Q&A for How to Check Cars for Accident Damage

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Question

How do I prove what caused the damage to my vehicle?

A. L.

Community Answer

The only way to prove what caused damage to your car is to have a valid accident report by the police, the road agency, or from the insurance company if the car was repaired by insurance. If there is no documentation, then there is no way to prove what really caused damage.

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Could painted markings along the interior door frames and under the hood indicate prior body damage, perhaps site markings for alignment of body panels?

Community Answer

Yes, that is a great sign. You can find out what was done or what happened by looking at the spots and the depth/thickness of the paint.

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Question

Will the paint peel away or fade?

A. L.

Community Answer

The paint on the repaired part of a car is usually not the same color, as it can be difficult to mix the new paint to exactly match the old paint. It is usually off by a shade or two, and can sometimes be difficult to notice. If the new paint matches the old paint, it usually indicates that it was a good repair job by a reputable company or even by the manufacturer of the car. If not, it is usually a cheap fix and the new paint can peel or fade away, and there might still be other problems with the car, due to the accident.

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Question

This car had an accident before? 5VXE736 toyota corola 2005

Varun Raghupathi1

Community Answer

Hello! In order to check the vehicle's history, you can take this information to CarFax. Type in the license plate number and the state and the site will provide you with a report. You will have to pay for that report, but there are other ways to check the accident history for free. Get the VIN (vehicle identification number), which is 17 characters long, from the corner of the dashboard on the driver's side of the car. Then, take that VIN and type it into the search bar on iSeeCars or VehicleHistory to get an accident report. Hope this helps!

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Question

How could I find the purchased car it has involved in accident?

Varun Raghupathi1

Community Answer

Good question! Take the VIN (vehicle identification number) and type it into the search bar on CarFax, iSeeCars, or VehicleHistory. You can find the VIN on the bottom corner of the dashboard on the driver's side of the car. You can also call your car dealer to get the VIN.

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My 2018 Denali has 3 little clear coat bumps. They look like tiny bubbles. Could this be an indication that the car has been repaired?

Community Answer

It could be. It could also be rust (though unlikely), dents from the backside of the panel, or a multitude of other things.

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