Should You Buy a Used Car That’s Been in an Accident?

So, you found the perfect used vehicle – a sporty, red convertible with tan leather seats and a manual transmission – that you’ve always wanted. Surprisingly, it’s been on the market for three weeks, yet you’re the lucky soul who gets to bring it home. Hooray!

You’ve seen the ads for that CARFAX fox and heard horror stories about buying “lemons” in shady back-alley deals. Falling victim to one of those scams isn’t on your itinerary, thank you very much. You’re not about to make a mistake with your dream car. So, you’ve got some research to do on that convertible.

That dream screeches to a halt as big warning signs flash in front of you – there’s an accident on your convertible’s history report! Buying a car that has been in an accident doesn’t seem like a great idea, you think. Then again, you really want to show off to the nosy neighbors across the street. What do you do?

Pump your breaks, friend: An accident report doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to scratch that particular vehicle from your consideration and restart your search. That report should, however, prompt you to look even more closely at that vehicle before making up your mind.

Here are a few suggestions to explore as you ponder whether buying a car with an accident history is worthwhile.

Severity – Just how bad was the accident?

This may seem obvious to some of you, but not every accident is serious. Some minor car crashes needn’t disqualify a vehicle from the running.

What major incidents should stop you from buying a used car that was in an accident in Kansas City? Keep an eye open for Airbag Deployments on the history report. Those are generally indicators of more serious accidents and worth an exploration of the details of the incident. While it’s possible for airbags to accidentally deploy, that’s rarely the case. It’s more likely that a pretty good impact occurred and required airbag replacement service.

Buying a car with a small accident on CARFAX isn’t as big of a deal. It’s common for fender-benders, which require minimal autobody repair work to show up on a vehicle history report. Those incidents are typically present when insurance companies are involved, so don’t lose hope. Dig deeper. That exclamation mark could only represent some minor touch-up work, like paintless dent repair, performed by a professional.

How does it look?

A detailed visual inspection is always a great idea before a purchase. It doesn’t matter whether you’re taking delivery of a brand-new vehicle, a couch, a $100 hooded sweatshirt, or a simple bell pepper at the grocery store.

Open the driver’s door of your new convertible, grab the hood release lever, and pop that engine bay open. Take a good look around the engine compartment to see if there’s anything out of the ordinary.

Check out the bolts that hold the fenders on; those bolts should never come in contact with a wrench under normal circumstances, so the paint around the area should be intact. If it’s not, ask the seller if and why work was done on the fender.

Take a good look at the paint across the body panels. Even slight differences in color can indicate a repair that’s been cleverly hidden by a quality car paint shop.

You can also check the alignment of the body panels – there are few perfect vehicles on the market but keep an eye open for huge alignment issues that may be caused by pothole damage or a previous accident.

Another spot worth checking is under the carpet in the trunk, as that’s a great way to discover rear-end repairs or previous flood damage. Get a flashlight, pull as much of the trunk floor up as you can, and look around for welds or sloppy paint work. You should also look closely for rust or pooled water while you’re exploring the trunk. as it’s not uncommon for leaks to occur after a car accident.

Who repaired it?

You’ll probably struggle to determine the exact body repair or paint technicians involved in past repairs, but you can start with the company that performed the work. Ask your seller for that information, or check the vehicle history report to see if details are available.

Were repairs completed by a dealership tied to the brand of your vehicle, an established auto body shop, or perhaps a friend doing the owner a favor on a Sunday afternoon?

A good method to check for shortcuts in the collision repair work is to look closely for mismatched paint or body panels that don’t quite line up. Some attempts at cost cutting also produce vehicles with the wrong badging or even a lack of any badging at all.

What does the Title look like?

You should always see a vehicle’s Title before making any purchase decision. This will often give you a clear view of the number of previous owners, as well as if it’s a Salvage or Rebuilt title.

A Salvage title is a flashing “Stay Away” sign for many vehicle shoppers and essentially means the vehicle has been deemed a “Total Loss” by an insurance company. The insurer, who evaluates how accidents affect car prices, determined the repair cost would be more than the vehicle’s market value, which is a great warning for anyone unwilling or unable to perform extensive repairs on their own.

A Rebuilt title is similar in nature except it applies to a Salvaged vehicle that has been repaired. You’ll want to think long and hard before purchasing a vehicle with a Rebuilt title.

What does your mechanic say?

Many of you have a trusted mechanic who’s known your family for years. We’re all for getting a second opinion from them when it comes to buying a pre-owned vehicle with an accident on CARFAX.

Go ahead and have your convertible put on a lift and ask your mechanic to take a good look around. Are there any parts that are obviously much newer than the surrounding equipment? What about sloppy welds or rust? A peek under the body of a vehicle is a great idea, and you’ll appreciate an experienced eye helping you out.