When you go to check out a car, what do you look for to make sure there's no accident damage? I've looked at a few and found obvious accident damage on at least one, but I went to look at a car yesterday that had no signs of accident damage front to back, yet the guy said it had been bumped in the front. Here's what I've been looking for:

-New/mismatching paint
-New body panels, bumper cover, trim
-Carefully check the metal in front of the radiator, the crash bumpers and metal they mount to, the rails down the sides of the car, metal where suspension members and cross members bolt to
-Check body panel gaps, hood gaps, door gaps, trunklid gaps
-Check for obviously new suspension members and crossmembers
-New headlights, glass, etc

Also the standard no pull/no shimmy driving test, see if it tracks straight and just generally drives right.

What am I missing?

 

Missing emblems
Shipping stickers on the part you mentioned
Curbed wheels (road rash) might lead you to look into the suspension stuff.

I'm not sure if this is the same for every car company but from working in parts at Saturn we often get the fender liners, bumper supports, engine cradle etc not in a box so they stick the shipping sticker on and most of the time the tech's don't remove it.

 

u got it pretty much coverd... its what i look for

 

Do a VIN history, check the VIN # on the actual car to be sure there all there and matching (firewall).

Some manufacturers stamp VIN #'s on major panels i.e. Honda/Acura, if one is missing then likley the panel was replaced.

Check for overspray on moldings and the underside of the car. If you are able to get far enough underneath look at the bumper absorbers (you can tell if they ever compressed). Check for overspray around the bumpers and on fender liners etc..

If there is a same model vehicle on the same lot then you can compare the two right next to each other.

Stick you hand under the dash and find "ledges" or edges, looking for sand or evidence of a flood vehicle.

Look for extensive rust underneath car if a northern car.

Look at the A/C and Radiator fan to see if it may have ever hit against anything i.e. been pushed into something in an accident and never replaced.

Those are just a few thoughts.. If buying from an individual I would do a VIN history to be sure it adds up and check all the VIN#'s to be sure your not getting some chopped up stolen car that was re-titled using a different VIN #.

 

dam thanks for this thread im lookin for a new car and yall are adding new things to watch out for

 

look for turned bolts under the hood and on body panels. Check for clamp marks on the frame itself.

 

Check glass to make sure it's all original. While the car may have been broken in to, or the windshield may have been replaced, if you find one that's been replaced, or especially two in the same area, look a little closer Paint work can be very hard to find when done properly, feel around the edges of doors, trunk lid, hood, for roughness and check the jams for roughness from overspray. As was mentioned, it sounds funny, but I actually spotted a inventory sticker on a bumper mount on a truck a couple of weeks ago, damn lazy techs

 

Yep, I think you guys covered it pretty much. Just remember to check and check again. Also, keep in mind what you may find that you may be willing to let slide (with a price cut of course). Problem with used cars is that they will never be perfect. As long as you aren't getting something that has 7 different VIN #s (can you say chop shop).

 

another thing to check would be overspray. check around the wheel wells and the most common place to find it would be where the windshield meets the hood. it shows the car has been repainted which most likely means it has been in an accident.