Concerns over body panel replacement when buying used?

[runhokierun]

New user here who has been lurking for a while researching my 4Runner purchase. I'm looking for an 06-08, 4x4, v8, Limited, side curtain airbags, relatively low mileage. I'm finding them few and far between at a good price that don't require a cross country flight (I am being picky).

I have found one, but it has had the front bumper replaced recently (I saw the damage and it was superficial), as well as a front fender replaced and a door repainted from a previous fender bender. If I get it checked out and everything is mechanically/structurally sound, how concerned should I be about the body panel replacements? I was leaning towards running away but everything else about this car is pretty nice. What are your thoughts? Keep looking or keep it in consideration?

 

[audiqtr]

I'd stay away from it. There is always more beneath the surface with cars with damage. Those unknows don't even make it my worthwhile to consider it. However, if you really like it:

run a carfax on it
you NEED to drive the car and check alignment, steering pull,noises etc.
you gotta make sure there is no subframe/frame damage. If you are not sure how to check these things, get it done by a pro of your choice, not anybody else's.

Carfax + Mechanic will cost you a couple hundred bucks. You can get a car shipped nowadays for $100-$400 from almost anywhere. I had a car shipped from Houston to San Francisco for $250 about 6 months ago. I also got a car shipped from San Diego to San Jose for $100.

 

[SkylineGTRracer]

:iagree: if everything check out good both mechanical and structurally than it could be a good find.

 

[inscarguy]

just because a vehicle was hit does not mean it has structural damage. when a panel needs to be replaced it usually means it is more cost effective to replace than repair the damage. i would not at all worry about bumper or fender damage at all. they are cosmetic items. what you need to look for is the inner apron area where the fender bolts to(accessable from the engine compartment), look for signs of seam sealer(usually covers up a bad repair) abnormal waves in the apron, different color paint(shops usually are not picky on how close the paint match is inside jambs or the engine compartment).

IIRC Toyota stamps their name on the inner lip of the fenders where it bolts to the apron, check the unchanged fender to confirm. also check the body lines where the fender meets the drivers door: is the gap even, does the fender stick out a little, how does it line up with the hood.

even if its an aftermarket panel a good body shop can line it up perfectly, so look carefully.

i would not worry about changed panels, like i said before its only cosmetic. just check the structural areas.

 

[Uneek]

Body panel replacement shouldn't be a deal breaker. Would you sell or trade in your car if it was in an accident?

Look at it under various light conditions to ensure that paint matches and the color isn't off. If the door was reskinned as long as it's done properly, it'll be as good as new. I wouldn't really worry about the fender or bumper. As long as the body shop that did the repair did good prep work, the paint and finish will hold up.

If you have doubts, have a mechanic check it out for any possible mechanical issues, like alignment, etc. A body shop or detailer should be able to tell you how good or poor of a paint job was done.

 

[Maz]

I was curious where your getting those prices, they're very, very good. I've inquired about shipping a vehicle a couple of times, and everywhere I checked was considerably higher. For example about $800. from New Jersey to California.

 

[BamBam]

If you let the car dealer work out the shipping cost you may find that they are using it as a profit padder. Others will use the shipping rates they get (which are great) in order to get you into a car and get a deal done that might not happen otherwise.

I once bought a car out of Las Vegas and had it shipped to my front door, and spent way way way less than I would have to buy the car 2 miles from my house. When it was all said and done the dealership said they'd just pay for it, because they have a big budget for shipping vehicles and can get deals. They said their cost was around $199, but they were happy to "eat it" to make a deal happen.

In a separate transaction I had a dealer that was willing to ship a vehicle to me, but he claimed it was going to cost $600 on top of the price of the car to go from LA to Utah. I said "no thanks". A week later (the end of the month) he called and said the shipping price dropped to $250. I said "No it didn't. You just tried to ream me at $600." I hung up. The next day he called and said he "called in a favor" and somebody would ship it up here for free. I just laughed and told him that he should have said that the first time. I'd have been sitting in my new truck. His little games were just boring and he wasn't a genuine guy.

So call around and try to find a dealer that specializes in moving vehicles. Some will just throw it in to get your business. Just remember that you're not looking at the vehicle up close first though. I've only done it on brand new vehicles, and that's probably the only way I'd do it, unless somebody I really really trusted looked at it and drove it first. Best of luck in your search.

 

[runhokierun]

Thanks all for the input. I had the truck checked out and the mechanic said everything was in great shape. I'm now trying to decide between this one and another 4Runner that has popped up. My two choices:

'06, Limited, Loaded, 60k miles

'07, SR5, 15k miles, no sunroof, leather or nav/bluetooth, slight bumper damage on front from parking lot incident

Both of them are v8 4x4s. The 2007 would be about $1k more to purchase, but I would add on leather/nav/bluetooth, so to compare apples to apples it would be about $3k more. My big dilemma is whether a car 1 year newer with 45k less miles and still under warranty is worth an additional $3k. I'd really like to have a sunroof as well, but I'll use that more as a tie breaker. I average less than 12k miles/year, so the '07 would last me forever while the '06 will last me forever - 4 years. So at the risk of being 'that guy', thoughts? Which would you choose? Thanks in advance...

 

[p nut]

Personally, my first priority is year and mileage. If I were in your shoes, 07 wins. Even if you factor in the navigation ($700 now days) and leather (you can find OEM used units for $1000), still a better deal, IMO. And although 60k miles is nothing on a Toyota, you still have maintenance items that you'll need to do in the near future vs the 07, which won't need anything for a long long time. I'd go with the 07.

 

[rsmith]

Body panel replacement shouldn't be a deal breaker. Would you sell or trade in your car if it was in an accident?

Look at it under various light conditions to ensure that paint matches and the color isn't off. If the door was reskinned as long as it's done properly, it'll be as good as new. I wouldn't really worry about the fender or bumper. As long as the body shop that did the repair did good prep work, the paint and finish will hold up.

If you have doubts, have a mechanic check it out for any possible mechanical issues, like alignment, etc. A body shop or detailer should be able to tell you how good or poor of a paint job was done.

looks like your advice is the best dude. im really aiming for a new "brand new to me car" before 2011 ends. well i think i will take that advice to have my mechanic to look on the car first. but for me also long as the engine sounds good, transmission is okay, alignment, radiator not leaking,does not drink gas like lemonade etc etc. i will take everything into consideration. :thumb3: anyway sorry for digging this one. just researching first before buying something. i dont want to have regrets in the end so i research a lot and list down tons of tips from this forum. :thanks:

 

[Uneek]

looks like your advice is the best dude. im really aiming for a new "brand new to me car" before 2011 ends. well i think i will take that advice to have my mechanic to look on the car first. but for me also long as the engine sounds good, transmission is okay, alignment, radiator not leaking,does not drink gas like lemonade etc etc. i will take everything into consideration. :thumb3: anyway sorry for digging this one. just researching first before buying something. i dont want to have regrets in the end so i research a lot and list down tons of tips from this forum. :thanks:

No doubt with regards to research. Ultimately, pick a car that makes you happy. For all of us, it's a matter of suggestions and opinions.

Sometimes we focus so much on the detail and miss the big picture. I just wanted to put it into perspective and have the OP look at it from another angle.