Buying a Car That's Been in an Accident

So my question is this:

What do you think about buying a car that's been in an accident (even a minor one)? If so, how would you decide whether to take on the risk?

I'm primarily interested in the gray area....I mean there are obvious things that would warrant avoiding a car that's been in an accident (i.e. doors that don't close properly, tires that don't track, etc.). I'm concerned about the stuff that's more difficult to ascertain.

I recommend against buying a vehicle that was in an accident. Even a minor one!

I purchased a Chevy Colorado that had the door ripped off of it before I purchased it. (The seller lied to me about it not being in an accident and I didn't request a CARFAX.) I had the vehicle for about 3 years and honestly the repairs ended up costing me about $300.00 / Month. That's with me doing the labor too!

• There was still broken glass all over the place!
• The electrical in that door had repeated problems!
• The truck always sat crooked / lower on the passenger side?
• Brake and master cylinder issues along with electrical issues in the ABS!

Unless you really want the specific vehicle, I recommend you keep looking!

Thanks. That's the direction I'm leaning. I just wonder if I'm missing out on good deals for being too picky.

Why do you think the car is being sold. They don't want to deal with the issues it has now and the future issues too!

Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

I no longer have the Chevy truck.

It was cheaper to purchase a new vehicle with what I was paying to repair it!

Here are a few of the things I do:

1. Appearance / does the car look clean or beat up, find the best looking example of a car-one you can't afford-and use that as your yard stick. Check the paint for runs or blemishes.

2. Pop the hood, look at the engine, anything loose or missing ? Anything leaking ? Any corrosion ? Use a clean paper towel-and a flashlight, check the fluids for color and dirt, use the flash light to look into the nooks and crannies, rub the fluids between your fingers to check for grit and smell the fluid to see if anything smells burnt.

3. Crawl under the car and look for anything that is loose, missing, bent, rust, corrosion ( lay a blanket on the ground and wear a pair of gloves-this way you can grab and shake things to see if they are loose.

4. Do a complete " walk around " , look at car on level surface, do this during the day , left side, right side, front, back, top, bottom. Look at the gaps where panels come together, compare one side to the other.

5. Tires, rims, brakes : uneven tire wear, scuffs on side wall or scratches on rims, grooves in rotors = suspension issues, worn or damaged steering components etc.

6. Make sure everything works, lights, horn, switches, radio etc.

7. Drive car on level road with the windows down, any noises ? , does car accelerate normally ? apply brakes and let go of steering wheel, does car stop in a straight line ?

8. Take car to your mechanic for an inspection.

Tonyhemet

Good stuff. More than I do, but absolutely none of it is wasted. I just don't usually take the time for all of this. Maybe I need to add it to my checklist.

You shouldn't have any problem finding what you're looking for....I always go for the certified pre-owned from the dealer cars...the dealers always keep the cream of the crop with trade in's and off lease cars....find what you want at the dealer, offer them what you're willing to pay, and walk out if they don't meet your demands, it's just that easy....

Thanks. My current two cars were both bought from the dealer as certified pre-owned.

I bet you could find some other car choices. The car might have some stuff for forensics

Are you buying from a dealer or owner?

If owner, I'd be wary.

How do you know it's been wrecked?

Dealers will want more but probably won't sell you a lemon.

If you really like the car, pay a body shop to look it over before you buy.

I've had mixed experience with buying from individuals.

Good luck with reputable dealers.

What we've found is at a dealer. We used CARFAX to get a history report. It shows the history (as has been recorded) such as change of ownership and accidents. There isn't much detail regarding the accidents, but it does provide a little (such as hit a deer, air bag deployed....does that mean the wife/husband was ejected from the car?).

Good advice.....I should have considered it but hadn't really thought of until you mentioned it (i.e. have someone look it over).

Show it to at least 2 mechanics and get their advice.

