Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Automotive
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 11-13-2015, 05:23 PM
 
5 posts, read 144,177 times
Reputation: 13

Advertisements

Hi, guys.
I am seeing a 2010 camry le with 36000 miles. The private seller is asking for 12K of all including transaction fee, tax, and etc.
Test driving this car is perfect. Inside and outside both look like new.
But when I checked carfax and autocheck, here comes the problem that the car was in an accident, I paste the report as below.
Would you suggest me to buy it?

Am also considering another 2013 chevroler Cruze with about 26000 miles asking 10600.
---carfax---
06/19/2012 California
Damage Report Accident reported
Involving front or side impact
Airbags did not deploy

06/19/2012 Damage Report Damage reported after
accident or other incident
Structural damage reported

---autocheck---
06/19/2012 LOS ANGELES, CA
Police Report ACCIDENT REPORTED (Case #:2012 06NE07)
MULTIPLE IMPACT COLLISION
VEHICLE WAS TOWED
10/23/2013 CA
State Agency ACCIDENT REPORTED, Event Date is date reported to AutoCheck
[yes, there was another accident]
------------------
How do you think of it? Does this car even worth for an inspection?
How to choose between this car (if inspection says no structural problem) or the Cruze?

Last edited by shepherdniu; 11-13-2015 at 06:02 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 11-13-2015, 05:38 PM
 
17,080 posts, read 11,923,562 times
Reputation: 17015
Have a mechanic check it out if you're interested and it's at a decent discount price for your area.

I'd be more leery if the accident was more recent. But since they drove it a few years it probably was repaired well by insurance.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-13-2015, 05:44 PM
 
11,548 posts, read 52,903,008 times
Reputation: 16318
I'd stay away from it.

Given the design of these cars, "structural damage" may be repairable only cosmetically to a great extent.

While the car may "test drive" OK, what you don't know is the integrity of the structure.

This may not be an issue in driving the car until the day comes that the structure is called upon to protect the cars' occupants.

In my experience, few insurance companies will pay a shop to repair such a hit properly ... if it even could be done at all. Their primary concern is to get their customer on the road again at the lowest possible cost. Functionality doesn't equal structural integrity.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-13-2015, 06:04 PM
 
5 posts, read 144,177 times
Reputation: 13
Thanks for your suggestions!
That's what I think. I will get it fully inspected.
As I am also considering a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze (26000 miles, for $10,600), which one you would suggest?
I highly appreciate your help.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-13-2015, 06:10 PM
 
5 posts, read 144,177 times
Reputation: 13
Quote:
Originally Posted by sunsprit View Post
I'd stay away from it.

Given the design of these cars, "structural damage" may be repairable only cosmetically to a great extent.

While the car may "test drive" OK, what you don't know is the integrity of the structure.

This may not be an issue in driving the car until the day comes that the structure is called upon to protect the cars' occupants.

In my experience, few insurance companies will pay a shop to repair such a hit properly ... if it even could be done at all. Their primary concern is to get their customer on the road again at the lowest possible cost. Functionality doesn't equal structural integrity.
Thanks for your answers!
yes, the structural damage is really a big concern.
How do you think if I do a full inspection?
I also posted that I would like to consider a 2013 Chevrolet Cruze with 26000 miles asking $26,000. How do you think of it?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-13-2015, 07:52 PM
 
18,756 posts, read 27,181,960 times
Reputation: 20101
You do NOT compare a Camry and a Chevy Cruze. There is no comparison.
Personally, we bought or helped with buying of 5 cars with rebuilt title. Rebuilt, not even clean. Each one of them aced when used.
Tell the owner that car has accident marked on Carfax. Tell him you'll pay 11 000 AFTER you take car to a decent body shop for inspection.
If he agrees and car checks out - buy and enjoy years and years of worry less use.
If he balks - forget him.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-13-2015, 11:27 PM
 
Location: Westside Houston
1,022 posts, read 1,953,533 times
Reputation: 1902
Don't buy this Camry, just wait for another one to pop up.

