Determining when your car is no longer safe to drive is of course about far more than simply scrapping it. Quite to the contrary, the first and foremost consideration is that of your own health and safety. The problem being that as the quality and reliability of everyday automobiles increase, we don’t tend to think twice about running them indefinitely. Even when they reach the kind of mileage the cars of the eighties and nineties couldn’t come close to, we still treat them as if they are as robust and capable as they ever were.
For the sake of your own safety, your passengers and all other road users, it is up to you to be on the lookout for the kinds of signs and symptoms your car is on its way out. The good news being that there are various subtle warning signs fast-fading cars give – the trick being not to overlook or ignore them!
Smoke, Flames, or a Smell of Burning
For example, if there are any indications whatsoever that things are getting hotter than they should be behind the scenes, you can pretty much rest assured that something isn’t right. The problem being that over time, you find yourself getting used to these kinds of smells and subsequently ignoring them. The moment you detect them is the moment you should take them seriously.
Performance Problems
The same also goes for any general problems you may have noticed with the performance of your car. The simple fact of the matter is that if it is no longer performing as it once did, it clearly isn’t in the same kind of condition it once was. This might not necessarily indicate that it is time to scrap it, but chances are it won’t be long before it’s on its last legs.
Warning Lights
When you think about it, the habits most people fall into with warning lights are as hilarious as they are terrifying. Ask yourself – how many times have you written off all manner of blinking lights and warning signals in your older car, having simply assumed there’s nothing wrong? Warning lights are there for a reason and should not be ignored.
Handling Issues
Make no mistake about it – the moment you begin to note any handling issues with your car is the moment you should seriously think about whether or not it is still safe to drive. The handling issues themselves might be relatively minor at the moment, but what about if things take a turn for the worse further down the line?
Repair Bills
Last but not least, one of the most obvious signs that the time has come to think about scrapping your car is when you are spending far more on its upkeep than you can afford to. The simple fact of the matter is that with such readily available and affordable used cars on the market, it makes no sense to continue paying vast amounts of money to have your old car patched-up for a few more weeks or months.
For more information on anything to do with car scrapping and recycling, get in touch with the Take My Scrap Car team today.
