The story behind an auction car

Follow this BMW through its adverts, keeper changes, MOT records and two salvage events. The records give you questions to investigate before you bid.

Illustrative sample, not a live vehicle check. All vehicle details, records, prices and provider labels below demonstrate the report format. Run a new check for current data.

Auction Sample: 2016 Bmw 2 Series 218i LuxurySIMULATED

Report generated 18 July 2026 at 09:30

Auction bid decision

The numbers to know before you bid

Based on the listing, market valuation, visual condition and the costs you confirmed.

Recommended max bid

£1,150

Estimated delivered and repaired cost

£3,905

At the recommended bid, including fees, transport, repairs, other planned costs and the reserve.

Market value when repaired

£5,220

Includes any write-off history adjustment

£1,315 (25%) below market value when repaired.

Changes your maximum bid. Market value stays the same.

Market valuation

UK Vehicle Data range

Value comparison

UK Vehicle Data · licensed trade guide

Retail price

£8,150 - £9,900

9,050

Private sale price

£7,700 - £8,150

8,150

Trade price

Low £6,100

6,775

Part exchange price

6,150

Auction price

5,475

SalvageGuide · salvage market model

Recorded write-off price

£4,595 - £5,845

5,845

Predicted auction bid

£1,989 - £3,438

2,607

Based on 38,450 miles · guide

Retail value comparison

Independent market valuation

£9,050

UK Vehicle Data · licensed trade guide

Copart estimated retail value

£10,900

Auction listing · not independently verified

Copart is £1,850 (20%) higher.

Ralph uses the independent UK Vehicle Data valuation, not Copart's listing estimate, to calculate your maximum bid.

Previous adverts

Previous listing£8,45035,500 miles
Advert 1 of 3
Dates listed: 01 Jun 2026 – 10 Jun 2026
Seller and location: Illustrative dealer · Sheffield · Dealer
Previous listing£7,95033,500 miles
Advert 2 of 3
Dates listed: 10 Feb 2025 – 24 Feb 2025
Seller and location: Illustrative dealer · Nottingham · Dealer
Previous listing£6,50024,000 miles
Advert 3 of 3
Dates listed: 05 Jun 2022 – 18 Jun 2022
Seller and location: Illustrative private seller · Wolverhampton · Private

Damage, replace and repair breakdown

6 cost lines · The bid uses the high end of the repair allowance

Replacement parts

Front bumper assembly (cover + crash bar)

£150 – £300

Used from a breaker, or new OEM

Estimated parts allowance

Search eBay with these terms:

BMW 2 Series Front bumper (cover + crash bar)

Bonnet

£100 – £220

Used, colour-matched where possible

Estimated parts allowance

Search eBay with these terms:

BMW 2 Series Bonnet

Nearside headlight

£90 – £200

Used from a breaker

Estimated parts allowance

Search eBay with these terms:

BMW 2 Series left headlight

Radiator support / slam panel

£60 – £150

Used, subject to impact behind the bumper

Estimated parts allowance

Search eBay with these terms:

BMW 2 Series Radiator support

Replacement parts subtotal

£400 – £870

Workshop

Repairs and fitting purchased replacements, including necessary materials. Estimated fees; confirm with your workshop.

Bodywork and paint

£200
How this estimate is calculated

The saved workshop fee covers the tasks below. Purchased replacement parts are budgeted separately.

  • Paint & blend, front end

Respray and blend into the wings

Specialist work

£300 – £330
How this estimate is calculated

The saved workshop fee covers the tasks below. Purchased replacement parts are budgeted separately.

  • Panel fitting & alignment

Independent bodyshop rate

Workshop subtotal

£500 – £530

Allowance used in the bid calculation

£900 – £1,400

Visible front-end panels, paint and alignment checks, excluding hidden chassis or airbag damage.

Review the bid calculation and test costs

Recommended max bid

£1,150

Bidding is already at £4,600, above the recommended cap

  • Market value when repaired

    SalvageGuide category-adjusted resale, the price this car actually sells for once repaired with its recorded category

    SourceSalvageGuide

    £5,220

  • Cost to fixEstimate

    Based on the damage visible in the listing and photos

    −£1,400

  • TransportEstimate

    Transport quote plus 20% VAT

    −£420

  • Copart buyer feeEstimate

    Low volume tier, from Copart's published table

    −£225

  • Copart live bid feeEstimate

    −£69

  • Copart lot retrieval fee

    −£50

  • VAT on Copart fees (20%)

    −£69

  • Buffer for what the photos don't show (10%)

    −£522

  • Target saving (25%)

    If you can't buy below this, retail is the better deal

    −£1,305

  • Recommended maximum bid

    £1,150
Delivered and repaired cost£3,905

Saving against the market value when repaired of £5,220: £1,315 (25%), after the repair reserve.

