Cut & Shuts

One of the most dangerous types of vehicle fraud is the cut and shut - where the written-off remains of two or more cars are welded together to create a seemingly perfect whole vehicle. The most common is example is welding the back of a car that has been involved in a front-end smash to the front of a car that has been rear ended. The new vehicle is then re-sprayed and tidied up to look like a perfectly decent car.

However, while the car may look fine, the damage received from the original crash and the typically sub-standard welding work carried out by the criminals seriously compromises the car's structural integrity. This means that it could disintegrate at the slightest impact, leading to serious injury or death.

To avoid buying a cut and shut, you'll need to inspect the bodywork of the car carefully. In particular:

• Check for mismatched paint colors - particularly on the doors, hood and trunk-lid.
• Look for overspray on trim, glass or rubber seals.
• Cars are often welded around the windshield pillars and the middle section of the car; examine these areas carefully for any evidence. The join may be fairly obvious, although the criminals may apply copious quantities of underseal to hide it.
• Look closely underneath the seats and along the top of the windshield.
• Be suspicious of mismatched or badly fitting trim inside the car.