Has This Car Been Totaled

July 31, 2008 – 1:16 am

by Warren Scott

The used auto market can be a very tricky market to maneuver through. Whether you are buying or selling there are challenges to both sides. I think that the more difficult side is obviously the buying side. You don’t know the history of the car and this can make buying a used car quite a guessing game! Keep reading to learn how you can avoid buying a lemon!

We have probably all seen those cars on the road where the back tires are not in line with the front tires. You know, it looks like the car should be veering to the left but is going perfectly straight. This happens when the frame is bent due to a serious accident that the car has been in.

In this case it is quite easy to see that the car is not functioning properly and will cost you a bunch of money in the future. But some cars that are lemons are not that easy to spot. How do you know that you are getting a good deal?

The first place that I always look is the title of the car. If the title isn’t clean then the seller will be hesitant to show it to you. If he does show it to you and everything appears clean but you still aren’t sure about that car, then follow these suggestions and see what you can do.

The most obvious signs of a repair on a car are the light covers. I have seen this a million times! If there is paint on the taillight cover then the car has been in some kind of accident for sure. How do I know? Because they had to repaint that piece of the car, and some of it got on the taillight. This might not be a big deal but if the seller won’t admit to a “small” fender bender then he might be hiding a much bigger accident and much more serious damage to the car.

Another method to use when trying to figure out if a car has been in an accident is the lines where the pieces of the body come together. If the gap between the parts is perfectly parallel the entire seam then the chances are that it hasn’t been in an accident. If all of these lines are parallel then the car is sitting straight and shouldn’t have any major body, or frame damage.

Of course we don’t want to overlook the obvious, ask the owner! Many times people are honest people trying to sell their car and will be completely honest about the cars history. Remember that not everybody out there is trying to steal and cheat you. In fact a minor fender bender is quite common and if the owner tells me this straight away I trust them and would probably proceed further to consider buying the car. If they aren’t straight forward and their answers are questionable I would maybe keep looking!

I recently was looking at a used car. I immediately noticed the spray paint on the brake light cover. After that I could much more easily see that this particular fender was a noticeably different color. I asked the seller if the car had been in any accidents. He said, “oh you know nothing major just the normal scrape here and there.” Hmmm, I don’t know if I believe that response. That is a easy way of not lying, but not telling the whole truth. Needless to say, I didn’t buy that car!

I hope that you will take these tips with you when you buy your next used car. Buying cars is something that we all have to do, and is most definitely a part of our life. So, be smart and enjoy the process. Do you homework so that you can drive a car that you know is in good condition and that you can be proud of.

About the Author:

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Tags: Automotive & Cars