and should be rewarded, not discouraged.
July 11, 2009 at 11:24 pm
£1k government allowance and manufacturers are doubling it? If you can’t afford a new car than does this really make a difference? Another freebee for those who can’t or can’t be bothered to work. I work hard and have always had to pay my way! The middle class get nothing whilst the working (whoops – can’t be bothered to work) get the freebees under Labour. I have to pay in full for my new cars – utter rubbish like the UK government.
July 16, 2009 at 8:24 pm
i hate new cars older cars are much better easier to fix parts are cheaper for them etc etc i would never chop my old car in at least i can service my old car with no problems unlike new cars which have to go back to dealers this scrappage scheme is pointless i would love some of these old cars that have been scrapped
July 18, 2009 at 11:56 pm
TUT TUT Autotrader, your photo of the Saab 900 is actually a Fiat X/19.
What will happen to the classic cars of the future with this scrapppage scheme? Also there are many 10 year old+ small cars that are economical and offer low running costs.
Bear in mind too, that when the majority of cars are electric or semi-electric powered the Government will put up the tax for such vehicles – road tax has always been constantly changing over the years.
July 27, 2009 at 10:45 am
Hi Jezz,
Thanks for making us aware of the incorrect image caption – this has now been amended.
Regards,
Auto Trader
July 20, 2009 at 10:45 pm
MY NEIGHBOUR HAS A 1994 ESCORT WITH 22000 MILES ON THE CLOCK,WHEN I TOLD HIM THEY HAVE GOT TO BE CRUSHED HE’S NOT FALLING FOR THE SCAM
WHATS GING TO HAPPEN TO THE OLD CARS,BEING THE OD PRE 1993 VEHICLES WERE MUCH MORE RELIABLE PRE CATS !
August 2, 2009 at 6:28 pm
I have been saying this for a while now, after spesking to various people most think for a few seconds and reply, ….oh yeah that does seem to be the case.
It`s a rip off and we don`t really have a car industry to support anymore so why bother?
Maybe Brown wants a few holiday homes around the world, 1 in France 1 in Germany 1 in ……and about 10 in Korea?
August 19, 2009 at 9:28 pm
I am scrapping a 1996 Ford Fiesta for a Hyundai 20.
I would like to keep my fiesta but each year that I have an mot the repairs costs are greater than the value of the car. My car has rust on the wheel arches which you can push through with a finger. When I turn corners alsorts of noises sound from the bonnet. Now the garage has refused to even look at my car for repairs as they don’t know for sure why it is shuddering whilst stationery with the engine running – possible misfire, faulty valves etc requiring at least the engine to be stripped. Reluctantly I will have to let the car go. At first I looked at used car deals but my car is worth only £70 (Ford Dealer) and a used model these days worth 5-6k has on average 40k on the clock.
By accident (I was looking for the Mazda garage I stumbled across a Hyundai Garage. The salesman was extremely accommodating and let me test drive a Hyundai i20 there and then (with my kids in tow). The Ford dealership wanted me to deposit £100 to test drive a car held offsite!!! Anyway the experience with the dealership was so pleasant and painless I decided to order one. And I am looking forward to getting one. Yes – I have had to obtain a loan to purchase one, but I have a car with zero miles on the clock, will drive well for at least 4yrs before needing any major repairs and atleast 3yrs before I need to MOT it.
For the past 7yrs my radio cassette player failed to function now I can look forward to listening to CD’s or MP3 lists which will make my driving experience more enjoyable. My old car was becoming uneconomical to run – it needs engine oil every 2-3 weeks and this is not cheap to buy.
Half a tank of petrol tends to last no more than 2 days of daily 3o mile commuting, and I had to judge breaking distances further because of inefficient breaks (not defective breaks – otherwise it would not pass it’s MOT)
I am sorry to see my old car go but the annual cost of repairs is getting too high.
August 20, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Hi everyone
Just a thought for the future, if you buy a car for 10k, take off the 2k scrappage, you actually pay 8k.
Ok so what will this do for the resale value of these cars in say 1 to 3 years time.
Just curious.
Mike
August 20, 2009 at 8:56 pm
Hi Mike, I think it will depend it you go back to the original salesman
Nah, seriously, they are just the same cars, not sure it will make a difference. Of course, given the huge numbers of say i10 coming onto the market, it could impact, although I suspect that due to these cars not being traded on the normal 3 year cycle (a lot of people will keep these for ages), I think it will not make a lot of difference.
Kev
September 1, 2009 at 7:34 pm
There will be so many about that after 3 years a 9k car will be worth 3k at trade in.
