second hand car question

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biglandfarm

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how would the buyer know if the car had a unreported accident?

lets say the driver had the accident and settled it with out involvement of insurance comp and the accident reporting agency.

why do i care? There might be unfixed damages and I personally think its bad luck a car involved in an accident.
 
Any significant damage worth knowing about will usually leave signs of repair "under the skin". Simple panel repair may or may not, but simple panel repair or replacement usually isn't anything serious enough to worry about. Give the car to a body shop and ask them to inspect for signs of damage repair. They'll know what to look for.
 
Get a good mechanic to inspect it..they're pros and they can often spot the tell-tale signs pretty quickly. I can see it in parking lots or when I'm driving behind a car..some of them are bent so badly it's blatantly obvious from how they track. Poor paint work..misaligned panels. If your mechanic says no, trust him.
 
invictus43 said:
Get a good mechanic to inspect it..they're pros and they can often spot the tell-tale signs pretty quickly. I can see it in parking lots or when I'm driving behind a car..some of them are bent so badly it's blatantly obvious from how they track. Poor paint work..misaligned panels. If your mechanic says no, trust him.
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Absolutely true. Over-spray on molding trims around the windows/windshields, wheel well covers, etc. would also be a good indicator. However, even though a car has been repainted, it doesn't always mean that it's been in a crash.
Depending on the car, Honda for example, put a VIN# badge on each panel, so if it's been changed/replaced for whatever reason the VIN# will be missing.
 
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2live&ride said:
I've had a few people come on my lot with similar devices.
Such a device can tell you if it's OEM paint or not, that's about it...
Sometimes cars are painted without getting into accidents. (Stone chips on hood and front bumper, scratches, dents, etc.)
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Once you know what's been repainted, you can then check for further damage in that area.

Paint thickness gauges aren't cheap from what I remember. Learn to train your eyes for damage; misaligned panels, different orange peel, dust under the paint, drips, overspray, missing clips. 99% of body repair can be spotted by a visual inspection. The other 1%, I generally figure it's been done well enough that it doesn't matter.
 
AFAIK, There is no sure fire way of knowing. I bought my old Sonoma from an older guy who owned it from new, was in pretty decent shape for the mileage and year ('95). I remember asking him if had ever been in an accident or anything, and of course his answer was no, and the truck didn't show it either. I drove that truck for 4 years, and around 150k with no major problems before I bought a new car and traded it in. Found out when I brought it in, that it had been nearly written off twice in it's lifetime. Only reason I found out was that dealership was the one that did the repairs. They we're ****** as they made the deal blind, going off the information I gave them (technically I wasn't lying, I told them the truth as I knew it).
 
So if someone re-end you and insurance just had the car repaired. It means that when you re-sell it, the value of the car decreases, so who suffer the costs of that decrease? The owner?

I've had my car re-ended 2x at no fault of my own.
 
get the car certified, by a mechanic that you know, not who they will have it done by. make sure you look at the car on a nice sunny day, if they care about selling the car, they will have it washed and detailed, you'll see if there is any paint work done...ask ahead of time before seeing the car if it was in any accidents or had any paint or repair work done...never take their word on it, but if you catch them in a lie, just walk away, chances are there is something else they are not telling you...don't trust carfax reports, they are a load of crap, i've seen cars with 3-4 claims run through and nothing shows up on carfax years later, all claims done through the insurance company and reported to collision centers...
 
RockerGuy said:
So if someone re-end you and insurance just had the car repaired. It means that when you re-sell it, the value of the car decreases, so who suffer the costs of that decrease? The owner?

I've had my car re-ended 2x at no fault of my own.
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The only time an accident really affects the value is if it's major. Whether you're at fault or not is irrelevant.
Major accident as in damage to the frame, salvaged, rebuilt or branded title.
When it comes to buying used, most buyers accept small fender benders.
Some try to use it as a tool of negotiation, while others are genuinely turned off.
I've sold plenty of cars with minor claims and people didn't seem to mind as long as you're being honest and sincere, most will over look minor accidents.
 
There's a product (damned if I can find it), that looks like a semi-transparent fridge magnet. Those that have seen it know what I'm talking about. You pull the magnet off the body and less effort it takes to remove, the more likely it's been in an accident.
 
^^ that just looks at how much bondo is under the paint...

if a new panel was put on that wont tell u squat.
 
just sold my 08 cobalt with only 67000kms. It had the rear drivers side door backed into 2 times first time they repaired it next time replaced it with a new door so door was newer then the car.
Costs were $7000 for both due to rental car and repairs neither accident my fault yet still lost me $1000 in trade in value.

So when someone hits you they de value your car no matter if your at fault or not. They cause you a loss and no punishment for it.
 
Irocian said:
just sold my 08 cobalt with only 67000kms. It had the rear drivers side door backed into 2 times first time they repaired it next time replaced it with a new door so door was newer then the car.
Costs were $7000 for both due to rental car and repairs neither accident my fault yet still lost me $1000 in trade in value.

So when someone hits you they de value your car no matter if your at fault or not. They cause you a loss and no punishment for it.
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The dealer just used it as an excuse to get a better price on your trade, trust me.
 
Irocian said:
just sold my 08 cobalt with only 67000kms. It had the rear drivers side door backed into 2 times first time they repaired it next time replaced it with a new door so door was newer then the car.
Costs were $7000 for both due to rental car and repairs neither accident my fault yet still lost me $1000 in trade in value.

So when someone hits you they de value your car no matter if your at fault or not. They cause you a loss and no punishment for it.
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That sucks.
But I agree, if the frame is not bent, the value should not decrease.
 
the problem with a car that has been damaged and then repaired is how long will those repairs hold, especially for paint...if someone gets part of their car repainted due to an accident, how long will that paint last in these canadian winters if it wasn't done very well...my problem with buying a car that has been damaged is someone that repairs it might do it as cheap as possible but still pass certification by a mechanic...so if i know a car has been damaged and i am buying it, damn straight i think it is worth less now...
 
Jayv said:
$7000 is an expensive door fix.[/QUOTE
when you add in the rental car and the week to find the brand new door thats how it got up to $7000.
Still got a great deal on a 2011 ranger sport 4x2 with only 14700 kms with 5yrs bumper to bumper warranty for only $6500 with my car.
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