Privately selling my previously stolen car - should I tell them?

Murlton

Hi,

So, my car was stolen a few months back. The thief used a screwdriver to get the door open and then used a computer to start the engine. I went through the usual channels (police, insurance), but fortunately he only had it a few hours before he dumped it and I miraculously found it. The damage wasn't too bad - a dented alloy, a scratched door, broken lock. I went through the insurance and they fixed it all up back to perfect condition.

I've now decided to sell the car privately, partly because I don't want them to target it again, and partly because it's just time to upgrade anyway. My question is this, should I tell potential buyers that it has been stolen previously? I feel that ethically it's the right thing to do, but realistically I know it could put people off. I don't want to be dishonest with them, but I know it could put them off when it shouldn't. 

Also, can they find this information out themselves? I have looked on car history check websites and none of them show it as stolen. I assume that shows whether it's currently stolen. But can they see if it was stolen and recovered in the past?

Many thanks

AdrianC

Given that it was recovered, then repaired by insurance - no, it isn't recorded.
If it'd been written off, then it would be (prob Cat D/N or maybe X), even if later recovered and the salvage retained by you.

As for whether you should... well, the simple test is to put the boot on the other foot, isn't it?
If YOU were buying, how hacked off would YOU be if you later found out the seller had failed to tell you...?

Murlton

AdrianC said:

Given that it was recovered, then repaired by insurance - no, it isn't recorded.
If it'd been written off, then it would be (prob Cat D/N or maybe X), even if later recovered and the salvage retained by you.

As for whether you should... well, the simple test is to put the boot on the other foot, isn't it?
If YOU were buying, how hacked off would YOU be if you later found out the seller had failed to tell you...?

Thanks for the response Adrian.
Yeah, I agree. I think I would probably be miffed if someone failed to mention that to me. I have just been speaking to someone about this and they brought up an interesting point. If I sold the car in 3 years time instead, would I still feel obliged to tell the buyer then? Probably not, I very much doubt it would be worth mentioning. I also feel like I wouldn't be as fussed if I was the buyer and they didn't tell me it was stolen 3 years previous. The issue appears to lie in the fact it happened so recently, that I'm wondering if they have a right to know.

Car_54

If it's been professionally repaired, with no ill-effects from the theft, then I can see no reason to mention it. Would you draw the buyer's attention to every dent or scratch that had been repaired?

clive0510

I would be inclined to mention it, if I were you. and I would like to think if I were the buyer it would work the other way round. unfortunately not every one thinks like that.

Murlton

Thanks for the responses everyone. Is this information not obtainable at all then? I'd have thought you'd be able to find this out somehow. What about when a potential buyer gets an insurance quote beforehand? Would the insurer not raise this as a potential issue?

chrisw

If it's perfectly repaired then I dont see it being stolen as relevant. Yes, it might have been thrashed for one journey but you could buy a non-stolen car that has been thrashed daily.You will have to answer yes if they specifically ask whether its been previosly stolen though.

If you do decide to tell them, you might want to consider somewhere like Webuyanycar first which would avoid any unpleasantness further down the line.

A_Lert

My 2 pence. The repair work should be documented, and if you don't have that documentation then you can't state "full service history". The reason the repairs were needed doesn't need to be stated.

Ectophile

A_Lert said:

My 2 pence. The repair work should be documented, and if you don't have that documentation then you can't state "full service history". The reason the repairs were needed doesn't need to be stated.

What has repair work got to do with a full service history?  It's completely unrelated.

NottinghamKnight

Legally you would have to inform a potential buyer if specifically asked. It is often stated that a lot of brand new cars have been subject to repair prior to delivery due to damage when being shipped and transported, manufacturers won't be telling those buyers about the repairs. 

caprikid1

What Car is it ?   BMW M3 / M4 , Golf R32 ? Question won't be has it been stolen , how many times has it been stolen !!.