Getting it home

This lot is at South Yorkshire. Enter a transport price before VAT to see its effect on the bid.

Repairs priced between £900 and £1,400, Visible front-end panels, paint and alignment checks, excluding hidden chassis or airbag damage.. This sum uses the higher end, because on a damaged car the cautious number is the honest one. Copart fees come from their published low-volume buyer table plus the live-bid fee and the £50 lot retrieval fee, with 20% VAT added on top. Check your Copart account for the exact figure before you bid.

Visual condition

The visible impact is concentrated at the front nearside, but the chassis legs and airbags are not shown clearly enough to rule out a larger repair. Ralph inspected 12 supplied images.

  • DangerFront nearside impact

    Bumper, wing and headlamp damage are visible. Alignment and cooling-pack damage need a physical inspection.

  • WatchAirbag condition is not proven

    The dashboard is powered, but the listing does not show the full restraint-system warning-light sequence.

Vehicle Information

Make & Model

Bmw 2 Series 218i Luxury

Year of Manufacture

2016

Colour

Black

Transmission

Automatic

Registration

DE66 MOA

Registration Date

01 Sept 2016

Latest Mileage

38,450 mi

MOT Status

Valid

ULEZ

Compliant

Tax Status

Taxed

Engine & Fuel Consumption

Fuel typePetrol
Engine capacityUnknown
Consumption combined48.7 mpg
CO2 emission112 g/km
CO2 ratingC
Cost per mileEstimated13.5p / mile
Annual fuel costEstimated£1,002
22% better than UK average (40 mpg)
CO₂ Efficiency Rating
C (112 g/km)
0 < 101
A
101 - 120
BC
RATING C
121 - 140
DE
141 - 165
FG
166 - 185
HI
186 - 225
JK
225+
LM

Official values are shown where supplied; estimated values use vehicle specifications. Fuel costs assume £1.45/litre and 7,400 miles/year. Actual use and prices vary.

Odometer history

Track how the vehicle's mileage has changed over time

First recorded20,950 mi
Latest recorded38,450 mi
20,00025,00030,00035,00040,000201920222023202420252026

Sept 2019: 20,950 mi

Jan 2022: 23,080 mi

Mar 2023: 26,010 mi

Mar 2024: 29,844 mi

Apr 2025: 34,090 mi

Apr 2026: 38,450 mi

MOT Test History

Test Number

test-0

Odometer

38,450 mi

Noted Defects & Advisories (1)

  • ADVISORYFront tyre worn close to legal limit

MOT Pass Rate

First-time pass rate. A fail that passed on retest still counts as a fail.

83%Pass rate
Passed: 5 (83%)
Failed: 1 (17%)

What's claimed vs what the record shows

  • WatchRun and drive

    The listing records run and drive, but that does not confirm roadworthiness after the impact.

  • WatchCategory N

    The current marker agrees, but licensed salvage history also found an earlier Category S event.

Vehicle history

Licensed evidence summary

2 critical licensed markers found

6 checks

Critical2
Needs context0
Clear4
Write-off / Cat status
Recorded · Cat N

Experian

Outstanding finance
None found

Experian

Stolen marker
No marker

Experian

Previous keepers
3 keepers

Experian

Plate changes
None

Experian

Colour changes
Not recorded

Experian

Recorded keeper periods

Keeper changes show recorded responsibility for the vehicle, not every driver or owner. Missing dates leave a gap; a short period is a question to ask, not proof of a fault.

  1. Keeper 13 years 1 month
    01 Sept 2016 to 20 Oct 2019
  2. Keeper 22 years 2 months
    20 Oct 2019 to 14 Jan 2022
  3. Keeper 33 months
    14 Jan 2022 to 14 Apr 2022
  4. Keeper 4 · latest recorded4 years 3 months
    14 Apr 2022 to 18 Jul 2026 (check date)

Recent dated evidence

  1. Previous history search25 Jun 2026

    Salvage Auction

  2. Write-off recorded24 Jun 2026

    Cat N

  3. Prior auction / salvage24 Jun 2026

    Front End · 38,450 miles

  4. V5C logbook issued09 Nov 2023

    DVLA registration certificate issued / updated

  5. Prior auction / salvage17 Oct 2019

    Front End · 21,106 miles

What this means for the buyer

Write-off · Cat N

An insurance write-off is recorded against this vehicle.

