mahanddeem

The car I was looking at is sold long time ago , and I ended up with another 5.5gen long time ago...Thanks for everybody's concern...

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

If you like the car, have the inspection done and see what they say. I'm not sure what they mean by frame damage since the car is unibody - no frame. If the accident was front end, the car is designed to crumple and repairs are straight forward (for a body shop at least) and everything is replaced. If the car has a side impact, that's where body shops don't do so good. But two points to look for - does the car track straight down the raod when driving and do the tires wear correctly.

As for you selling the car later on, it all depends on who you are selling it to. As cars get older, buyers usually aren't as picky.

oldtech

personally, i would stay away. knowing that there's frame damage will never let me be happy with it.

NissanMan97

iTrader: (5)

i say get it checked out. where in KY are you?

B

phatboislim

iTrader: (27)

frame damage...i wouldnt mess with it..thats just me

TallTom

I don't know man. I would walk away.

Why is Carfax listing three owners and the guy is claiming to be the 2nd?

rroderiques77

iTrader: (45)

Don't even think about it.

Chris Gregg

iTrader: (59)

Looking at the report, I'm going to say this car is probably fine. "Structural/Frame" damage could be referring to the upper radiator support. Or it could be referring to the lower control arm. Maybe it pushed the front end off some (NOT implying "no big deal")? Overall, as mentioned, check the car out, see if it tracks properly, check wear on tires (if new tires....I'd be weary even though it sounds good initially), and overall...just have a shop look at it so they can get it up on a lift. You can also check how the engine sits in the engine bay and see how the hood/fenders line up together and with the doors...check out all the lines.

Just FYI, I looked at a 3rd gen one time which had been hit in the front and repaired. Body lines looked fine, but when looking at the engine, it sat crooked...at least compared to the bay itself.....my mechanic caught it before I did.

Also, keep in mind....a car will ALWAYS look better in images than in person! Little dings and scratches rarely show up in images. If the car is photoed even relatively clean, then those things tend to blend out with the light/shades and any reflections against the paint.

Eirik

iTrader: (2)

When I was looking for a car, my mechanically-inclined, been-there-done-that, airplane mechanic friend suggested I never buy a car that had frame damage. Something about how to test and make sure the frame is okay costs a crap load and fixing the problem, if one still exists, is out of the question expensive. I passed up a BMW 328is because of a salvage title and got the Maxima instead.

You are fortunate that the CarFax reflects the damage done. Mine has a clean CarFax, but close inspection by the best body shop in Louisville revealed damages that had been shoddily covered up allllll over the car, including the obvious fact that the driver door and front fender is a different shade of beige than the rest of the car. Doh!

It was heart-breaking, to be honest. I would recommend you keep on looking, as the perfect car is probably still out there!* If the cars were more rare, then the situation would be very different. At the very least, use that information to hammer the seller into dropping the price by a large percent, if you're still interested.

*Duh, because NissanMan97 owns it.

2000_MAXIMA_KING

iTrader: (30)

I bought a car from a dealer that supposedly had "frame damage" only to have the car inspected and find that the framehas never been touched sometimes when dealers try to get a bargain on cars at the auction they claim such damages. As far as extra owners go when I owned a monte carlo the owners went from 2 to 5 because it was registered first in my mothers name then mine and I have no idea where they got the extra owner from. Some things on those reports seem bigger then what they are on paper then they really are I always thought their should be more detail then "accident reported" becausethat can mean anything.

MadMax07SL

All we really know is 03 with 106k on the ticker. How much is he asking? That would help with the suggestions.

If it's that far away from you just to get a look at it (220 one way), I'd walk just for that reason alone. That's not a reasonable distance to drive just to check out a car that you may not like after all is said and done. I could see if it was a collectible, and this was one you were passionate about, but it's just a fun daily driver you're looking for; I'd imagine if you keep looking you'll find something local.

NissanMan97

iTrader: (5)

scratch that i know where you are cause i sold you the wheels off my 4th gen

B

nsnrider

iTrader: (59)

I wouldn't be scared just of the fact that it was in an accident. As long as you do your homework and get it thoroughly checked out by a mechanic or better yet a body shop.

I had a few cars in previous collisions that were repaired properly and never had any issues afterward.

thats not to say you should go in blindly, but thats why i mentioned eirlier to do your homework and you'll be fine.