Or to only one, if that is one you KNOW will be honest, and will do a thorough check. I've bought exclusively (for 46 years, now) from private owners, and got taken to the cleaners precisely once, and that time it was because I broke every rule of car-buying in my own personal book (and that was a BIG book!). Some of us make every mistake once, and one at a time. I made them all at once even after I knew a LOT about buying from a private owner. Stupidity struck, but I'm OK now, and back to reading, and writing in, my rule book.

But as far as a used car which has been in an accident goes, NO! In fact, that holds especially for anything that has been a)in a fire, b) through a flood or hurricane (even if it was not submerged. Too much damage can occur to wiring inside closed spaces, where you won't know), and ANYTHING that caused an air-bag ride. Geico (my current insurance company) totaled my Honda, even though it seemed driveable and OK to me, when I T-boned a driver who ran a red light. They explained that it was becaause ANY impact on a modern car that is enough to trigger and air-bag WILL wrack the frame, and cause "dog-tracking". You've seen that, no doubt, when you are following a vehicle where the back wheels seem to track too far left or right of the front. No matter how well they seem to track on a dry road, they cause excessive wear on the tires and in the suspension, but even more in the steering linkages, as well as, for any rear-wheel drive vehicle, terrible wear on the differential (I know. I've worked on some that were destroyed by it, but at least not my own). They also, and it takes you by (VERY UNPLEASANT) surprise, when it happens, skate and spin-out easily and quickly on ANY icy, and often even on mildly wet roads, especially if the wetness is from a light sprinkle that doesn't clean off accumulated chemical layers, but just dampens them.

A good driving test my wife and I use when trying out a vehicle, even before taking it to our mech for a complete inspection, is to take it out on the road, find a place where we have lots of room around us, and make an "emergency" lane change (snap the wheel over and recenter it with the vehicle making a change from the lane you are in to the adjacent lane. It doesn't have to be all the way across the lane, but a substantial part of the distance will point out problems). Two things we look for, and they are a definite "don't buy this" signal, are either a wheel-chirp (audible) on the change, or a "clunking" sound from any part of the drive-train (indicating excessive drive-train wear).

Of course, you can't very well do this test with most vehicle owners in the vehicle. But that, too (the insistence of the owner in going along on the test drive) is a black mark. If I can't test the vehicle the way I expect I may some day have to drive it, I won't buy it.

But I won't buy any vehicle if I know it's been in a wreck of any kind larger than an obvious "fender bender", no matter what "repairs" are claimed to have been done. And even if it shows no sign of a wreck and the owner is demonstrably the only owner, and can provide me "complete" maintenance records, with no discernible gaps in the timing of the records, I'll still by a Car-Fax report on it.

Due diligence can make buying a used car from a private owner a very pleasant experience. And since I used to be partners with a very good friend in buying and selling cars (limited numbers, so we never HAD TO buy a dealer's license), and we joked about being the only two honest dealers in our state, (And I believed it then, and still do. Sorry if I offend any dealers, but you can't make a living being totally transparent.) I won't deal with a dealer.

Oh, and that one time I broke all the rules in my book? It was a dealer I dealt with.

Thank you for the detailed response. I appreciate your insight.

When do you expect to publish your RULE book?

I'm considering it, but I'm having problems with plot development. Lots of characters come to mind, though. Maybe it will be a comedy of (MY) errors. But I'm thinking more of a blog, so that readers can chime in with their thoughts, and develop it into a FAQ of sorts.

That last is probably a serious thought, so I'll let you know if I do it. I'm retired now, so it might be a good idea. I know it helps my kids with their family car purchases.

Thanks.

I see no reason not to buy a car that has been in an accident, provided the car is subjected to a professional, impartial examination.

Even buying one that is said to be "accident free", without a proper examination, is still not a good idea I find......

So here in Germany, when buying secondhand, I agree to go, with the owner as driver, to the ADAC (after making an appointment of course) and they not only examine the WHOLE vehicle and note all (I do mean ALL) problems of ANY sort, but they even issue a guarantee FROM THEMSELVES and a certificate if the car is in a good condition. With all noted problems mentioned.....

