SMOKING’S not just bad for people’s health, it’s also bad for second-hand car values.
That’s the message from vehicle data and valuation specialist HPI to mark today’s World No Tobacco Day – an annual campaign run by the World Health Organisation to highlight the deadly effects of smoking.
The firm says any smokers needing another reason to quit should also be aware of the damage their habit can do to vehicle values. HPI consumer director Fernando Garcia said: “If you’re a smoker, the first thing a dealer will do is knock back the price of your part-exchange.
“That’s because a car for part ex has to be made fit for resale – a process which is considerably more difficult and expensive when a smoker previously drove that car.”
The two main problems are physical damage such as stains and cigarette burns to the dash and upholstery and the smell as smoke becomes ingrained in the fabric and climate control.
And HPI says the cleaning and repair costs could mean a car driven by a heavy smoker could easily lose up to £2000 at trade-in.
Mr Garcia added: “Everyone knows that smoking is bad for our health but few people realise that it can also have a surprisingly nasty impact on the value of their car.”