Cars with privious accidents usually always cost less. I wouldn't pay a premium for a car with collision history but if the price is right and you have a warranty, then I don't see any reason to pass on the deal.

good luck.

CraigSE

If the previous owner has owned it for this long without knowing about the problem why be scared? Some people here make me LOL.

If it runs and drives good, who cares.

Go for it.

Bjs470

iTrader: (13)

I'd be wary but really inspect it good and if the price if right maybe.

mahanddeem

oooooh my dear...I was about to pm you,you have a weak memory

nismopc

iTrader: (3)

The dealership has to have the title to be able to sell it.

1. Dealer
2. Original personal owner
3. Current owner

nismopc

iTrader: (3)

Chris Gregg

iTrader: (59)

Maybe it's different in Tn, but when the car is at the dealer, it is considered "new" until it is sold to the FIRST owner which then the car is "used".....immediately. Until a car is sold, it remains un-titled. I imagine it looks more like:
1. First owner/original purchase.
2. Dealer.
3. Current owner.

Who knows, the original owner may have even had the titled tansferred to a family member or kid who drove the car for a while....but it stayed in the original owner's family.

As mentioned previously, who cares how many owners. The average person keeps their car how many years now? 3-5 years? Less? Unless this car was changing hands every 12 months.....this is a non-issue with this car. If we were talking about a '56 Thunderbird, it's still a non-issue other than the "classic" car would have greater desirability and therefore greater value being a "one owner." Anymore, a car changing hands a couple times is the norm, NOT the exception.

nismopc

iTrader: (3)

Must be state specific as you stated then. Even when a dealership has a floorplan with a financial institution where they do not even own the vehicle, the title has to be in the dealers name before they can sell it to an individual. Nissan Corp USA sells the car to the dealer/floorplan, transfers title to said dealer/floorplan, then dealer sells to individual, transfers title to individual.

At least the last few vehicles I've purchased showed the dealer as 1st owner.

nsnrider

iTrader: (59)

it also depends if the dealer is paying cash for the car (some still buy with cash) or if he goes though his bank, in which case the bank would most likely want the dealers name on the title before he sells it.

Also, if the dealer purchases a car out of state, it might be beneficial to re-title the car in his state, which might or might not classify him as an owner.

Regardless, who cares how many owners it had, it maters who the car was taken care of through the period of each ownership.

I've seen "one owner" cars in horrific shape and cars with 3+ owners in immaculate condition.

Its a simple business strategy quantity vs quality.

good luck.

TheIntrepidMontti

iTrader: (6)

i know this is a bit old but i was digging trough the forums and found this, If this was in columbus ohio im pretty sure thats the car i ended up buying, and it turned out great and I got a really good deal on it. just thought it was kinda funny to find this thread after the fact

mahanddeem

yes the car was there.....Congrats on the car and I also have got a good deal on even better color option IMO , 2k2 6spd black on black...Glad the car turn out to be good...
Have fun.

vq_ryder

be pateint, there will be other opertunities

TheIntrepidMontti

iTrader: (6)

Ooo yea im with you on the Black on black, Oh well next time

MadMax07SL

Best thread resurection I've ever seen...

Child_uv_KoRn

iTrader: (7)

Even loaded that car can't really be worth more than 5.5k, can it?

00Lightsout

nnnooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooo!!!!!!!!!!

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/2356003123.html

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/2400504333.html

Eirik

iTrader: (2)

Cincinnasti has a large variety of 5.5 gens! I missed out on buying a fully loaded (with Navigation!), ONE OWNER, Black on Black 6MT with 95K miles last February because I got outbid when someone paid asking-price for it, which was about a whopping $2000 more than I offered. I was very close to getting the seller to part with it for way less than it was worth, then some jerk waltzes in and hands over just under $9000(!) for the perfect car.

I regret not shelling out the bigger bucks to get a loaded car. Live and learn and stuff... I was too worried that the Taurus I was driving at the time would leave me stranded (AGAIN) and cost wads of cash to get it moving (AGAIN) and couldn't wait it out to get the perfect (for me) ride.

Too funny that the guy who bought the car joined the Org, too. Welcome to the finest collection of Maxima knowledge on the internet!

mahanddeem

Can you bring me 3 (6 speed by the way....so they worth the 5.5k)on your way home tonight ?

