Minor accident on carfax report. Should I buy?

Question

After searching for a new car I narrowed my search to pre-owned Toyota Rav4.

I have avoided any listed as a previous rental vehicle and I have been using BlueDrive to check for any warning codes but I'm hesitant to drop a lower-priced Rav4 just because of minor cosmetic damage listed on the carfax report. Am I acting foolishly by being lured in by the lower price tag¿?¿

Justin Shepherd · Accepted Answer

Posted by: @desertpearl I'm hesitant to drop a lower-priced Rav4 just because of minor cosmetic damage listed on the carfax report. Am I acting foolishly by being lured in by the lower price tag¿?¿ How "minor" is it? They lowered the price for a reason. Crashed cars that have been "fixed" are lower in value. Getting body damage out of modern cars are more like trying to get straighten out a soda can after it's been crushed vs bending a metal soccer net frame. You can replace the pieces of the frame, you can't really straighten out a soda can, which is a decent analogy for a unibody car. If it's repaired, they're usually done sloppy and don't show the workmanship of the original vehicle (Scotty likes to point out overspray when he gets them). People don't want cars with cracked bumpers or things like that because it detracts from the "look" of the car, which reduces its valuation. They also don't like overspray on body panels underneath, etc. Take it to a mechanic like Scotty to evaluate. If no crumple zones were activated and there was nothing but cosmetic damage, it's probably fine.

Dan · Answer

You need a mechanic to look at it.

Personally I found good alignment shops to be great at finding bent parts and other crash related issues mechanics overlook.

Modern cars that have been involved in accidents often turn into electrical rats nests.

Also, because everything bends, often they also feel much rougher at idle.

My Toyota (an older Corolla) has been an accident car (but it was dirt cheap), and not a cosmetic one - and yet, so far, no serious issues and idles smoother than any non-accident car I've seen.

BlueDrive to check for any warning codes

No, to see the full scope of things you need a full system scanner - the kind professional mechanics have.

You want to try and see if there are any "software fault" or "configuration issue" or "CAN BUS" faults that'd indicate that the crash has damaged wiring

Am I acting foolishly by being lured in by the lower price tag¿?¿

It's a gamble.

If it would be just a small fender bender, it wouldn't be a significantly lower price...

Doc · Answer

Have you had the vehicle you are considering checked out by a mechanic yet? I certainly would. The word "minor" has a million meanings depending on who you talk to. The seller always thinks any damage is minor in my experience.