How to tell if a pre-owned car has been in an accident before

These tips will help you check if the car is worth the value and if the seller is being honest

• Some sellers may advertise their vehicle as accident free just to get more money even though it's not true

• Scrutinizing a car before purchase will help you avoid being dupped

How to tell a car has been involved in an accident before
Image: Courtesy

Buying a used car is economical but also quite tricky.

A seller may indicate that their vehicle may be accident-free so as to sell it fast and make a substantial amount of money, anything relatively close to the amount they paid for it originally.

While with fine repairs it can be hard to tell if they're being honest or not there are a few telltales that will clear the air for you.

1) Paint Issues

A car's paintwork may appear amazingly flawless, but that may not be the case.

Ensure you scrutinize the paintwork in a well-lit environment, such as out in the sun, for any inconsistency.

Whether it's just a slightly different shade, a variance of the shine, or completely mismatching colors between the different body panels, these all point to a car that has had its bodywork repaired.

2)Uneven tyre wear 

You went for a spin, and the car drives straight, so it must be in perfect condition. Not so fast!

Even if the car does not pull to a side, uneven tyre wear could be the outcome of a botched suspension alignment setting.

It may also indicate something much more serious, such as a problematic chassis, aligned to hide the issue. If the compromised chassis perpetually works against the direction of the wheel, the tyres would be experiencing an abnormal amount of force, hence uneven.

 3) Welding marks

Most cars have parts that were welded together, so what you should look out for are cutaway sections that were stitched together (the boot floor should be a single piece, definitely not joint across the spare tyre well), and look for irregular welding marks.

4) Unpainted surfaces or rust

Structural parts of a car aren't usually held together by nuts and bolts. Hence, repair works usually require some welding.

The thing about welding is that paint needs to be removed for it to be done properly. These parts are usually made of steel, which will rust over time if left unpainted.

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