How To Know If A Used Car Has Been Damaged In An Accident
Signs Of Accident Damage
Buying a used car is an economic decision. After all, cars depreciate so quickly. Buying a new car is simply not the most economic decision. If you are on a budget, buying a used car simply makes far more sense. However, buying a used car is not an easy task. There are many things to consider, such as whether or not the used car is too old or unreliable.
One big consideration is often whether or not a used car has been damaged in an accident before. These cars may be repaired and usable, however, such damage often affects the overall reliability of the car. After all, you would not know if the repair was done well or if the structural integrity of the car has been compromised. Therefore, for some, avoiding such damaged used cars is important.
The problem, however, is that one might not be able to see that a car has been so damaged before. Therefore, we have come up with this article to help buyers out. In this article, we will be teaching readers how they can tell if a car has been damaged in an accident before.
If you are still unsure, try to get your car inspected with a car inspection singapore.
1. Problems in the paint
Firstly, you can use the paint job of a car to determine if a car’s been damaged in a car before. In the parking lot of the car dealership, you might not be able to see if there are any problems. This is because the area is not well lit. However, in the sun, you would be able to properly look at the car’s paint job. Under such light, you should be able to see if there are any discrepancies or inconsistencies in the paint job.
For example, there might be slight differences in the shade or shine of the paint. This would suggest that the body of the car had to be repaired and the same type of paint could not be found. Therefore, there is a difference in the shade or shine of the paint.
2. Replaced Parts
Car parts are often expensive and hence, only damaged parts are replaced. This results in the repair job being extremely obvious. This is especially if the car is older and other parts look clearly older. A clearly new and shiny part would stand out and suggest that the part was replaced.
3. Gaps in the panels
Car factories manufacture and will only release their cars if they are perfect. In other words, all the parts of the car should fit perfectly together. In other words, the panels of the car should fit together well. There should not be any big gaps in the bodywork. Gaps will be present if the car has been in an accident. The impact of the accident would have damaged the bodywork and repairs might not have been able to fix them completely. Therefore, if you see any gaps in the panels, it might be suggestive of previous damage.
4. The car can’t drive straight
Another sign that a car has been damaged is if the car is unable to drive straight. This is why test driving a car is important. Such issues can only be discovered if you personally drive the car. If you drive it and find that you aren’t able to drive it straight, this is a sign that the alignment of the car is off. This can often happen after the impact of an accident. If you find such a problem, you should insist on the car to be checked and realigned.
5. Uneven wear in the tires
Another sign that the car might have an uneven alignment is if the tires have uneven wear. This is especially if there is a compromised chassis. Essentially, the compromised chassis would work against the direction of the wheel. As such, the tires would be under an extreme amount of force. This thus results in the tires having an even wearing out. Therefore, even if the car drives straight, you would want to check the tires out.
6. Welding marks
Welding marks are a big sign that a car has been badly damaged. This is because the car was probably crushed badly and the only way to fix it is by cutting away damaged areas and welding new pieces onto it. Such welding can be seen if you look closer. In particular, you might find such welding under the carpets, in the boot, or in other places. If you see such marks, you should totally avoid the car. This is because such welding is unsafe and might be unprofessional. Therefore, the safety of the car is at risk. It might not be able to survive another accident.
7. Visibly creased panels
The panels of a car are made of malleable steel sheets. In the event of a crash, such sheets will crumple or crease in response to the impact. For crushed sheets, a complete replacement would be needed. However, if minimal damage was experienced, there might only be minimal creasing of the sheets. If an improper repair job was done, such minimal creases might have been neglected. Therefore, if such creasing is seen in a car’s panels, you would know that it’s been damaged in an accident and was not properly fixed.
8. Mismatched and or missing screws and fasteners
Lastly, a ton of screws and fasteners are used in the construction of a car. This is especially under the bonnet of the car. There would be many screws and fasteners put into place for the engine. In the factory, the same kind of screws and fasteners will be used to put the car together. In a repair shop, however, the same screws and fasteners might not be used. Alternatively, if the right size isn’t available, no screw or fastener might be used. This is especially if the screw or fastener isn’t important. Therefore, if you see mismatched or missing screws and fasteners, this is a sign that the car has undergone big repairs.
Conclusion
If you are trying to avoid buying a car that’s previously been in an accident, these are the few signs that you should look out for. In essence, be observant and look out for inconsistencies in a car. Such signs would show that the car has been repaired before.
