How to Detect Accident Repairs

Bodywork tells the story of a crash even after a tidy repair. In good daylight, crouch and sight along each side of the car: reflections should flow smoothly, and ripples, waves or a slightly “heavy” look to a panel often mean filler underneath. Check that the gaps between panels — bonnet to wing, door to door, boot to rear quarter — are even and consistent on both sides; a gap that is wider on one side, or a door that catches when closing, suggests the shell has been pushed and realigned.

Paint is the other giveaway. Look for colour or texture that does not quite match between adjacent panels, especially where a door or wing has clearly been resprayed. Fine paint mist (overspray) on window rubbers, door seals, plastic trim, badges or under wheel arches shows a panel was painted after leaving the factory. A paint-depth gauge, if you can borrow one, highlights areas of filler and repaint far more reliably than the eye alone.

Open the bonnet and boot and look at the metal that is normally hidden. Factory welds are neat, evenly spaced spot welds; lumpy, ground-down or seam-welded joints on inner wings, slam panels or chassis legs indicate structural repair. Fresh underseal or a thick coat of paint concentrated in one area of the underbody can be covering repaired metal, so be curious about anything that looks newer than the rest of the car.

Bolts and brackets carry clues too. Bonnet, wing, door and bumper mounting bolts that show scratched, chipped or freshly painted heads have been undone, meaning that panel was removed and refitted. Check that the badges and VIN plates are original and undisturbed, that the boot and doors shut with even pressure, and that the car sits level. None of these signs alone condemns a car, but several together mean you should factor in the repair — and its quality — before agreeing a price.