Hello everyone!
I'm hoping that you can answer a question for me. I'm looking at purchasing a 2004 CR-V from a Toyota dealer; I've performed most of the due diligence thus far, and now will be taking it to an independent mechanic before the final purchase.
During my carfax search, it came to light that the car had an accident. About $4,100 damage. I was able to see the police report, pictures of the damage as well as the auto body invoice which detailed all the work done. Someone backed into it while in a parking lot...the owner was in the mall!
They replaced skins on the rear hatchback door, the bumper, the rear quarter panel as well as some other cosmetic parts. The previous owner said that there was no frame damage, however I did notice 2 hours of labour to put it on the rack and take it off. There was no other mention of frame work on the invoice.
A friend of mine told me that they always put a car on the rack to measure it and ensure no frame damage was done, and that the 2 hours of labour seems reasonable for that. In other words, he doesn't believe any frame damage was done.
So, my question is this; how accurate is that statement, and secondly, when the independent mechanic (who specializes in inspecting used cars) checks it, how easy will it be to spot any potential frame damage?
I checked the door seals and they are all even. All doors open/close fine.
Any advice would be appreciated!