Before I go, I get an agreement with the owner that he will pick up the tab either way, but if I buy the car, the certificate goes with it.

It costs less than $100, and will probably help him to sell the car even if I decide not to buy for some reason, but remember, I am already poised to buy it if the ADAC finds nothing, or just minor stuff anyway.....

If its minor stuff, I use that to get the price further reduced or not to buy.

If he does not want the checkup, I leave well alone, there is something really wrong and he knows it!

I have been known to agree to half of the test cost being paid by myself either way, but only once. The car was great, had it 5 years.

I do believe the AA in Great Britain offers a similar service. But whether the AAA also does that as well, I have no idea.

Such associations have no "ax to grind" either way......

There are companies around that do the same, but they charge more and could possibly not be totally impartial.....just a thought!!!

Buy safe and cheap!!!

Andy,

Thank you for the advice.

Not much help to you I know but, in the UK damaged vehicles are categorised as Cat A, B, C, D or U. Cat C & D can be viable vehicles & Cat U will probably have superficial damage only.

I don't know if there is a similar thing in the US. I've not been in the market for a car since 2003.

None that I know of. And no, Andy, AAA doesn't do that, here. I had never heard of the agency you cited in Germany. Is it a Federal Office, or a private organization?

I agree, in principle, with the statement that Used Car Dealers don't want a bad rep, but here in the US, they have one, mostly, anyway. And it is because so many of us think we are smarter than the average bear, and the dealer is ONLY an average bear. We forget, the dealer feels the same way, and has more items he wants to unload, than we want to buy. AND the dealer has a lot of practice. For every one car I buy, he sells dozens. And he is protected by his 30-60-90-? day warranty from any defect that occurs after that period. Almost any of us, if we wanted to, could repair our cars so that they'd work fine through almost any problem for at least that long. And many used car sales are to people who leave town with the car (they are only passing through, need a car, or live a fair distance away anyway, and after all, the US is a huge place), so if the dealer is fairly adept at figuring out who he'll have to face tomorrow, he can even steer them, subtly, away from the dogs on his lot.

And remember, he has LOTS of practice at fooling people. The private seller, OTOH, has no advantage on the private buyer. Both of us can be equally suspicious, without having to account for any suspicion, and neither of us is practiced at "car dealer deception", so we're on equal footing in every way.

I'll stay with private sellers. It isn't a hard-and-fast rule, but it works for us, and has worked well.

To those who deal with dealers and do well, I say, good for you. I'm glad you've found a working process. After all, the book of proverbs talks about the buyer complaining to the seller about the price, but going away boasting. And all we ALL (both sides) should want is a square deal, with the comfort we haven't been taken for a ride, and won't feel (or have been) cheated.

So, if dealers are where you feel comfortable, my rule book says go there. I just don't find comfort there. And as a seller of the cars I've bought, I prefer to even sell privately. And I give full, up-front, disclosure of everything I know about the vehicle, and everything I don't know, I explain why I don't know it.

I have several friends who are used car salesmen, and I can tell you that the most honest I know among them still strike me as "slightly off", if you understand what I mean. But then, maybe I'm just overly suspicious. I still have friends, because I learned a long time ago that if I don't tell everyone I KNOW is lying to me, or holding something back, and just let them talk, they'll tell all, sooner or later. It might take me months to learn it, but, I don't HAVE to buy the vehicle, right?

And I'd rather let a deal go by than to buy a lemon.

More rules for the rule book.

The 'bad rep' of the 'used car dealer' is mostly an artifact of a bygone era, where used car lots were one step up from being junkyards, and the dealers on the lot HAD to move those lemons if they wanted to get paid. The dealers had no choice in what they had to offer because it was 'da boss' sitting in the 'office' (if you could be generous enough to call the shacks thrown up on those lots as such) who made the deals to buy and sell the cars between dealerships. And many times, the 'trade-in' that was barely driveable, and worth about $2000 in parts (and given a 'trade-in value' of $200 by the dealership's 'appraiser) was being forced on the dealer who brought it in to sell it for 'at least $4000,' with the only work done on it being vacuuming up the interior and washing the outside.