Data provided byExperian

Category

Cat N

Date of loss

24 June 2026
Prior auction / salvage

This exact car appeared at salvage auction: BMW 218i Luxury · Category N · current auction event.

Data provided bySalvageGuide

Date

24 June 2026

Mileage then

38,450 miles

Primary damage

Front End

Location

South Yorkshire

Salvage 1 · Lot

BMW 218i Luxury · Category N · current auction event

Salvage 1 · Mileage

38,450 miles

Supporting licensed detail

Checked 18 July 2026Data provided byExperian
V5C & identity checks

V5C issued

09 November 2023
Ownership, colour and search history

Previous search

25 June 2026 · 16:40 · Salvage Auction
Data provided byExperianSalvageGuide

Ralph's Call

63/ 100

Key Findings

Current Category N plus an earlier Category S salvage record
Photos do not prove airbags or chassis alignment
No active finance, theft, scrap or export marker
ULEZ Compliant

Maintenance evidence

What this vehicle's record suggests dealing with now, before its next MOT and over the next year. Ralph does not estimate a long-term maintenance bill.

Deal with now

Evidence worth checking before relying on the car.

Front-end damage allowance

£1,400High

Before road use

Before the next MOT

Items to inspect or resolve before the next test.

Front tyre

£140Medium

Latest MOT advisory

Ralph Recommendation

Treat the maximum bid as a hard ceiling. It already deducts the high repair allowance, estimated auction fees, £350 transport, a 10% unknown-condition buffer and your selected saving target.

MOT Analysis

MOT mileage increases consistently. A June 2026 advert shows 35,500 miles after the April MOT recorded 38,450: verify the advert and odometer. The same tyre advisory appears in 2025 and 2026; this does not prove the same tyre was left unrepaired. A pass one day after the 2024 brake failure records a retest outcome, not a complete repair history.

What hidden evidence reveals

From unlocked paid evidence, read against what the free check already showed.

  • No stolen marker on the paid history check.
  • No outstanding finance recorded on the paid check.
  • Paid market valuation is unlocked, use it with asking price and condition, not on its own.
  • Insurance write-off history (N) is on the paid check, weigh repair quality and residual value carefully.
  • Salvage / auction salvage history appears on the paid check.
  • This vehicle has appeared in 3 previous adverts, repeated listing can signal hard-to-sell issues or price chasing.

Before you commit

  1. Obtain a physical body-alignment and chassis-leg inspection
  2. Confirm airbags, seatbelts and warning lights complete their self-check
  3. Get the exact buyer fee and delivery quote for your account
  4. Inspect evidence of the 2019 Category S repair
  5. Verify the June 2026 advert mileage against the odometer and MOT
  6. Ask why a recorded keeper period lasted only three months
  7. Request invoices for the brake retest and recurring tyre advisories
Your next step

Inspect the lot and verify the exact fees. Bid only if the all-in numbers still stay below Ralph's displayed maximum.

Free Multi-Vehicle Compare

Compare side by side with another car

Enter a second vehicle registration to instantly compare MOT history, specs, and Ralph's score against DE66MOA.

DE66MOACurrent Report

Ralph provides AI-assisted vehicle information, not a physical inspection or guarantee. Records and estimates may be incomplete. Verify the vehicle, its history, condition and price independently before buying. Your statutory rights are unaffected.

Piece the story together

The sample has clear finance and stolen checks, but an earlier Category S record, a short keeper period, repeated tyre advisories and an advert mileage discrepancy. These records do not explain why the car is being sold. They tell you what to verify.

  1. Adverts: £6,500 in 2022, £7,950 in 2025 and £8,450 in 2026 are asking prices. The June 2026 advert shows 35,500 miles, below the April MOT's 38,450. Ask for an explanation and check the odometer.
  2. Keepers: the January to April 2022 period lasted three months. Ask why it changed hands; duration alone does not prove there was a problem.
  3. MOT: a brake failure was followed by a pass the next day. Tyre advisories appear in two consecutive years. Request invoices and inspect the current condition; a pass is not a complete repair history.
  4. Salvage: the 2019 Category S event precedes the current 2026 Category N event. Check the earlier repair documentation as well as the current damage.

A maximum bid is a financial ceiling. Verify the repair scope and history before treating any bid as sensible.

View the dealership sample