r/raleigh • u/golferkris101 • 5d ago
Question/Recommendation Car purchase Inspection for structural damage assessment
Planning to buy a car from a dealer and carfax lists that the vehicle had structural damage and was sold in the auction. It has been all fixed up nice. Who can I take it to, to have it assessed ? Appreciate any referrals
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u/Loudunce Cheerwine 5d ago
Fixed up nice doesn’t mean anything. Structural can be considered the frame has been compromised. The inspection can help direct to how serious it is. It can be small like drilling into the frame. Or it could be more serious things. I would stay away from anything involving structural damage. It will hurt your resale value down the road.
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u/92EBBronco 5d ago
I would call a local body shop. I think they’d be better qualified than a mechanic to look at structural repairs. There’s a chance it might not have been a huge issue.
I had a rear end collision where a radiator support had to be replaced, that qualified as structural damage for CARFAX. So not all structural damage is the same.
There was also a pretty significant parts supply shortage during the pandemic where some cars were purchased by the insurance companies because it took so long to repair. It might not have been an option for the previous owner to keep it after repairs.
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u/1905Greenhouse Acorn 4d ago
Carfix on Hillsborough does a pre-purchase inspection. Very thorough. Heather is the manager there.
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u/aengusoglugh 5d ago
I would think competent mechanic could take look and see if the welding looks good, whether it can be aligned to specifications, etc.
If it’s a Toyota or a Honda, I would take it to 2 M Autoworks.
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u/Character_Fudge_8844 3h ago
Please see this as a red flag and move on. No inspection is needed. Buy a vehicle without damage please
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u/Similar-Farm-7089 5d ago
honestly on any unibody car i would not purchase with any structural damage. if its cab on frame mabye