Now with the 'big chain' dealers, and the Lemon Laws, there are better channels for 'less than perfect' used cars, and the dealerships can afford to be more picky about what they have on their lot for sale. But the old stereotype of the 'shifty used car dealer' remains, just as the stereotype of the 'Catholic School Teacher who is an 8,000 year old nun in full habit who regularly shatters stout yardsticks over the backs/knuckles of her students' remains.

Lots of good advice here, an accident in the vehicles history is a Very Bad Thing unless the vehicle has been inspected and certified after the accident & repairs.

I will only buy a used car from a dealer, since they all have reputations that they want to maintain, so they will not sell 'junk' cars as 'used' cars.

If there's one in your area (and they're springing up like Starbucks these days) check out the showroom of a local CarMAX, you'll see the car they will NEVER sell you; it looks gorgeous, like it's fresh out of the factory, and right next to it is the photo of it BEFORE the repairs. Each one is different, of course, but you'll likely see a smashed in front end and a twisted chassis. That's why certification is so important, they can 'fix' a twisted chassis so the car looks great, but once a chassis is twisted, there's problems for the live of the vehicle.

Also, CarMAX now gives you the CarFax report on the car your buying without you even asking, just to prove it's in the good condition they claim it is.

Wonderful! And a GA. See, THIS is the kind of addition to the Rule Book that would make a blog a better bet than a published book. FacManager, if I blog, I want you to be a guest blogger. THIS is a concise statement of several MORE of my rules. I LIKE the way you think, and write.

Wise words, I bought my current car with 124k miles on it & have been very happy for the last 4 years.

Mine is an 01 Honda Accord, bought with about 100K, now over 225K, including towing my pop-up trailer, with the VTec 4. Modern auto tech is wonderful, and getting better by the day, I think. Longevity is increasing, and the cost-to-own is going down, as long as you don't insist on playing the auto-market game of "Gotta buy the best brand-new most wonderful sexiest whatever", even at major loss.

And FacManager is spot on. Cars are NOT investments, even if you are Jay Leno. And I think he would agree, with the handle he has on the mechanical, engineering, and ongoing cost of repair/rebuild/maintenance. It would be interesting to ask him directly, but I think he'd be quick to say it is a hobby, and loses money, not an investment, to gain value over time.

My brother-in-law, who amazes me with his ability to take a piece off and old washing machine (front panel, side panel, etc.) and turn it into a vintage replacement fender indistinguishable from the original, still calls it a money losing hobby. And his rebuilds have won numerous car shows in the Eastern US. Beautiful work, but it isn't an investment.

"And FacManager is spot on. Cars are NOT investments"
So true, when I think about the cars I've owned, my current one is the most expensive at £1800, the previous one was £100 with a broken engine that I fixed for about £300, that lasted 4 years. I can only remember selling 1 car, the others ended up as scrap.

If your wife has any interest, you might be able to get a really good deal on Volkswagen diesels made in the last few years. Golf Jett Passat, with tdi.

They get incredible mileage and the diesels last forever. People say that theseems produce more emissions, but standard emissions test would not agree.

:-)

Thanks for the laugh.

It really depends on the quality of the repairs, the repaired vehicle may be better than than one that has never been damaged ...... and that is very difficult to determine, so in general I would agree that a car that has never been damaged would be the safer buy, but that isn't always the case.

The quality of the maintenance done on the vehicle since new is also an issue and equally difficult to confirm ..... and dealer servicing is not always the best.

If you can find a vehicle, the history of which is known by you or someone you trust and which has been serviced by someone you trust, that would probably be your safest option.