How did you go from a Camry to a Cruz?, it's not the same Comparo
Cross that Cruz off your list.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-13-2015, 11:59 PM
 
11,548 posts, read 52,903,008 times
Reputation: 16318
Quote:
Originally Posted by shepherdniu View Post
yes, the structural damage is really a big concern.
How do you think if I do a full inspection?
here's the problem:

if there was structural damage to the car, it's unlikely that it was functionally mitigated in any way.

short of destructive testing on affected components, there is no visual inspection that a competent tech can do that will be meaningful.

car designs of the last several decades place significant stresses upon the structure of a vehicle which are an integral part of the crush zone construction (safety issues) as well as mechanical dimensions affecting alignment and component locations.

it is entirely possible that a "bent" or "damaged" structure portion was "bent" or pulled back into a reasonably close alignment to it's original location, so that it now looks cosmetically OK and supports adjacent structures OK ... functionally and cosmetically.

But the inherent designed structure may still have been compromised. Not once, but twice. Once when it was in the collision, and then again when it was pulled/pushed back into position and shape.


Today's cars simply don't have the excess of material and low performance parameters for the structure to give away any of the capabilities like cars of yesteryear with overbuilt frames and bodies when it comes to safety and performance.

The bottom line is that nobody can perform a non-destructive test on the car you're looking at to determine if it's safe to operate to the original specs of the car as built by the manufacturer. Pass on the Camry, you have no way of knowing if it's a good car or not. Being able to start and run and have the accessories work properly is only a part of what you're buying a car to do these days. You are seeking the remaining useable economic service life of the car for transportation, but you're also buying the safety aspects of the modern vehicle built into it.

I've seen the results of 2nd impacts on cars that were structurally compromised in prior accidents but returned to service after cosmetic repairs. The injuries sustained by the occupants were far more severe than a "first time" accident with the vehicle.

IMO, it's simply not worth the unknown risks for your purchase.

Sorry, I know nothing about the other car you're considering purchasing ... so can't comment on it.

PS: I've personally done pre-buy inspections for a couple thousand cars over the years, and I have seen many cars that were on salvage or rebuilt titles that were just fine for further service after minor or purely cosmetic damage (such as hail dents on sheet metal and broken glass). But when I see evidence of structural damage to late model cars, I know that I have no way of determining if the strength and integrity of the structure is still there, and I've seen some cars come off the frame table where structure was pulled back into position by several inches. There's got to be damage to the components; no different than bending a paper clip back and forth until it fails or just isn't straight anymore where it should be to carry the load it was designed to carry.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-14-2015, 01:19 AM
 
4,317 posts, read 5,755,367 times
Reputation: 2452
Have someone pre-inspect the vehicle to put any of your concerns at rest.
With that said, they make many of the new frames are manufactured to where they can straightened out. When I asked a body guy about it for a customer, he showed me how there are bolts can be loosened and then re-tightened. That is one of the reasons why autobody collision places have a frame machines. They use it to measure the frame and also to help straighten it too. I have even seen a truck get the frame replaced because it is what the insurance company directed to do.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-14-2015, 05:56 AM
 
11,548 posts, read 52,903,008 times
Reputation: 16318
Quote:
Originally Posted by ladybug07 View Post
Have someone pre-inspect the vehicle to put any of your concerns at rest.
With that said, they make many of the new frames are manufactured to where they can straightened out. When I asked a body guy about it for a customer, he showed me how there are bolts can be loosened and then re-tightened. That is one of the reasons why autobody collision places have a frame machines. They use it to measure the frame and also to help straighten it too. I have even seen a truck get the frame replaced because it is what the insurance company directed to do.
Yes, there are certain components and some vehicles where replacement of structural items is feasible.

But can we stay on track here?

The OP is inquiring about a 2010 Toyota Camry, not "a truck". And the Camry was involved in "multiple collisions", not just a single impact.

The bottom line is that there are vehicles in this class and price range available for sale that DON'T have an accident history of structural damage. Why buy one that does when you can get a better quality vehicle that hasn't been wrecked?

PS: looking around on-line, there appear to be a fair number of straight 2010 Camry's available for $11,000 and under, especially the XLE 2.5 liter 4 cylinder trim versions. Why would you buy a wrecked one for the same price point? and there's a number of 6-cylinder upline trim cars around for the same money ....

Last edited by sunsprit; 11-14-2015 at 07:22 AM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Automotive
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top