Day: 16 January 2020

All vehicles require an MOT test when they are more than three years old. This is because the law requires that all drivers ensure that their car has a valid MOT every year.

First introduced in the 1960s under the direction of Ernest Marples, the MOT test examines all aspects of a vehicle including its engine parts, lights and breaks to ensure that it is safe to drive.

Why?

An MOT test is designed to thoroughly examine the overall road safety of a vehicle so that it is not only safe for the driver, but that it is also safe for other road users too.

Many drivers dread the annual MOT test due to the financial burden that often comes hand in hand with a vehicle that has failed its MOT. After all, if a vehicle is deemed to be unsafe and fails its MOT, it is against the law for drivers to get behind the wheel of that vehicle.

Who needs an MOT test?

Whether you drive a car, van or motorbike, you will be expected to ensure that your vehicle has a valid MOT once it reaches three years of age.

With the demands of everyday life often pulling us in all manner of directions, it’s often the case that drivers forget when to renew their MOT, resulting in a fine of up to £1000 if caught.

Can you drive with a failed MOT?

If your car fails its MOT, you will not be able to drive it as the law states that it is illegal to drive any vehicle that does not have a valid MOT certificate. And remember, if your car does not have a valid MOT certificate, your insurance will also not be valid.

Taking an MOT retest

If your vehicle fails its MOT, it is possible to get a retest providing you address the repairs that need to be carried out.

You can either address the repairs to your vehicle there and then, or take your car away for the repairs to be fixed. If you do decide to take your car away to be repaired, you will have to ensure that all repairs have been addressed within 2 -10 working days and you must bring your car back to the original testing centre for a partial retest.

If the repairs to your vehicle take longer than 10 days to fix, you will be charged for a full MOT.

Selling an MOT failure

Many drivers decide to sell their vehicle if it has failed its MOT as the repairs often cost more to fix than the vehicle is worth.

If your car has recently failed its MOT, or does not have a MOT certificate at all, selling your car can be extremely difficult, but not impossible.

At Gp Metals we will purchase a vehicle without an MOT. All you need to do is fill out our online pricing tool to get an instant quote.

Declare SORN following an MOT failure

If you decide that scrapping your car following an MOT failure is the best option for you, it is important that you register your vehicle as SORN.

SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) is the designation that is given to all vehicles that are now exempt from road tax and SORN must be in place before vehicle owners can scrap their car.

Find out more by contacting our team of experts are on hand to answer any questions you have about scrapping your car.

A Certificate of Destruction (CoD) is a document issued by DVLA to a registered Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF). Legally, all cars recycled by an ATF must be issued with a CoD.

Legally, all cars which are recycled by an ATF must be issued with a CoD. However not all vehicles collected by ATF’s are recycled, as the DVLA advise it is up to the ATF what they wish to do with the vehicle.

Lots of people are confused about what they need to do when they scrap or salvage a car, we hope the following information will help clear things up for you.

At Gp Metals, we issue a Cod for all Scrap Cars and send it directly to you via email. However if your vehicle is a premium vehicle less than 5 years old we may consider this a Salvage vehicle in which case a Certificate will not be issued but the DVLA will still be notified.

Do I still need to tell DVLA that I have sold the vehicle if I requested a CoD?

Yes, in all cases , you still need to advise DVLA that you have sold your vehicle to a motor trader, this is your responsibility, otherwise the vehicle, although recycled will still be in your name.

You can either do this by using the yellow slip on the (V5C) logbook, or via the DVLA website https://www.gov.uk/sold-bought-vehicle

This is the most important step as this transfers any responsibility from you to the ATF company from the day of the collection.

 So whats the confusion ?

The confusion is that even DVLA advise that if you do not have the certificate as proof that you’ve handed over the vehicle for scrap, you could still be liable for traffic offences and vehicle tax, however they also do say if the ATF decides to repair or sell on the vehicle then they can do at their discretion.

In Summary the best thing to do is send off the yellow section of the logbook or fill in the details online, you will not be responsible for what happens to the vehicle once sold and any tax owed will be refunded by DVLA.

Tip: If you are sending the yellow section via post, we would recommend you send this recorded/signed for delivery for your peace of mind.

Something people are often confused about is what the difference is between a salvage car and a scrap car. Let’s try and clear things up a bit…

A scrap car is what may also be called an End of Life Vehicle or ELV. These are usually more than 10 years old and don’t have any parts that are worth reusing.

