Is a car ever the same after accident?
Discussion
Hi, just after some thoughts from you guys, I own a 2025 RAV4 GR Sport plug in hybrid with just under 2000 on the clock and it was involved in a car crash 2 months ago.
The car was struck by another car on the driver side door with the side curtain airbags deployed. The insurer is in the process of repairing the damage and I will be having it returned to me within the next 2 weeks.
My question is, with today's advances in technology in repairs, is there still the stigma of a car never being the same after an accident and subsequent repair? I am wondering whether to sell it once its returned to me or just keep it since its been fully repaired and as it is still a new car.
I would appreciate any members thoughts/opinions on this, thanks.
The car was struck by another car on the driver side door with the side curtain airbags deployed. The insurer is in the process of repairing the damage and I will be having it returned to me within the next 2 weeks.
My question is, with today's advances in technology in repairs, is there still the stigma of a car never being the same after an accident and subsequent repair? I am wondering whether to sell it once its returned to me or just keep it since its been fully repaired and as it is still a new car.
I would appreciate any members thoughts/opinions on this, thanks.
Edited by yans85 on Saturday 22 November 08:45
Edited by yans85 on Saturday 22 November 08:46
Edited by yans85 on Saturday 22 November 08:46
Edited by yans85 on Saturday 22 November 08:48
back in the late 80s I had a B reg Nimbus grey Ford capri 2.8i special
same as this one
It was stolen and the thief lost it on a slippery road and managed to wedge it between two trees . Front end damage wings , front valance , lower suspension etc.
Car went to a local repair shop , got it back , it looked immaculate , took it on the dual carriageway wound it up to 70mph and it crossed from lane 1 to Lane 2 . I took it straight to the main Ford dealership . The engineer put it on a ramp and said " normaly I would take it for a 30 mph drive but yours is too dangerous for that , the chassis is twisted we could put 6 tons to pull it back but you wouldnt have a car left. Insurance stopped the cheque and it was declared a write off .
Always get the main dealer to check out after a major repair
same as this one
It was stolen and the thief lost it on a slippery road and managed to wedge it between two trees . Front end damage wings , front valance , lower suspension etc.
Car went to a local repair shop , got it back , it looked immaculate , took it on the dual carriageway wound it up to 70mph and it crossed from lane 1 to Lane 2 . I took it straight to the main Ford dealership . The engineer put it on a ramp and said " normaly I would take it for a 30 mph drive but yours is too dangerous for that , the chassis is twisted we could put 6 tons to pull it back but you wouldnt have a car left. Insurance stopped the cheque and it was declared a write off .
Always get the main dealer to check out after a major repair
Edited by Purosangue on Saturday 22 November 09:17
I am with all of those that suggest it’s linked to the quality of the repair. A lot of it will be subconsciously evaluating if things feel the same.
If the repair is done properly, then you shouldn’t be able to tell at all. That’s to everybody's eyes. Underneath too. Of course professionally you’ll be able to see things may be newer but it should t highlight that it was damaged if that makes sense?
To summarise I think it comes down to your thoughts and feelings. Worth taking somebody with a keen eye to inspect after repair.
If the repair is done properly, then you shouldn’t be able to tell at all. That’s to everybody's eyes. Underneath too. Of course professionally you’ll be able to see things may be newer but it should t highlight that it was damaged if that makes sense?
To summarise I think it comes down to your thoughts and feelings. Worth taking somebody with a keen eye to inspect after repair.
No way that will ever "be the same" afterwards, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It'll always be a car which has had an accident and been repaired.
It might drive fine, but if you've bought a brand new car, and are now ending up in a repaired wreck, then I'd be wanting a substantial amount of money back from the insurance to keep it.
I'd be happier driving around in something that has been previously crashed when it's towards the end of its life. With it being so new, you could be driving around in it for the next 20 years, or have to deal with the hassle of selling a car which has an accident in the past.
It might drive fine, but if you've bought a brand new car, and are now ending up in a repaired wreck, then I'd be wanting a substantial amount of money back from the insurance to keep it.
I'd be happier driving around in something that has been previously crashed when it's towards the end of its life. With it being so new, you could be driving around in it for the next 20 years, or have to deal with the hassle of selling a car which has an accident in the past.
Edited by johnsmith222 on Saturday 22 November 10:10
StuntmanMike said:
It honestly depends on the severity of the accident and the quality of the repair.
Exactly this! If it's just a scuff then it makes no odds, even brand new cars get a bit of paint before they're even sold so "all original pain" I'm often sceptical of. A bigger smash like that, well if it's repaired properly it'll be like it never happened. Sometimes the stigma is a psychological one as it feels tarnished. I can understand that.
Presumably you also get compo for the car now being accident recorded?
All you can do is live with it and see. My own experience is that repaired cars come back a bit grubby eg paint dust etc and odd faults like central locking or water leaks but it’s up to them to put it right to your satisfaction.
Looks a nasty bang, great that you’re ok. Car safety design truly is an unsung hero where we all get excited about styling, performance etc.
All you can do is live with it and see. My own experience is that repaired cars come back a bit grubby eg paint dust etc and odd faults like central locking or water leaks but it’s up to them to put it right to your satisfaction.
