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This would seem to be a situation where, in addition to the usual pre-purchase inspection you would want to take it to a body shop for evaluation.
This.
Most repairable cars are repaired quite thoroughly and there's no need to worry that it has hidden problems. But it's a good bargaining point - it does reduce the value of the vehicle - and it's worth having a third party carefully check out the repairs.
Diminished value comes into play here. My vehicle was hit while parked at my girlfriends house. The front bumper cover, drivers side fender and some bits behind that were replaced. No big deal to me other than it's valued less now, but as time passes that will equal out and the repairs were done very well at a great shop.
The insurance companies scare me because some want to replace the original parts with crap replacement parts, while others want it back to factory specs.
My model year is 2016 too.
So, I'm looking at this 2016 Honda Odyssey. The carfax shows as "ACCIDENT REPORTED" to the front-left side of the vehicle and the title is clean. The vehicle has still got warranty. Is it a worth buy?
Vehicle looks great , very low mileage.
One of my trucks will show accident report. I blew a tire and wiped out the front fender. Insurance fixed the damage and I paid extra to have the truck painted cause the paint was faded. I wouldn’t drop a penny off the price because of the “accident”
If you have to ask, I suspect you're better off buying a clean car with no accident history. Also, order your own CarFax - it's easy to fake a printout.
If it was your only option, maybe, if you take it to a mechanic who will put it up on a hoist and look for frame damage (or damage that was obviously badly repaired, obvious cut of corners in repair or repairs skipped, etc.). Without doing that-- no.
And, you can't always see damage... I once bought a car with an accident reported. Frame checked out okay. Some time later I noticed a wet headliner. Apparently the windshield had been replaced and not properly sealed. Guess who got to pay for a new windshield?
If it was your only option, maybe, if you take it to a mechanic who will put it up on a hoist and look for frame damage (or damage that was obviously badly repaired, obvious cut of corners in repair or repairs skipped, etc.). Without doing that-- no.
And, you can't always see damage... I once bought a car with an accident reported. Frame checked out okay. Some time later I noticed a wet headliner. Apparently the windshield had been replaced and not properly sealed. Guess who got to pay for a new windshield?
So, I'm looking at this 2016 Honda Odyssey. The carfax shows as "ACCIDENT REPORTED" to the front-left side of the vehicle and the title is clean. The vehicle has still got warranty. Is it a worth buy?
Depends on how much you pay for it.
If you are buying it from an owner who had the accident, demand the insurance settlement papers. There will be an itemization of the repairs.
If you are buying from a subsequent owner or a dealer don't believe anything they tell you.
Keep in mind that an accident on Carfax will depress the sale price when YOU eventually go to sell it so proceed with caution and an appropriate offer.
It is really quite simple: If the reported accident causes YOU discomfort, do not purchase the vehicle.
Personally, I probably would not let it worry me. I recently purchased a car that has a salvage title. It hit a deer. The repairs were done well, the price was low, we liked the car, and we bought it with no concerns. Resale value doesn't bother me, I don't buy anything to resell, I buy for my use. The seller provided the receipts for the parts bought to refurbish the vehicle.
I'm happy.
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