A 5k car? look at what a 3 year old Hyundia or Kia is worth now:
Auldhouse motor company
2 Caplethill Road Paisley have a 2006 06 Reg KIA Picanto 1.0 GS Price: £2,695
That`s the dealer selling it on so what is he going to offer you for your old Picanto?
August 21, 2009 at 2:18 pm
What I would like to know, has anyone heard of cars that have been scrapped being ‘harvested’ for used car parts?
September 1, 2009 at 7:14 am
Of course the scrap yard take working parts off the cars to sell and recycle. Do you think that is wrong somehow?
Kev
September 1, 2009 at 7:36 pm
That`s not what he is saying, he is asking where they go and do they really go for recycling or do the dealers as i suspect just sell them on for what they can get?
Cynical? me? …….ok just a little!
September 1, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Is he? OK, if you say so.
Now, let me help you understand how this works.
When we actually tax a scrappage car, we are taking between £2000 and £7000 risk, and until we supplied BERR with the COD (cert of destruction) from the scrapyard, we do not get the money. As it is we have to wait over a week for it,
So no, there will be NO dealers selling these cars, none at all.
But hey, why believe me, I have shares in Hyundai apparently.
Kev
Kev
August 30, 2009 at 2:44 pm
I have just traded in my ‘99 Polo for a Golf 1.6tdi SE. The Polo mot is due in Oct, the gearbox is leaking oil,etc. The Golf will have low CO2 emissions,hence low tax, no mot for three years, I will keep it for at least five years, Iwill pay less VAT on it, I got an up-spec as the dealer supplied a car from stock to register the sale this month. I would suggest this is how scrappage should work?
August 31, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Hi all
Haven’t read many of the previous posts so apologies if this question has been asked already
I’ve just bought a used car and also own a car that qualifies for the scrappage scheme. It won’t pass the MOT due at the end of September but as I understand it, under the scrappage scheme, there’s no time limit for someone to own the new car they buy.
So, the question is, if I buy and register a new car on behalf of someone else and then “hand it over” on the forecourt after delivery in exchange for say £500, is that allowed? If so, anyone out there like to ring me? 0115 9199758.
August 31, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Hi Ian,
I think it would be OK, but you would have to get the buyer to trust you, since the V5 is gonna come back to you, and any prospective buyer would have to be sure you would be changing it over
In theory, the buyer would have to also hnd you the money, since the dealer would be stupid to accept 3rd party money for a car, (don’t worry too much there are plenty of stupid dealerships out there
I have been (partly) responsible for selling over 400 scrappage cars now, and still can not get myself one
, so I was looking for a “you” in my local area (Ipswich), but to be completely blunt, I am not sure I would trust anyone enough to actually do it.
Kev
September 1, 2009 at 9:54 am
Kev,
it`s not correct, not keeping in spirit of the agreement and frankly just what i would expect from some people.
September 1, 2009 at 10:04 am
You sound too perfect to be true Steve, I have thought for a while you are just trolling around here, sarky comments and adding nothing of value.
My post was pointing out all the reasons why it will probably not work anyway, but the facts are simple, there is nothing wrong with what Ian suggested. All this “spirit” of this and that is a load of bollox, usually raised by people who have for whatever reason missed out on being able to take advantage of something.
Come on fess up, you have a car reg Sept 1st 1999 and missed being able to do scrappage by 1 day didn’t you
)
Kev
September 1, 2009 at 11:06 am
Kev don`t call me a troll, how wrong are you? are you working at your Hyundia dealer today
September 1, 2009 at 11:09 am
….further, i don`t think you should be posting on here, it almost ammounts to advertising if not your dealer then the brand.
You only say good things about Hyundia, you have not said too much about Kia the sister company have you?
Never said anything about the VW polo Blue motion either have you Kev.
September 1, 2009 at 9:51 am
Hi,
Reply to Kev.
So Kev, to answer your questions and or statements to a large extent it is not possible to buy only products made in western europe but whenever the opportunity is there i will only buy from countries whom i feel put something back into our economy. British? yes!
So you will now be asking what sort of car i drive?
well i can`t see it making any difference to you, if you really do sell them they you have an angle or an axe to grind i guess but this will end up going nowhere.
September 1, 2009 at 10:15 am
My sole point in this argument is this (….you listening Kev?)
There should be nothing given from our state of the art government IHWCD department, for cars costing less thanor around £7k, cars costing under £10k should receive a £1k scrappege allowance and cars like the honda`s Nissans and Toyotas etc made in THIS COUNTRY (target the brands and the actual models) which retail at over £10,500 should receive a £2k to 3k discount, cars also made in this counry which retail at under £13,500 should recieve a £3k to £4k discount.