Child_uv_KoRn

iTrader: (7)

I didn't say you could stroll down the street and pick up 10 of them for that price, but overpaying for a car is, frankly, retarded. People are really overpricing used cars recently. I don't know why they think they can charge thousands more than the actual worth and I don't give a **** what BB says. Tons of used cars available and people apparently won't rate nissan higher (thereby increasing resale value), so they're gonna have to settle for selling at a fair price.

I'll give an example: KBB says a 1994 del sol vtec is worth 4 thousand dollars with 100k miles. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL. So, when it tells me an 03 max is worth 8k+, I'm going to LOL some more. BB - 2 grand (at least) and you're closer to the real value in older used cars.

T_Behr904

Frame damage could also mean subframe damage. I've worked at my current job at a dealership since 2000, and have seen numerous subframes that were jacked up get replaced. I would have the car put on a lift and inspected. Check out the body lines and the fitment of the hood, fenders, headlights and bumper cover. Also look under the hood for any abnormalities of the strut towers. If anything lookes out of place or sketchy either walk away from it or take it to a body shop and have the car checked to see if it's straight and true. I have bought cars in the past that were in accidents and never had any problems with them. However if you are still feeling skeptical on the car, just keep looking around. One more thing, if the body shop paintwork matches up well with the rest of the car, that is also a good sign that the body shop did good work getting the car properly repaired.

TheIntrepidMontti

iTrader: (6)

Yea I had it all that checked out and it was just fine, that and the fact the privous owner had it for 7 years not even knowing/noticing that it was in an accident, it really worked out since the cars fine but I was able to leverage that info to cut the price : )

mrpopo573

As a dealer, the auctions you speak of do not allow potential buyers to make erroneous claims about frame damage to pay less money. The on site shop, run by the auction, guarantees green light cars ( a seller can say green or red light) and inspects them after the winning bidder chooses to opt into the inspection service. If the shop finds damages exceeding 500 dollars, the winning bidder can withdrawal his money or renegotiate with the owner.

Red light non guaranteed cars are buyer beware, and as required by the major auction houses, sellers must declare frame damage, airbag deployment, rebuilt title etc. If they do not, winning bidders can back out upon discovery of such issues.

maxspeed96CT

iTrader: (9)

The damage was 8 years ago, I wouldnt worry about that.

But please be sure to give the car a good over view, after purchasing my last maxima I realized theres alot more a$*holes out in the world then I thought . Cant trust a person just on thier word.

G/luck with your search

Eirik

iTrader: (2)

AMEN! My brother-in-law just bought a 1997 Ford Taurus with the crappy iron-on-iron 3L Vulcan V6 with 70K miles for $5000! According to the KBB, it's a "deal." I made my father-in-law angry by calling into question the KBB's prices. $5K is too much money for a 2008 Taurus, so you can forget about a '97 being worth that much! I mean, any car that's transmission is doomed to fail in fewer than 100K miles (Honda Accord/Odyssey Autos, ~1995-2009 Tauruses, etc.) should NOT be going for as much as they do. You're going to make me pay $5000 for a car that will need a $1000 transmission rebuild in 30K miles that will itself only last 30K miles before ANOTHER rebuild is needed? Ha!

Cash for Clunkers started the used-car market on a crazy rise that still hasn't leveled out yet.

mrpopo573

In the last month, KBB and NADA, the two guides our dealership and fellow lots use have upped their baseline wholesale prices almost a thousand dollars for popular common models. However, in the case of a Taurus, that would be a car us dealers refer to as "back of book," meaning it may say its a steal at 5 grand, but the book is wrong, because people would rather and should rather have an accord for 1000 more than book than a taurus that has the resale value for what is probably 60-70 percent what the books say.

At the last auction for example: 2000 Honda Civic Hatchback 5 speed 100,000 miles, adult owned cream puff
Wholesale Nada: 4500.
Winning Bid: 5200

2002 Taurus, 60,000 miles.
Wholesale: 5500-6500
Winning Bid: 4500

00Lightsout

hahahaaaa!! I had an acquaintance offer me $9500 cash for my car about 8 months ago...I just couldn't part with Penelope and start all over again.