According to the South African Motor Body Repairers’ Association (Sambra), the South African Insurance Association (SAIA) has confirmed that its VIN-Lookup website will not include information on Code 2 vehicles for potential used-car buyers.
This decision means that potential buyers cannot use the website to check if a vehicle has been deemed too uneconomical to repair due to an accident.
Currently, the SAIA website covers vehicles classified under Code 3, Code 3A, and Code 4. Code 3 vehicles are those involved in an accident and considered unfit for use. Code 3A vehicles are permanently unfit for use and cannot be re-registered. Code 4 vehicles are considered scrap and no longer roadworthy.
Marcia Modiba, acting national director for Sambra, commented on the matter:
“On 15 April, Sambra met with SAIA once again regarding the publication of Code 2 cars that had been deemed uneconomical to repair.
“SAIA confirmed that after extensive internal engagements by the relevant SAIA Committee structures, they have decided that Code 2 vehicle salvage information will not be included on the VIN-Lookup website.
“SAIA believes that providing general access to Code 2 salvage records would compromise those who buy these vehicles and safely undertake repairs to the manufacturer’s specifications.”
Sambra has urged SAIA to reconsider adding Code 2 information to its website, citing a recent case involving an 84-year-old pensioner who fell victim to an unscrupulous dealer.
“An 84-year-old pensioner in Bela Bela not only lost his original Toyota Corolla, which he trustingly traded in online, but was also unwittingly sold a 2021 Suzuki Brezza with just 28,525 km on the clock for R230,000.
“What seemed like a dream car during the initial inspection in Johannesburg was later found to be a Code 2 vehicle previously written off, essentially a rolling deathtrap,” said Sambra.
A specialist independent forensic inspector commissioned by an accredited repairer found that the car had been declared a Code 2 insurance write-off in 2022 and subsequently handed over to a salvage yard.
“Based on this example, Sambra questions why SAIA is not equally concerned about compromising the safety of end consumers.
“The bottom line is that once a vehicle has been declared uneconomical to repair by an insurer and ends up at a salvage yard, it becomes fair game for anyone, leading to a loss of control over safety standards,” Modiba concluded.
