How to Check if a Car Has Been in an Accident
Ellie Dyer-Brown, 5 months ago
5 min read
- Car ownership
- How to
FixMyCar explains how to find out if a vehicle has been involved in an accident.
Buying a second-hand car can be daunting. There are many things to consider, including the price, mileage and overall vehicle condition. Giving it a once over doesn't tell you much about its past, and you can't always rely on the seller's honesty about whether it has been involved in an accident. It's essential to check these things yourself - but how? Find out in this guide.
Contents
Why should you check if a car has been in an accident?
How to perform a car accident check
Can you check if your car has been involved in an accident online?
Why should you check if a car has been in an accident?
You shouldn’t just take a seller’s word for it when it comes to a car’s history. Accident damage may have been covered up to sell for a higher price, and if the vehicle has structural damage, it could cause problems further down the line.
The last thing you want to do is overpay for an accident-damaged or written-off vehicle that hasn’t been safely repaired. Fortunately, you can do a little detective work to avoid this situation.
How to perform a car accident check
When buying a second-hand car, always view it in person and look for the following signs of damage.
1. Cracks
A cracked bumper is one of the most obvious indications that a car has been involved in a collision. Not only does it detract from the vehicle’s looks, but it also makes it less safe because a damaged bumper can’t absorb impacts as effectively.
2. Filler
It’s worth getting close to the bodywork and looking for any weak or discoloured sections, indicating they may have been repaired with filler. If the filler hasn’t been mixed correctly or the job is of poor quality, the affected area will likely experience more wear and tear.
Read our guide to bodywork repairs.
3. Misaligned doors or body panels
Cars are designed with perfectly aligned panels and uniform gaps. Any inconsistencies hint at a potential repair job, so check that all the doors and panels are aligned as expected.
4. Replaced hinges and bolts
You can usually tell when third-party hinges and bolts have been used because they will look different to the original ones. Again, it’s all about consistency - if some bolts are different, a repair has likely been carried out.
5. Uneven tyre wear
When a vehicle’s suspension and steering work correctly, its tyres should wear out evenly. If the tyres are worn more in some places than others, there is an underlying problem. It might not necessarily be linked to an accident, but the last thing you want to do is pay the asking price for a car with something wrong.
Read our ultimate guide to tyre tread.
6. Mismatched paintwork
Just like misaligned body panels, mismatched paint on some parts of a vehicle often results from a poor cover-up job. You should also keep an eye out for bubbling from rust and a rough or unusual texture on panels that should be perfectly smooth.
7. Welding marks
When done by a professional, welding can be an effective tool for repairing some types of car damage. However, it can also weaken the structural integrity of a vehicle. If you spot any signs of welding that haven’t been accounted for in the vehicle’s history, it should ring alarm bells.
8. Book a pre-purchase inspection
Even if your visual inspection of the car turns up nothing unusual, there might still be issues hidden under the bonnet and bodywork that it takes a trained eye to spot.
An excellent way to get peace of mind is to book a pre-purchase inspection. An expert mechanic will carry out a comprehensive check of the vehicle in question and take it on a test drive before compiling a report about its safety and condition.
The average price of a pre-purchase inspection is £101.40, according to our data.
Can you check if your car has been involved in an accident online?
Yes, you absolutely can and should. You can use many handy online tools to learn more about a vehicle’s history.
MOT check
The government website allows you to check the MOT history of a vehicle. All you need is the registration number. You’ll be able to see:
Where the MOT took place
Whether the car passed or failed
What parts failed each test and whether there were any minor problems
This guide explains what’s checked in an MOT.
Category check
Several websites allow you to check whether a car has been written off and, if so, what category it falls under. Learn more about write-off categories.
Full history check
Many companies, including the RAC, offer a comprehensive vehicle history check. At the end, you get a report including:
MOT history
Number of previous owners
Number of colour or plate changes
Running costs
Outstanding finance
Issues with the condition of the vehicle
Valuation
Some of this information is also available on a vehicle’s V5C document.
Even if you decide to order a full online history check for a vehicle, we always recommend visiting it in person so that you can inspect it and give it a test drive.
Frequently asked questions
You can find out whether a car has been written off by using an online tool. It’s a service you’ll likely have to pay for, but it’s worth it for the peace of mind it can bring. Read our guide to written-off cars for more information.
The seller is responsible for informing potential buyers about the car’s accident history. However, private sellers aren’t always fully transparent about this. It is also possible that some sellers aren’t aware that an accident happened with a previous owner. In many cases, it can be challenging to prove whether the seller was aware of past damage - and that goes for dealerships, too. You should always carry out your own checks before going ahead with the purchase.
Being involved in an accident negatively affects the value of a car. Minor cosmetic damage, such as scratches and small dents, has a milder impact on the value than structural damage. There are other things to consider when assessing the value of an accident-damaged vehicle. These include the quality of the repairs, the write-off category (if the car was written off), and the insurance costs.
Accidents can affect any part of your vehicle. That said, a few areas are more prone to damage, including the front and rear bumpers, headlights, bonnet and grille.
Every accident is different, so repair costs vary significantly. However, according to FixMyCar’s data, the average price is £765.48.
Looking for affordable car repairs or maintenance? Whatever you need, FixMyCar can help you find the right garage at the right price.
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