Carfax Accident / Damage - Impact to Valuation

[bcheney]

I just looked at a Boxter that has low miles...<40K. The car is clean inside and has quite a few rock chips up and a few more on two of the fenders. The Carfax report says it has Accident / Damage reported due to a "left side impact" and it says the car was Functional and could be driven away from the scene. When looking at the left side I see no signs of anything major that happened. Door is perfectly aligned paint seems to be consistent so I am not sure what really happened. I guess the best thing would be to let a body shop look at it for an assessment. In the meantime, How do you think this news impacts the valuation of the car? I am thinking this could have been something minor...but the blemish on the Carfax report will always be there...

[Eli W]

What year Boxter?

Does the seller know the history of what happened in the accident? That makes a difference.
I bought a BMW335I for a great deal I found out that it had been in accident, I actually got hold of the police report about the accident to see what happened the car was a leased car that ran up on to a median and popped the two front tires.

Took it in to a local BMW had them check out the car and they said everything was fine structurally with the car.

I don't think a repaired fender bender accident effects a cars value much at all, bent frame? whole other deal.

[RichardNew]

It will always be there. It will always lower the value.

Every dealer now runs a Carfax before they take a car on trade. Your only hope will be to sell it to someone who doesn't use Carfax.

Richard Newton
Useless Tech Stuff

[Sboxin]

If you are getting a really good purchasing price on the Boxster and are pleased with the car and it doesn't have the IMS issue - - I would buy it . . . IMHO of course . . . they are fun modern roadsters . . .

Eleven years ago we went thru an accident/carfax/DV experience with a Boxster . . . learned a lot . . .

Carfax is not always accurate - not all companies report accident repair to Carfax.
Insurance companies have their own accident/repair data base.
Lawyers are not very experienced in DV claims.
Some accident appraisers don't help the process.
We went thru the whole process and got $1000 of claimed $10K - should have taken Allstate's $2500 offer up front.
Can use DV as a "Loss" on income tax . . . if you are brave . . .
Insurance companies look at car repair as restored to like new condition/specification . . .



Regards,

[sugarwood]

Do some searching and see what you find.
For some reason -50% is something I've heard before.