Genre: Forum

Would you buy a used car that has been in an accident? Owner said that he is the 2nd owner. He bought the car at 35k (The car now has 50k miles) and that the original owner had been in an accident. He took it to a body shop and found that the bumper, fender and hood were replaced. I asked him if he had done any major work on it and he said that he had the right front axle replaced. He said everything else has been absolutely fine. He has been very straight forward and seems very honest. Just looking for opinions and stories... thanks in advance. I would never buy a used car without taking it to a mechanic (unless it was certified pre-owned) and pulling up the Carfax. The seller has already proven himself honest by disclosing the accident, so that's a plus. Get the carfax. Will give you more detail about the accident such as if it was driven away, towed from scene because it was inoperable, etc.. Sometimes there are even police reports and the name of the shop that did the repairs. What kind of car? If i were to buy one, I'd only do it if i was getting a great deal. Should not pay anywhere near blue book. Unless of course the accident in question involved a handicapped lady at Costo hitting a certain RCMB poster. If that's the case, buy the car and finish the job. This post has been edited 2 times, most recently by JMSparty08 on 12/6/2011 at 12:41 PM "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." - Mark Dantonio. I would never buy a used car without taking it to a mechanic (unless it was certified pre-owned) and pulling up the Carfax. The seller has already proven himself honest by disclosing the accident, so that's a plus. True, but i wouldn't rely on him too much since he wasn't in the accident, the first owner was. "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." - Mark Dantonio. There is a good market of people buying vehicles that are deemed total losses by insurance companies, repairing them and re-selling. They used to be called one owner but laws were passed to stop that. You have no idea what parts were used in the repair. Did they come off other wrecks? Were all the front end parts like the steering linkage, struts ebven engine mounts replaced? Do you know what kind of accident? Better to be patient. Know what you want, cruise Craigslist and buy from a private owner who will let you take the vehicle to a body shop and a mechanic you trust before buying it. Also, if you do decide to go for it and everything regarding the body work, paint, frame, etc. checks out fine, just be aware when discussing price that a car at 50,000 miles is approaching the end of its life on quite a few items such as tires, brakes, suspension components, and whatnot. Also, it's right about the time for a transmission fluid and filter change (NOT FLUSH) and a coolant system service (especially on GM vehicles). Again, I'd stay away unless you're getting a good discount or you can verify who did the repair work. There are lots of low budget collision shops out there (Maaco and mom and pop stores) that don't do a very good job. They usually just put it back together so it runs and make it look pretty, but the stuff underneath is still not done right. Especially true with regard to the paint jobs they perform. If that's not done right, expect bubbling, corosion, etc. in the future at the site of repair. "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." - Mark Dantonio. There is a good market of people buying vehicles that are deemed total losses by insurance companies, repairing them and re-selling. They used to be called one owner but laws were passed to stop that. You have no idea what parts were used in the repair. Did they come off other wrecks? Were all the front end parts like the steering linkage, struts ebven engine mounts replaced? Do you know what kind of accident? Better to be patient. Know what you want, cruise Craigslist and buy from a private owner who will let you take the vehicle to a body shop and a mechanic you trust before buying it. This. Also pulling the carfax would tell you if he is being straight about having had the car for the past 15k mileage wise. To the extent he has been, perhaps he is looking to dump it because it turns out the car has more problems then it is worth. I am extremely leary of buying a car from anyone who has owned it for a year or less absent a good/trustworthy explanation. Otherwise, I would be concerned you're just buying their headache. It is a 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid 4x4. It is blue booking somewhere between 16.5k. He said he knows he won't be able to get that based on it's history. He is asking 11k. I figured I can get it for around 10k. I am of course concerned about buying his headache. I asked him about why he is selling it and he said he has one too many cars and just bought a house and wanted to use the money towards that. I know that he did just buy a new house but who knows if the extra car reason is his reasoning. For sure I am going to be getting a carfax from him and then taking it to a mechanic. Do I go to a mechanic or a body shop? As for what it needs... I will find out about brakes when I take it in, but he told me the tires are going to need a replacement soon. I am taking it for a test drive tonight. From someone driving a car that was in a minor accident, no. Accidents f*** A LOT of shit up. A lot of minor things you don't notice early on that bite you in the long hall. Just about everything that holds fluid in my car leaks.. For sure I am going to be getting a carfax from him and then taking it to a mechanic. Do I go to a mechanic or a body shop? If you know a mechanic (as a friend or loyal customer) that would probably be best. I wouldn't take it to a body shop. And I've never had to bad experiences with mechanics, but I'm also very specific with what I want. "Just change the timing belt, nothing else." Just adding that because it's rumored mechanics have a tendency to see a problem with a lot on your car and charge you a small fortune. That's why I recommend using a mechanic you know, if possible. (not trying to treat you like an idiot, just not sure how much experience you have is all) CARFAX is definitely a good idea, even though it cost $35. I just bought a CARFAX for a truck and it told me that it was in an accident and how bad the accident was. I found out there was structural damage. It also told me that it was repaired multiple times after wards. It even told me that the airbags were deployed. There is a lot of detail in them, unless the vehicle was never taken to a shop. Its a Mercury. Its a dead brand, resale is crap. 4x4 means more parts that may have been damaged in the accident and not replaced. Then there's the hybrid thing. There is a boatload of electronics that have had at least one major impact and more modules and data collectors than you can count. You are forced to go to Ford because its a hybrid. You buy this vehicle and you are begging for down time and money flowing out of your wallet. This post has been edited 2 times, most recently by GRR Spartan on 12/6/2011 at 1:07 PM Its a Mercury. Its a dead brand, resale is crap. 4x4 means more parts that may have been damaged and not replaced. Now lock bearings are involved. Then there's the hybrid thing. There is a boatload of electronics thaty have had at least one major impact amd more modules and data collectors than you can count. You are forced to go to Ford because its a hybrid. You buy this vehicle and you are begging for down time and money flowing out of your wallet. Done. I am officially out. LOL. I am so glad you guys talked some sense into me. Seemed like a good idea and a helluva deal but I really don't need another headache. I never thought about the electronic hybrid side of things. I am fairly good at fixing shit but once you throw electronics into the mix I am done for. It is a 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid 4x4. It is blue booking somewhere between 16.5k. He said he knows he won't be able to get that based on it's history. He is asking 11k. I figured I can get it for around 10k. I am of course concerned about buying his headache. I asked him about why he is selling it and he said he has one too many cars and just bought a house and wanted to use the money towards that. I know that he did just buy a new house but who knows if the extra car reason is his reasoning. For sure I am going to be getting a carfax from him and then taking it to a mechanic. Do I go to a mechanic or a body shop? As for what it needs... I will find out about brakes when I take it in, but he told me the tires are going to need a replacement soon. I am taking it for a test drive tonight. Sign up for your own CARFAX reports, if you're in the market for a car you can get unlimited reports for like 90 days. Don't rely on him handing you a report.