Could a typical mechanic tell if a car was repaired correctly after an accident? (vehicle, tires)
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I am in the market for another car and a place is advertising a car that had been in an accident. They CLAIM the car is all fixed up and it looks like new, but who knows. Because the CarFAX says the car was in an accident, they are selling the car for a significant discount.
The CARFAX just says the car was in an accident and does not say what the actual damage was. All the dealer would say is the body shop fixed it up like new.
I am not looking for advice telling me not to buy a car that had been in an accident. Instead, I am looking for information on how I can get it inspected to see if it was really fixed properly. Maybe the damage is hidden.
I see lots of places that will look at a used car you are thinking of buying to give it a 149 point inspection for $150, but I wonder if these places actually have the expertise to see if a car was actually repaired fully or properly after an accident. What do you think?
They can often tell you if it was NOT repaired correctly, but they can never say that they know that every aspect of the repairs was done correctly, that there are no lose screws, bolts or other fasetners, no wire shorted or hose kinked, not one speck of bondo used (uless they did the work themselves.
They can give you some confidence. They cannto give you a guarantee.
You could request a copy of the repair bill and estimate done on the car along with any maintenance records. If they are "unavailable" have them pay for a mechinic you pick to go over the car.
The best thing the seller could offer you would be some photos of the car as-damaged, and at various critical points in the repair. The next best thing would be the body shop invoice. If you can find out what shop did the repair, it's possible they will tell you what they did if you call them.
Failing that, I would rather have an experienced body man rather than a mechanic look at the car and try to figure out the damage done and how well it was repaired.
If the dealer is evasive about any of this information, for me at least that would be when I would walk out on the deal.
Depends too on what you expect out of the car - if you are not a demanding driver, even if the track is not completely true, if you keep the tires rotated, while you will get somewhat shorter tire life than otherwise, the car is still useful. My Scirocco had a bent rear "wishbone" when I got it and I drove it as it was for a couple of years.
Take it to a body shop and have them inspect it. Most big shops have mechanics, and if not, their techs are pretty good with the mechanical parts of a car, because they have to fix a lot of bizarre problems.
Also, see if you can get the accident report number and retrieve the report. Carfax lists the report numbers in many states, and it's gotten easier and easier to get the report. Most reports roughly approximate damage, and report on airbag deployment, etc.
They MAY be able to tell...but odds are, if the problem is "hidden" they won't be able to tell. Take the advice of folks here, and don't buy the car. You "said" you purchased a car about 3 weeks ago, then you posted all the problems and regrets you had from purchasing the "cheap" or "bargain basement" deal you did...don't buy it, don't bother. If the damage is to the frame of the vehicle, they'll probably be able to tell as soon as it's on the lift. If it was cosmetic, they might notice defects. Most body guys are perfectionists, and they believe they do a better job than anyone else...that means, the other body guy will have done a "mediocre" job, and charged the company more money than the job was worth. This is just coming from my experience dealing with several friends who are body men....if you want it done right THEY have to do it...if not, it's junk...even if their job is only "ok" too.
Now, if it was me...I'd spend the cash you have on buying a decent enough used car, or...fixing the one you already bought. There's no reason to go around trying to find another GREAT deal and getting burned again. Fool me once, shame on you...Fool me twice, shame on me!
I have never seen a body shop advertise a special program to look at damaged cars to see if they were repaired properly. What would be the rate?
Hourly. Not too many people have cars inspected specifically for this, more of general inspections that include mechanical components.
That said, basic bodywork is usually easy to spot, and most shops don't do great fender or headlamp lineup for resale, because they are in a hurry and don't get paid to take twice as long, and most people wouldn't notice anyway, so front end damage is usually easy to spot. Most mechanics will spot damage especially if it's recent. (i.e. if suspension parts were recently replaced, paint is fresh, undercoating is repaired or uneven in a certain area, etc.)
Again, get the accident report if at all possible. If you can do that, you'll find out if the car was driven away or towed, and the severity of the crash. If it was driven away I wouldn't worry about it. If it was towed, start looking harder for problems, although even a light hit to the right spot disables a car. If it was a rollover or major crash, I would not buy it.
A properly repaired vehicle is perfectly safe. Asking a mechanic at a dealership to inspect it is like asking a proctologist to look at your teeth.
An experienced body repair tech would be the best person to have inspect the car. They can see the repairs even if the car was repaired correctly. Nobody can hide all of the signs of a repair from a really experienced body tech.
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