Need help / purchase used 09 damaged in accident??

[YarisJunkie]

Hello all, newbie/wannabe here. Was wondering if I could get some feedback and opinions on whether it would be wise/unwise to purchase a vehicle that has been in an accident. The dealer took it in on a trade. Showed us the carproof, was upfront and explained what he could to us. The car had $5200 damage to L front and side. Not a write-off, and no change of title. The L/F wheel disc is missing (assuming was damaged, forgot to ask), he told us he was replacing L/F wheel bearing. The car was repaired before the trade-in, and to his best guess, he felt the F bumper and L/F fender were replaced, and the doors may have been painted. The price and mileage are irrelevant at this point, my concern would be hidden damage or that something may be out of alignment which may cause recurring damage in the front end. Any opinions would be appreciated if possible. Thanks

[Exiwolfman]

well if it had 5200 in damage then its a write off ...and really not worth a look unless its 500 bucks ....sounds like it may or definitely will have structure damage. If it was taken on trade i bet they did not pay much i would say 500 to 1000 bucks on paper in other words the cost was put on the customer nothing but number play on paper.
Just look at the black book on the 09 and ull see not worth much...i say move on lots of nice Yaris's on trader.ca or kijiji .

[CTScott]

I have had three wrecked ones in my possession to date. They can take a lot of abuse and still be repairable for road use, but there is definitely a line, where once crossed it is not practical to put one back on the road.

If you can, get them to put the car up on the lift for you and look for signs of frame damage/repair. If the damage was limited to the front bumper mounts (which compress in a front end crash to absorb the impact) then the frame may still be perfect.

Also, check for even gaps one the front fenders, hood, and doors.

[JustPassinThru]

Was it repaired by a good shop?

What is the warranty on the repairs? "As-is"?

It comes down to price. If you can get it dirt cheap, and you have confidence the work was done right...it might be worth a gamble. If they're asking anywhere near KBB prices, I'd run, not walk, away.

[peewee1]

NO Way, its too easy to have years of troubled driving, such as alignment problems just eating at your tires every day. I'd put my money on an unwrecked Yaris. I bought a 2009, nine months ago(not a wrecker) and its been a good car so far. You can google information on "salvaged" cars and see what you could be in for.....good luck

[47_MasoN_47]

Unless you feel comfortable enough with cars to evaluate whether or not it's suitable for road use (like Scott said), I'd probably avoid it.