No don`t jump on me about the figures. obviously as i`m not in the government i can not state precise prices and or discounts but you have to aim the money at our own people like the rest of the worlds goverments do. N
(Incompetent Help for Working Class Drivers Department )
September 1, 2009 at 10:33 am
I am listening intently, but have no idea what point you are trying to make?
Why do you think there should be no discounts on cars under 7k? These are the cars that are (generally) the lowest polluters, and the cheapest to run, so why not encourage the sale of those?
I see your point about British built cars getting the bigger discounts, and that is in actual fact exactly what Nissan are doing with there scrappage on 8 year old cars programme, a good idea (its on UK build cars only) but remember that the Govt are only giving £1k on ALL scrappage deals, the car companies are making up the difference.
I know in a lot of cases the car companies were already giving large discounts, but in our case, i10s were only £300 off at most, now they have £2205 off them.
Bottom line is, the UK government would never have agreed to more allowance on British built cars, for the scheme to work, it needed all the companies like Hyundai on board, not sure it would have been legal anyway.
Kev
September 1, 2009 at 11:11 am
If a company discounts something they never ever discount the cheapest product in the range, except in this case.
It`s unfair and unjust because of the low wages paid to Indian people (workers) and for that matter Korean people
September 1, 2009 at 11:19 am
Steve, am happy to apologise about the troll comment.
I got the day off, on Sept the 1st, how cool is that!
As for not posting anymore, well, I will stop if Autotrader tells me to, but I don’t think I am advertising (if I was given the amount we spend with Autotrader it would be fair game actually), just trying to put opposite side to your anti Hyundai comments.
Kia are OK, what do you want me to say?
VW Blue Motion? OK, let talk about it. I have no problem talking about anything here.
Look Steve, under scrappage, we have sold 150 MORE cars in 14 weeks than we sold for the WHOLE of 2008. I really don’t need advertising.
Do you buy clothes at all? Please stop, you are being unfair to poorly paid Indian workers.
Kev
September 1, 2009 at 7:47 pm
“We have sold 150 MORE cars in 14 weeks than we sold for the WHOLE of 2008. I really don’t need advertising.”
Look at the Autotrader website, they state that they have called for a scrappage extension. You along with most small car makers (i.e. makers of small cars) are getting free advertising. Kev. i don`t count clothes, food or anything else like that. Cars are different, when we have an industry mothballed for months over here. I don`t think it fair to other manufacturers who pay staff bigger wages either like….most other carcompanys actually.
Your last line is making me think, this is my last post, because i feel you are going to get nasty and call me something i am not.
September 1, 2009 at 7:55 pm
I am not sure where this will come out, we have hit the 5 replies limit Steve.
OK, look, I am taking full advantage of the free government advertising, I admit it, I have always admitted it.
You raised the issue of poorly paid Indian Hyundai workers (which they are not), and when I ask you about cheap Indian clothing, which you clealy do buy, you say you don’t count it?
Whatever.
I have no intention of calling you anything at all Steve, I am sure you are a nice guy, as am I.
I am just not gonna sit here and let you post stuff that is false. Give people a bit of credit, they can read all the comments here and make their own minds up.
Kev
September 1, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Just figured I’d lodge my opinion here as there seems to be 2 banners to sit under, the pro and the anti. I’m anti for many reasons.
Personally I’d rather keep my old cars as I know exactly how to fix them and parts are dirt cheap, rather than it all being under the lock and key of some big international company. I think some people may be interested to learn that the motor manufacturers are again pressuring the EU into allowing them to restrict access to the car ECUs. This would effectively mean the only people who can service your car are the manufacturers, which would be a monopoly once you buy one. And seeing as there are no British mass manufacturing car companies left I can’t see the UK getting a good deal out of it in the long run.
Also has anyone thought what happens when all the people who might want a new car have one? I can’t see a lot of people trading in their 2 yr old Kia or Hyundai for a new one, after all, they have a 5 or 7 year warranty don’t they. I suspect this is exactly the mentality that brought about the housing market crash, encouraging people to buy things now rather than wait until they can afford them properly. Eventually they won’t be able to and they’ll have to live off the debt they’ve created, in this particular scenario it’ll be the motor manufacturers having to live with 5 or 7 yrs of famine after a year of feast. Let them have it if they’re that greedy, just don’t drag me and my love of old car tinkering get involved, I’m off to look on autotrader for a nice 80s MR2 in white…