If you choose to scrap your car, the entire car will be sent for disposal and subsequent recycling. If your car is a scrap car, it will be worth less money than a salvage car and this may make it more difficult to sell.

This is because many dealers don’t want cars that have no salvageable parts and will offer them lower profit margins.

What Happens with a Salvage Car?

If your car is a salvage car that can be repaired or has parts that could be sold, it could be sold to either a dealer who can make it roadworthy again or a specialist car breaker who will dismantle the car and sell whatever parts they’re able to.

Car Salvage is for cars which can be made roadworthy again or that have good parts that could be sold. Salvage cars are usually less than 10 years old, which means their parts are in better condition and more likely to be able to be sold or fixed allowing the car to get back on the road.

There are loads of car dealers out there who specialise in spare parts for certain models or makes of cars, so if your car falls into this category and you wish to sell it for parts, it’s worth seeking out this type of dealer.

What Happens to End of Life Vehicles That Are Scrapped?

Vehicles that are either too old or too damaged to have any salvage value should be disposed of at an Authorised Treatment Facility or ATF.

Registered ATFs must meet strict government recycling and waste standards. At Gp Metals you can rest assured that once your ELV has been collected, it will be disposed of and recycled legally and correctly.

How to Tell if Your Car is Scrap or Salvage

To be sure whether your car is suitable for scrap or salvage, you’d need to have some scrap industry knowledge. For a guideline though, you should consider whether your car is over 10 years old or under.

If it’s over 10 years old, it’s likely going to be a scrap car, and if it’s under 10 years old and isn’t badly damaged, it’s most likely going to be fit for salvage.

This isn’t always a hard and fast rule though, as certain types of cars have salvage value even after 10 years of age, for example classic and rare cars.

It’s vital to have the right paperwork before you scrap your car. You’ll need: 

• The vehicle logbook (V5C) – you can’t scrap your car without this, as it proves the car belongs to you, and stops any unauthorised sales. Make sure you keep the yellow slip from it (V5C/3) and ensure you get a receipt from the ATF. 
• A Certificate of Destruction (CoD) should then be posted or emailed to you within a week. This is a DVLA certificate that proves you’ve had the car recycled, and absolves you of any future responsibility for it. 

How much will I get for selling my car for scrap?  

Online car scrap valuations near you 

The easiest option for scrapping your car is to use our online valuation tool which offer you quotes.  

The price offered by Gp Metals are based on the car being: 

• in an accessible location 
• complete 
• free from waste 

Also please make sure that the tyres are fully inflated and the keys are available. 

Refund on insurance 

Once your car’s been scrapped and you have the CoD, ring up your insurer and cancel your car insurance policy. You might be able to get a refund on any unused cover. 

You can also get a full refund on any unused months’ tax. 

Legislation dictates that 95 per cent of a car has to be recycled when it’s scrapped; we follow the hi-tech process… 

To many people, recycling cars can seem like a bit of a mystery. Just how much work is involved in breaking down such a complicated machine into material that can actually be re-used? Well, here’s how: 

• The fluids need to be completely drained. Cars contain a number of fluids that can be dangerous to the environment: petrol, oil, antifreeze, brake and transmission fluids as well as a number of different lubricants. These liquids are stored and then shipped to processing plants. 
• Any parts that are re-usable are removed, cleaned up and restored. In our case, we’ll add them to our online store, which offers a range of second-hand parts at great prices.  
• All recyclable parts that can’t be re-sold – such as bald tyres and the battery – are also removed. In some cases – such as with lead parts – this can be because they’re hazardous. 
• The chassis and any remaining parts are fed into the crusher to compact the metal, before being put into the shredder. 
• Once the shredder has done its job, the metal is then separated into ferrous and non-ferrous, with any remaining shredder residue (plastic, foam and glass materials) being disposed of. 
• The scrap metal is then recycled and melted down to be used for new metal and components. 

Recycling figures are impressive: on some occasions, as much as 98 per cent of a junk car will be used for recycling. In most cases, the figure is around 75 per cent, which is still great for the earth given the huge number of cars that are scrapped each year! Recycling metal uses around 75 per cent less energy than creating new metal, so it’s an invaluable activity. 

If you’re planning to scrap your car, get in touch with Gp Metals today and we’ll give you a great price.