Talk to your (trusted) mechanic(s) and ask if they know of any cars they are servicing which are in good condition and which will be coming up for sale soon.......

I agree with you regarding 'it depends', which contributes to the paralysis.

Unfortunately, the only mechanic I trust is me. I don't use mechanics other than to do things I am not able to do (lack of tools/equipment, lack of time, and sometimes lack of experience).

If it was more than a minor accident; if you aren't able to track down the shop that did the repairs to get some idea about how well it was out back together AND you do not know someone you trust who could tell you how well things were done, then it sounds like however much you save, it is unlikely to be worth the doubt, second guessing and worry about safety.

.

Chances are if it looks square and like the panels all fit together well and it drives well with no odd or asymmetrical tendencies, it is probably okay. But I suspect there will be something in the back of your head that kind of wears at you if you can't get comfortable with the repair. If the car is in a future accident, you may never know if the old accident repair made the accident more likely or more severe.....

.

If it was something that didn't involve frame straightening, something like hail damage or damage just requiring new panels and paint, you should be able to make a good assessment visually.

I agree. One of the reasons I came to this forum with the topic was somewhat of a sanity check.

In reviewing the responses, the one problem I see in the recommendations (which sound good in theory) is that their is some way to tell if you will have problems with a vehicle (any vehicle - used/new/previously abused). Considering the problems and recalls that have accord with new vehicles, apparently even the manufacturers and servicing dealers can't predict problems. Telling you to have it checked by a competent mechanic you trust is of little help because most people have no idea or enough experience with mechanics to be able to identify one (I've been told that they do exist - I've also been told that about unicorns, big foot, and honest, trustworthy helpful politicians/lawyers).

I would follow the advice about driving it hard and paying attention to noises and quirky responses. Get the vehicle off the ground and look carefully for scraped spots, rust, bent metal or unusual welds. Look at the tires for uneven wear or mismatched brands. Compare the wear to the mileage. Maybe even have a front and rear wheel alignment check done. Look over the body carefully for mis-matched paint, uneven gaps and mis-alignment between panels and doors. Look under the hood - be suspicious if it looks too clean or too greasy. Ask to see the maintenance records and talk to the owner to see if he sounds knowledgeable about vehicles and maintenance. No maintenance records and an owner with an "I just drive them, I don't know what makes them run" is a definite proceed with caution alert.

Well, in reviewing your response, I find the first paragraph a waste of time.

You are saying that all cars are crap which, of course, is not true.

Second paragraph echoes what the forum suggests, except one would hope a mechanic would be better able to judge defects and damage than a novice would. Not to imply that OP is a novice.

Finally, it's a USED car. Maintenance records and previous owners may not be available.

OP is a long time member who will make his own intelligent decision after due consideration of the known facts.

I'm sure he will consider your input as valuable as the rest.

I didn't say all cars are crap. What I did imply is that it is a crap shoot when you are trying to determine the probability of future problems. The complexity of current vehicles and the unknown expertise and turnover of the mechanics out there make the suggestion of "take it to a mechanic you can trust" is all but worthless unless you own numerous vehicles that are always in the shop. "Course I always look forward to and count on your input because you are obviously the smartest ass in the world. If you don't understand my meaning then Google it.

Thank you for the compliment.

I want to thank everyone for their responses they are much appreciated. I've decided to avoid any cars that have been in accidents, even though I might miss out on a really good deal.

My decision is based primarily on the fact that I have know of no mechanic or shop I trust, nor do I have much time to examine the vehicle thoroughly enough to relax my anxiety over the issue.

I fear my wife may over ride (or at least attempt to over ride) my position on the matter. I'll reply if I'm successful. Otherwise I will tuck my tail between my legs and go hide in the corner.

Well, if she overrides your caution, you can at least say the equivalent of "but I didn't vote for that guy".

OTOH, in the interest of peace (and maybe safety), I think I might hide in a corner, also.

