I have the opportunity to purchase a 2020 Honda Accord with 85k miles for $11k. It has body damage otherwise it’s good. Pretty sure the owner didn’t report the damage or just took the insurance money.
https://postimg.cc/gallery/9TMWc8D
The damage doesn’t bother me it’s going to be a commuter car.
Thoughts?
Buying a car with damage is always a HUGE gamble, especially for that much.
Even if the body hasn't been damaged that much, there still can be electrical gremlins and other issues.
Go to a mechanic and have him check it and what it would cost to repair it into a "like-new" state.
(even if you're not planing on reaping the cosmetics, it's important to know what the damage is)
Also, realize that the although the 2020 Accord is not bad, it's not Honda's finest either. currently AHM (American Honda Motors) is running many service campaigns, they're investigating many issues and they have put out over 150 different manufacturer communications for this model.
I would specifically avoid the 1.5L Turbo engine, although in recent years their reliability has gotten better - but it still just has too much issues. Currently AHM are running a campaign and investigating why some of these randomly are running rich and misfiring due to faults with the $1,400 injectors. (NHTSA ID: 10208404)
But the 2.0L usually comes with a 10 speed transmission, and so far that's not going great either - people I've talked with claim the transmission is "searching for gears like a 2000s DSG and shifting about as smoothly as one", others claim they're smooth and fast. There's 0 detailed repair information I've seen on this transmission, and gathering info on Honda transmissions is always hard - often they're weird and look nothing like others on the inside.
So if a mechanic gives it the green light, and he has found no serious mechanical damage, It's best to test drive it for a long time and monitor closely for rough shifts, hesitation at start, hesitation to kick down, rough idle, poor operation at high rpm, etc. - I would not advise buying a car that displays any of these symptoms.
The car belongs to my wife’s coworker. He is having to relocate to NYC and can’t take the car. He’s just wanting to sell it prior to leaving with as little haste as possible.
That sounds good, but it's still very important to have it checked by a mechanic.
She might not know how serious / minor the crash damage is, it's always better to be safe than sorry.
Overall assuming the car doesn't have any serious damage or mechanical issues, in today's market, it might be a good deal.
He’s just wanting to sell it prior to leaving with as little haste as possible.
If it passes a thorough pre-purchase inspection, and the damage is verified to be only cosmetic, go ahead.
Welcome first timer!
That price seems low. Maybe I’m missing something but from the pictures the damage looks fixable. If it really is just body panels that are damaged, they should be able to fix it and sell it for more than the cost of repair.
So what might be damaged underneath that they aren’t disclosing? Don’t touch that car without getting it inspected by an independent collision repair expert.
If it’s truly just the body panels, then by all means buy it. But if anything deeper is bent, run away.
(ps: with any used car, I always ask myself, “why are they really selling it?”)
Have it carefully inspected to make sure there wasn't any mechanical damage. I would probably take it to a body/alignment specialist.
You want to make sure the overall body wasn't twisted, wheels + suspension isn't crooked, doors weren't distorted (will lead to leaks etc.).
If the damage is only superficial then sure could be a great deal.
