Should I buy the one with Lower miles with the accident or higher miles with no accident?

Question

I did all the paper work at the nissan dealer for a 2004 honda odysee mini van with 38000 miles on it. right when i was about to give the down payment i asked to see the carfax. Bamm! there is an accident of the report. Says "colisian with another vehicle. I walked away from the deal last night and told them to keep the paper work in case i come back today. Now i could get another van for about the same price (3000 below retail) with 55000 mile on it. this second van is accross the street at the acura dealer. The price was retail but when i i took the van from with the accident over to the acura dealer they lowered the price to be it. so do i want 1700 less miles or no accident ?

i mean 17k 17000 less miles

Answer 1

NEVER BUY A CAR WITHOUT A CLEAN CAR FAX. WHEN YOU TRADE IT IN YOUR GONNA GET SCREWED. IF YOU ARE GONNA KEEP IT FOR 10 YEARS ITS A MOOT POINT. GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND START OVER.

Answer 2

If you could find the previous owner's name and contact them you might find out more. This is the best way to get to the true history of the vehicle.

CARFAX is a very inconsistent tool when it comes to determining the severity of an accident. Most all states' DMV's report to CARFAX, but only some state's Insurance Companies, Body Shops, and Police Departments report anything to CARFAX. So you'll have to do a little more personal research to be certain. With some states' law agencies not reporting, you're not even certain that a clean CARFAX is actually clean. And on the other hand, if they do report everything, it could just be a simple fender bender in a parking lot that the police were called on.

ACCIDENT INDICATOR on a CARFAX report is the least problematic indicator. FRAME CHECK indicators can indicate a more serious problem. Meaning the accident was severe enough to warrant a frame inspection. Still, it doesn't mean frame damage. REBUILT, RECONSTRUCTED, OR SALVAGE tites are the ones to absolutely run away from.

Do some research, and get the car inspected by a quality body shop. Don't write this vehicle off just for an accident indicator. I'd go with the lower miles vehicle over the higher miles if the accident turns out to be a minor one. And, as mentioned, you can always use this for negotiating leverage!

Answer 3

I had owned a body shop and sales lot many years back. My outlook today is different than it was years ago. After a wreck, unless very minor, the car will never be the same. If the frame is bent, even if only by millimeters, you will have issues later down the road. You might notice tires, which seem to lose tread quickly. Also the frame is weakened after a wreck. Body panels do not line up perfectly. The undercarriage is more likely to rust, due to the naked welds and torn coating. I do not see much difference with 17,000 miles, I would buy the van from the Acura dealer. Take it from a man who used to tell people it was as good as new.

Answer 4

It depends on how bad the accident was. If it had a bent frame, or serious things like that, maybe you should take the other one. On the other hand, can you actually see where it was in an accident? I mean, would anyone know it was in an accident, unless you told them? If it was a minor accident, and you really like it better, than go for that one. Also, how do they drive? Can you notice any difference in the way they handle? If they are equal in that then take the one you like better..Good Luck..

Answer 5

you did not state cost of accident report ? dealer would know having more access to reports via other sources besides carfax before they would purchase or re-sell for retail, if its in the $ 4 to 7 thousand range its minor by todays cost and should not come into play as to what you really want.
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Answer 6

Always avoid buying an accident vehicle except one with minor fender benders. It never runs right. I bought two cars that had been in accidents and both were a headache. Remember the old adage - nobody sold a second hand vehicle because it was running perfect.

Answer 7

Buy the van that wasn't involved in an accident. The van that was in the accident could have damage to the carriage or basic structure of the frame which may come to haunt you later on. Play it safe, buy the second van.

Answer 8

Depends on what happened in the accident. If it's not bad, and appears to have been well repaired, I bet you could talk down the first dealer a couple thousand. If it needs some repair later, you've got the money to cover it. Generally though, if you're concerned, go with the higher mileage one. The car should last for over 200,000 anyway.

Answer 9

I would walk away from the first dealership. Any dealership that didnt tell you about the damage before you agreed to buy it sounds sneaky and a bad place to do business. Buy the other one from the acura dealer and get an extended warrenty.

Answer 10

I would go with the vehicle with no accident. 1700 is not a lot of mileage. If either vehicle has been flooded I would stay away from the flooded vehicle. You may get the sort of dialogue you need at www.edmonds.com. Their forums are very good.

Answer 11

How bad was the accident? $1,200.00? (the cost of a bumper and maybe two headlamps?) or $8,500.00? (some serious damage). To the idiot that used to own a bodyshop -- you are an idiot. Any vehicle that is repaired correctly willl have no problems. The key word is 'correctly'. Unless you know the bodyshop that did the repairs it's always a crap shoot.