Looks a nasty bang, great that you’re ok. Car safety design truly is an unsung hero where we all get excited about styling, performance etc.
johnsmith222 said:
It might drive fine, but if you've bought a brand new car, and are now ending up in a repaired wreck, then I'd be wanting a substantial amount of money back from the insurance to keep it.
You can want whatever you like. But if they pay for the repair, and it's done properly and there's no clue it was ever in an accident (which is perfectly achievable), then you ain't getting anything more than that from your insurer. A very experienced and seasoned dealer I worked with surprised me by saying that if repairs are done properly, you can’t tell. I also think that with new cars being so complex that insurers will be quicker to write off serious damage as they also usually have to pay for a hire car and a mini industry revolves around this.
They all start off as a pile of bits in the factory that are carefully designed to be assembled together. It all depends on whether the repair is diligently undertaken as close to factory standard as possible. Granted you can’t always get to everything in the repair process like when building from new. Pick a quality repairer and keep your fingers crossed.
Depends who’s repairing it. The majority of insurance “approved” body shops are woefull at best. Low labour rates, capped mark up on parts, but high turnover and guaranteed work from the insurance firms.
Have it fully checked before collection. Take someone who can check it carefully if you’re not sure.
Have it fully checked before collection. Take someone who can check it carefully if you’re not sure.
johnsmith222 said:
No way that will ever "be the same" afterwards, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It'll always be a car which has had an accident and been repaired.
It might drive fine, but if you've bought a brand new car, and are now ending up in a repaired wreck, then I'd be wanting a substantial amount of money back from the insurance to keep it.
I'd be happier driving around in something that has been previously crashed when it's towards the end of its life. With it being so new, you could be driving around in it for the next 20 years, or have to deal with the hassle of selling a car which has an accident in the past.
As has I think has been mentioned, the longer you keep the car, the less any of this will matter. Many cars over 3 or so years will have been damaged to an extent and even more will have ‘had paint’.iiIt might drive fine, but if you've bought a brand new car, and are now ending up in a repaired wreck, then I'd be wanting a substantial amount of money back from the insurance to keep it.
I'd be happier driving around in something that has been previously crashed when it's towards the end of its life. With it being so new, you could be driving around in it for the next 20 years, or have to deal with the hassle of selling a car which has an accident in the past.
Edited by johnsmith222 on Saturday 22 November 10:10
It was not classed as a Cat so it was just a repair so no payout as such.
Robertb said:
Presumably you also get compo for the car now being accident recorded?
All you can do is live with it and see. My own experience is that repaired cars come back a bit grubby eg paint dust etc and odd faults like central locking or water leaks but it s up to them to put it right to your satisfaction.
Looks a nasty bang, great that you re ok. Car safety design truly is an unsung hero where we all get excited about styling, performance etc.
All you can do is live with it and see. My own experience is that repaired cars come back a bit grubby eg paint dust etc and odd faults like central locking or water leaks but it s up to them to put it right to your satisfaction.
Looks a nasty bang, great that you re ok. Car safety design truly is an unsung hero where we all get excited about styling, performance etc.
I once had a car that suffered from a folded-in front end. Best not to explain why.
After it was "repaired" you could feel something in the front end "shift" when you loaded it up going round corners. It also had a pattern front wing on it with a crease where either it was the wrong size to start with or they'd had to fold it to get it to fit.
Back then, I didn't know much about cars so just traded it in asap.
These days, I would guess that a chassis leg wasn't back to straight or properly welded back in, or a bolt hole in the subframe had elongated and either the leg was twisting or the subframe was sliding under it whenever under lateral load.
Not nice. But the insurance workshop was a complete hack-job. Even down to the collecting it in the rain, in the dark.
Like I said, I didn't know much about cars back then and the insurance took full advantage of that fact.
After it was "repaired" you could feel something in the front end "shift" when you loaded it up going round corners. It also had a pattern front wing on it with a crease where either it was the wrong size to start with or they'd had to fold it to get it to fit.
Back then, I didn't know much about cars so just traded it in asap.
These days, I would guess that a chassis leg wasn't back to straight or properly welded back in, or a bolt hole in the subframe had elongated and either the leg was twisting or the subframe was sliding under it whenever under lateral load.
Not nice. But the insurance workshop was a complete hack-job. Even down to the collecting it in the rain, in the dark.
Like I said, I didn't know much about cars back then and the insurance took full advantage of that fact.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
You can want whatever you like. But if they pay for the repair, and it's done properly and there's no clue it was ever in an accident (which is perfectly achievable), then you ain't getting anything more than that from your insurer.
I know, that's why I was implying I wouldn't be keeping it if I had recently bought it new. It is a really good question and I don't believe there is a simple answer.
Before the days of anti-lock brakes you could try locking the brakes up and see if the car skidded straight, if it didn't well something was wrong.
There must be companies out there that would do post repair inspections on cars as an independent check the bodyshop did a proper job.
https://candppanelcraft.co.uk/blog/how-to-spot-qua...
Before the days of anti-lock brakes you could try locking the brakes up and see if the car skidded straight, if it didn't well something was wrong.
There must be companies out there that would do post repair inspections on cars as an independent check the bodyshop did a proper job.
https://candppanelcraft.co.uk/blog/how-to-spot-qua...
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff