When buying a used car, it is important to inspect the vehicle thoroughly for any signs of damage or accidents. Doing that will help you make a good decision and prevent buying a vehicle with hidden problems.
But as a first-time buyer, you could wonder whether buying a car involved in an accident is a good idea. To make the right decision, you must know the pros and cons of buying cars involved in an accident.
The first step to making an informed decision is identifying signs of accident or damage. So, if you are in the market to buy a used car and you don’t know how to spot signs of damage or accidents, the following are tips to look at:
1. Look at the Color Discrepancies
The easiest and greatest way of telling whether a vehicle has been involved in a car accident is to look if there is a color discrepancy. Different colors, styles, or shades can be a giveaway that the vehicle had damage, which is hidden or repaired.
A perfect way of finding color discrepancies is to conduct an inspection. A professional inspector has the right tools to have this checked at a more granular level.
2. Open the Vehicle’s Bonnet
With the opened bonnet, check whether the car’s front end has been damaged or involved in an auto accident. Check whether similar fasteners have been used where the fender and bumper mounts are. If not, it means there is a chance the vehicle was repaired.
In addition, check the arms of the chassis to make sure there are welds, creases, or bends, and thoroughly inspect the car’s crossbar, which is behind its bumper. You may need to remove the plastic trim or place a phone on the cavities for recording purpose. As you do that, consider inspecting the front suspension strut to determine if there are abnormalities.
3. Check for Replaced Parts
It is commonplace for car owners to replace damaged parts following an auto accident. However, the good news is that there are obvious signs that you may watch out for.
On an aged and heavily worn vehicle, brand-new parts are like gigantic warning signs that flash right into your face. Taillights, headlights, and airbag covers are especially likely to get damaged in minor accidents or fender benders.
In some cases, third-party or mismatched parts are usually used to lower the costs of repair. So, verify irregularities such as these with the current car owner or seller.
4. Assess the Tires
Get on your knees and give the tires a feel. If their treads seem uneven, it means misaligned wheels damaged the chassis.
When still on your knees, check the wheel wells and underbody, too. If there is a fresh coat of paint, it means the vehicle has been repaired recently to cover this cover.
Buying the best-used car isn’t easy, but it can pay off if you do it right. The last thing you want is to spend a lot of money on something that can be rendered useless. So before buying, ensure you take your time to identify key signs that show the vehicle was involved in an accident.