She's been known to use the "I told you so" line on me on occasion. But for some strange reason, it's never gracefully accepted when I throw it out there.

Yeah. It's taken me nearly all of our 42 years to learn my wife's first rule, which is the she is always right. Sometimes she's not, but then, see rule number one. It is the only route to lasting peace.

Silence isn't golden, maybe, but peace is. And sometimes it takes silence to buy that gold.

Being right is overrated, and it seems it's often better to be kind than right.

Ah, philosophy. It doesn't always make for good answers, but it can help with good relationships.

Being right is overrated, and it seems it's often better to be kind than right.

Thanks. I'll try to remember that. Unfortunately, I think I might need to practice that right now.

That's actually something my wife said to me. But when I quoted it back to her later (THIS will probably resonate!) it brought me a ton of grief.

Kinda like an I told you so, with the added twist of "You said it, but (implied) you don't do it!"

Doesn't fly well. And I got to find out where the dog sleeps that night. I built the dog a better house.

But it works out well in (quiet) practice!

Reminds me of the days when I was married. I tend to be a bit laid back about life, sometimes the wife would have to let me know that we were having an argument, to me it was just a chat.

Yeah. If you ever seen the animated movie "Chicken Little", I'm like the piglet character. "What, I'm just so bad at reading facial cues!"

Gets me into trouble every time.

Silence is golden.

Duct tape is silver.

Good.

And while duct tape patches and repairs, the gold of silence trumps the silver of duct tape, every time.

GA from me, on this one. It might not be part of the original thread, and thus OT, but it is a good quote nonetheless.

I generally find that, if a car has not been in an accident before I buy it, it will be after I buy it.

I'm with you. But then it won't be MY car anymore, either. Usually because the insurance company takes it away. So far, it hasn't been because the Police did. Sometimes its been because I threw it away.

Regardless, it ceased to be mine.

One thing the group forgot about is fleet vehicles. You can find some rally good deals. Like 4 years ago I got lucky and found a Chevy Astro 2001 for $500.00 and I only had to do a few miner repairs. It now has 298,888 miles on the odometer since I filled it up this morning, it runs great and is pretty good on fuel way better then my 1998 Ford E250 with 320,495 all well maintained since I have had them. And a 1999 E150 Ford with 489,372 which I will retire this year to a painter who will buy any van I have for his crews. He runs them into the ground and then sends them to the scrap yard. A good maintenance schedule will decide for me if I want a truck or car, as well as what my very good friend and mechanic tells me about this vehicle and others he has seen in his shop as to what may be a problem in the future. But it is your money to spend or hers in respect for the fact they always (WIN!!!)

Buying a salvage vehicle can mean a massive saving on the car of your dreams if you have the necessary skills and /or qualifications to be able to carry out the repair work and upgrades yourself. Accident damaged repairable cars come in several different categories based on the extent of damage that they have sustained. These categories are given to them by the insurance company writing them off. The main thing to remember, is to use a reputable salvage company who will be able to provide you with the correct paperwork and a full overview of why the vehicle has been written off and what damage it has sustained...and how.

Secondly, consider using salvage parts as this will reduce the cost of repairs.

Finaly, be aware that buying a car from a reputable auto salvage dealer, using salvage parts and doing the repairs yourself may well leave you with a nice car, but accident damaged repairable cars which have been bought as salvage cars and repaired sometimes incur a higher premium with your nsurance company and therefore you should check whether they will insure repaired salvage vehicles at all, and if so, what increase in premium it may cost you....this may determine whether it is a bargain or now.

ALWAYS use a reputable and accountable auto salvage company.

ALWAYS get a mechanic to check the vehicle over for damage to the structure if you have no mechanical experience or knowledge.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Best of luck getting a bargain

I found some amazing fully comprehensive guides to damaged repairable cars, auto salvage, salvage parts and the different categories of write off at www.affvehicleservices.com. They expain in much greater detail, what to look out for, what the pitfalls could be, where to look and what to expect.