subject: How To Protect Your Self From Buying A Lemon When It Comes To Used Cars - Part Two? [print this page] This is the part two of the article how to protect your self from buying a lemon when it comes to used cars, to continue our discussion on accident repairs when it comes to a used car. Other tips on how to spot an accident repaired vehicles aside from the body VIN etching stickers can be paint color. When a vehicle is repainted for whatever reason, it is difficult to match the paint color, this is due to the fact older paint has been exposed to the elements for many years. The sun light, UV rays, and rain has taken its toll and most likely faded the paint to a much lighter shade, when new paint is applied it is virtually impossible to match the older paint color. This is especially true when it comes to colors such as silver, beige, or any light metallic paint. A good paint to match would be black or anything very dark. But never the less if you see the doors on the vehicle doesn't match in color 100% chances are one of the doors has been painted in the past. When it comes to body work on a vehicle, one should not automatically assume the worst, many times a car is repainted due to scratches, dent, scraps, and it can be something very minor. Alarm bells should go off if the part has been replaced all together, it can be something major.
Body shop repair bills are usually very high, from a simple bumper replacement with new paint, that can cost easily $700 and more in Canada, add additional fees of rental cars, and detailing. The total bill of that repair can run as much as $1000. The amount indicated on the CarProof report can be deceptive to untrained eye, usually you shouldn't be concerned if the repair bill is less than $3000, it can be as simple as the front and rear bumper replacement. If the vehicle has frame damage it is usually obvious when driving the car, especially at high rate of speed. If the produces unusual noises, or you have a hard time keeping the steering wheel straight, chances are the frame has been damaged and it is no longer straight producing an uncontrollable driving behavior. In low speed, if the vehicle pulls hard to one side it also can be a good indication of body frame damage. But the best way to tell a car has major damage is to bring the vehicle to your local mechanic for a thorough inspection.
