Buying a Max that's been in an accident?
 

Now I know people would tend to pass on a car that has been in an accident, but as there are only about two 4th Gen SE's within 200 miles of me for sale every few months, I feel I should consider it. The story is the car slid on icy pavement at a slow speed (6 or 7 mph?) in a gas station lot and hit a pole, causing the bumper and hood to be repaired (or replaced? I'll have to get more info).
My concern is if I understand correctly, even minor changes in position of frame in the front end can cause premature wear of components and tires, etc. What's interesting is Carfax has no records of this.
Anyway, my question is is it possible for me, or a mechanic, to do a thorough enough inspection to determine if this is a problem or not, or will it always be guesswork until problems develop (or don't)?

Thanks

PS Would airbags normally deploy at that speed?

It should be fine. Just have the alignment checked. Honestly, there are probably very few 4th gens out there there haven't had paint work/minor body damage. Also, the bumper/hood/core support aren't related to the frame as far as wheel alignment goes. The only thing that would cause the aligment to be off is a major front end collision or a rear end collision that would tweak the unibody. Anything like that would be a salvage titled vehicle. Also, airbags would not deploy at those speeds.

my car is a rebuilt title which had a similar accident. the lady hit a pole in a parking lot at a low speed. the radiator rail is a little bent up but everything else is pretty good.

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...o/DSCF0580.jpg

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...o/DSCF0578.jpg

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...o/DSCF0577.jpg

see the head light doesnt sit quite right but it drives great. everyone that has driven in it says its a nice *** car. i say do it. i got mine for 1500 bones

Thanks for the advice guys,
If everything checks out perfectly, is the fact it's been in an accident any justification at that point to offer a lower amount than if it hadn't been?

have the vehicle checked for frame damage.

Absolutely. You can't expect to sell a car that's been in an accident to someone that KNOWS it's been in an accident for the price of one that hadn't been in an accident (did I make that sound confusing enough? lol)

At least the seller is honest; if it was a good repair, they could've just not told you.. IMHO the honesty about the accident really says something about how honest the seller will be about the condition of the rest of the car, how often it's been serviced, etc..

i've had numerous cars that have been reconstructed and honestly i feel that if they were repaired corretly they should be as good as the ones that havent been in the major wrecks

My old s14 had front end/frame damage and a lot of the aftermarket parts wouldn't bolt on correctly. So make sure it was repaired correctly.

I'd be fine with the parts you mentioned being replaced. Have done a couple rebuilds that were more extensive than that with no ill effects.

yea spend 50 bux and take it to a mechanic that the owner probably wouldnt know and have him check it thouroughly. in a case like this it can go either way - it could be good for you that it was in an accident because the price is reduced OR it could be bad for you because one small accident has damaged several things and will continue to deteriorate.

chances are that a 6mph hit did not do severe damage, but then again, this guy is trying to sell a car.....it coulda been 20mph....30?

in june i bought an accord that had a CLEAN CARFAX REPORT. i bought it based on sight for what i thought was a great deal (3k for a 97 accord with 94k, all options). i took it to my mechanic the next weekend. he looked at it for about 11 seconds and said "go get your money back". well it was too late, the seller claimed to have spent it. apparently the whole front end had spot welding hidden below the engine block. the front had been crushed and repaired perfectly (body wise) but not mechanically. after about a month of weird idling, strange alignment and a never-ending rumble i sold it for a $1400 loss.

just be careful

well i've learned my lesson not to buy used cars that's been in an accident before...my old car was involved in an accident to the front end by the previous owner...it was fixed up and looks perfectly normal but i know the alignment is off...everytime i get a new projector retrofit for my car it's always crooked...but it will be straight on other cars...that drove me crazy lol. but if the one you're looking at wasn't in a that big of an accident i think it should be fine...but still i won't get any used car that's been in an accident anymore...it's just not the same =/

:eek: wow, what an awful experience. makes me not want to buy another used car. thanks for sharing.

I drove only used cars from 1949 until I entered 'Max country' in the mid-1980s. I could tell you some real horror stories . . .

I never buy a used car that has belonged to a person living near the ocean. There is invariably rust somewhere, and sometimes it eats right through the body panels.

Look under floor mats and trunk mats and pads VERY carefully for signs of rust. Many used cars in EVERY part of the country these days have been in high water at some time, and water is not nice to electrical circuits.

I would look under the car myself (even if that meant going to a place where they have a lift). And I would have a trusted mechanic check the frame, engine and tranny.

I had an incident where I stopped because I saw a deer in the road, a car going the other way did not stop, that car hit the deer full force, knocking it ten or so feet into the air, and it came down on the hood and fenders of my almost new car. Even though I had new OEM fenders, hood and grille put on correctly by the best body shop in town, and the car drove exactly the same after that incident, the fact the bodywork was done knocked my trade-in value from 19,000 to 17,500 at trade-in time. Disappointing.

gotta luv ny...you could have sued if u were up here...LEMON LAW

naw, we got lemon law down here too.

lemon law only applies to a car bought from a dealership.

i bought the accord from a gypsy