Is there a way to tell if my car has been in a minor wreck, besides a carfax? I bought a 2006 Honda accord?

Question

from Rand's auto(don't buy from them, Rand is cool but his son Andy is ruining his good name all for money) kinda screwed me. This Accord was out of alighment enough that the mechanic said camber kit would have to fix it. Seemed a little out of alignment but not that bad, plus rear brakes were toast, but I never went in reverse until I had already bought it. I know some is my bad but dealer would only meet me half way, and the only way they will take it back is if I can prove that it was in a wreck that was not properly documented. Someone please help, what are my options..

Answer 1

First off is to do a closer examination of the paint. You can tell if the color is different. Also you can see where there may be some "Orange Peel". Thats where the paint had dust settle on it before it dried completely. Also if you have the time fi you want to take body panels off to see if there is numbers writtien on the inside of the body panels. Typically replacemtn parts have part numbers written with a paint or grease pen.

Also what you can do is take your car to a dealer. Thier inspector can typically tell if a car has been wrecked within a few minutes.

However a CarFax is going to be your best option. Because if it was wrecked it most likely was claimed by the previous owners insurance company. Which turns that info over to the Department of Transportation.

Answer 2

About what the other poster said about oranging paint, you cant tell on a accord, because the factory paint oranges. My step mother bought a brand new 2006 accord and the paint was horrible.
If done correctly, there really is no way to see if a car has been repaired. With todays computer technology, the measurments that are required to repair an accident are so fine, its impossible to tell.
If it was a sloppy repair, you may see paint overspray on parts. No factory parts should have overspray, because they were all installed after the car was painted.
another thing youll want to look at is welds. Accords are welded by machines, so the welds will look perfect. if you have sloppy welds (i hope you understand what a sloppy weld looks like), that may be a sign.
Now, the second thing with welds, is uniformity. If you have a weld on one side of the frame, and not the other (being theres no extra mounting brackets or components) then a misplaced weld will be another way to tell.
part numbers yes and no. If the accident was bad enough to take out major components (engine, transmission, axles), then the vin numbers will be different. Also, on minor accidents, you may be able to tell if a part was replaced, but you would have to be able to access dealer mechanics repair manuals and see if a 2005 model had a different part # then a 2006 model. This would take weeks to track down a different part number, and sometimes halfway through 06, the part number might have changed, so its not very realistic.
I have heard that some newer cars also have computers that will record an accident, but i couldnt tell you if this was true.
if the accident wasnt reported, then carfax cant do much for you.

Answer 3

Take off the bumper cover and take a look at the condition of the existing bumper. Most body shops replace the bumper cover for looks, but does not bother replacing the bumper itself. Also the dealer does not sell replacement bumper so it is difficult to find a replacement once you damage it (your only option would be pulling out of another wrecked car) And it does not take much to damage the bumper. I damaged mine while going around 5MPH.

Answer 4

its your funds so use it once you want it like the commercial says. Its as a lot as you four hundred funds does no longer pass as har because it used to yet nevertheless try to be in a position to come across a automobile with four hundred funds