How do you know if a used car has been in a serious accident?

For many reasons such as low cost, low depreciation, quick transactions,... used cars are always sought after by many customers. However, those with little experience can buy a car that has been in an accident or collision without knowing it, and only realize it after a period of use is it too late.

Talking to reporters, Mr. Pham Tat Thang - owner of TT Auto garage (Thanh Xuan, Hanoi) said that it is normal for an old car that has been used for many years to be dented and need to be "repaired". However, if it is a car that has been in a serious accident, affecting the load-bearing structure, it should not be purchased.

"Usually, the seller will take the car to a garage and try to fix the defects to make the car look as shiny as possible. Many highly skilled workers today can easily "magically" transform accident cars into new, flawless cars that are difficult for inexperienced people to recognize," said Mr. Thang.

According to this expert with nearly 20 years of experience in buying, selling and repairing used cars, it is increasingly difficult to identify cars that have been in accidents or collisions. However, there are some details that cannot be hidden no matter how carefully done, and can be seen with the naked eye as follows:

Windshield

Normally, the front and rear windshields are very difficult to break or crack without a strong impact. Therefore, if the windshield or rear window is replaced, we have the right to suspect that the car has been in an accident or a strong collision.

To identify, you can rely on the parameters of the glass in the lower left corner. For example, if the car is manufactured in 2020, the last row will usually have the number 0 or 20. If the car is manufactured in 2021, it will be number 1, similarly 2022 will be number 2... The new glass will usually not have the number that matches the year of manufacture of the car, and the glue will have to be re-applied, and if it is not genuine, the new glass will look "wilder".

Headlights, taillights

With old cars, the headlights and taillights must be of equal newness. If you observe a car with one old headlight and one new headlight, we can also suspect that the car has been in a serious collision that required a replacement of one set of lights.

Door edges and slots

Door slots, especially the door edges, are very vulnerable to damage in the event of a collision and will "betray" the car's history of being in an accident. Door slots and door edges of cars are often stamped directly at the factory, so they are seamless, highly precise and even.

If the car has been in an accident, the door edges will be manually reshaped. No matter how skillful you are, the edges and the gaps of the door cannot be absolutely even. In addition, if the glue on the door is uneven, discolored, stiff,... it is very likely that the door has been in an accident and must be reshaped and re-filled.

Underside of the hood and trunk

After the car has a strong collision in the front part, if the upper part of the hood can be easily handled and repainted, the lower part of the hood is the place that "reveals" the condition of the car because there is a complex skeleton and parts that are not easy to restore to the original.

On vehicles that have never been in an accident, the underside of the hood will be straight and even, with no dents or patches. The edges on both sides should be symmetrical, and not warped when closed. The small holes in the bonnet frame should be intact, not distorted.

Similar to the hood, open the trunk, lift the carpet and trunk cover, observe every small detail, especially the corners, see if the two sides are symmetrical or not, see if there are any bumps, putty or traces of collision. At the same time, observe the edges of the rear door to see if they are even and the glue is still intact or not.

If there are marks of bending, bending, re-gluing, then it is almost certain that the car has been hit from behind. No matter how skillful the mechanic is, the distortions inside the trunk cannot be restored to their original state.