Wait a second, have you tried asking the dealer for a Carfax history report??? Dont pay for one becuase usually they already have one, that carfax seriously did save me form buying a rebuilt Si........and i would still take it to a mechanic and if they say its ok well then it is probaly ok......and my uncle used to be a car salesman, i used to hang out at his car lot and clean cars and they will do ANYTHING to sell you a car(well, at least most of them will)

 

If the frame was damaged and they fixed it, the car will never ride the same again. Try taking it to the highest possible speed before they start going crazy, and if the ride isnt too harsh, then chances are the frame didnt get bent and its a good deal.

 

My thought is i would never buy something in an accident. Who knows what else could be wrong with it. Its an 03 which means its running out of warranty if not already. Youll have to spend $XXXX to get a new warranty, just so u can have peace of mind. Then with the extra money you spend, you can buy one without an accident. Also remember, i dont care how nice the salesmen, or how reputable a dealership is, remember a salesmen works on commission, he only makes money on sales... Id tell you to pass, and find a better one.

 

make sure it doesnt have a salvage title
if it does - stay away

 

Thanks for all the awesome feedback!

No, I certainly wouldnt trust a salesman any further than I can throw him.

I have talked to friends, mechanics, and solicited your advice here. There seem to be two main trains of thought on the issue... those that basically just arent willing to consider a car like this, and those that feel it could be a decent decision pending the inspection by a mechanic.

The things that we really like about it are the lower kms, side airbags, 5spd, and nice color. The only things it lacks for are sunroof, 3L engine (which im not sure I want the fuel economy there), and it is the first year of the new generation.

Things that make me think the collision might not be the end of the world
- I understand that $6,900 could be racked up in body work (bumper, headlights, hood, windshield) without necessarily meaning significant frame bending
- the air bags did not deploy (or so they tell me it would be in the report) so it couldnt have been *that* bad of a collision
- I took it up to 140km/h (i will go higher today) and it drove like a dream

So if the car had say hit a post, or been in another car, I might be more concerned (well frankly, I wouldnt even be considering it). But given that it was a deer, I do think maybe I am just getting a good deal.

I am going to go to the shop that did the bodywork, and see if I can convince them (perhaps along with a little $$) to see if that can tell me anything about the work that was done. I have arranged to have my mechanic look at it, and was considering also having the body shop check it out. If it seems solid, then I think maybe it is ok to proceed.

What do you think?

 

Sounds good, especially for an 03

 

And I did ask the dealer about signing something that backs it up, and his comment was that what if I hit a curb, and then try to blame a bent frame on them. So I said to him, basically you say you back the car but wont stand behind it. I dont think this is necessarily a bad sign though.... I dont think they would sign anything on their used cars. They do offer 15% off parts and labor for the first 3 months... whoopeee! (sarcastic)

I guess I am kinda thinking this.... they HAVE to sell it low because of the declaration, but that doesnt mean the car was ruined.

I have seen the insurance report, and will run our equivalent of a Car Fax here in Canada.

 

(sorry i edited you typed before I finished)

Dude, if it feels right to you than do it. My car I bought was in a collision with another car and airbags werent deployed and I got mine for a good price too, and it drives like a dream.As long as you get everything checked out and are given the ok by a mechanic, than go for it. As for the pricing, I would try to get it a little bit lower on the price, because it does seem a little bit high by almost $2,000. What is the valueon that car in excellent condition for your area?

 

(remember these are all canadian dollars, and mileages are in KMs not miles)

Its tough to say... they (the dealer) just sold an 2003 EX-L with the same kms for 23,995
IN the paper today, I see an 04 w/50k for 18.995
An EX-L 2003 , uknown kms for 18,500 (dropped from 21,995)

Searching for manual 2003's over in Vancouver (a ferry ride away)
i am ignoring 2 door models, as we are looking for 4 doors with 2.4L
- 2003 , 68K $17,500
- 2003, 105k $19,995
- 2003, 96k $18,999
- 2003, 70k $17,900

So it seems they are running about $17,500 -> $20,000

My current offer is $15k, but I am pretty sure I could get it down to 14,500.

I actually am an accountant for a large auto dealer in town, but they are American cars... I can get a good 'deal' from them... the problem is I would have to wait for something suitable to pop up, whereas my wife needs a car now.

I actually just talked to one of them and I could get an 03 EX-L w/70k for $18,500 which is actually 300 below their cost... but unfortunately also above my $15k budget.

 

Oh, and the possibly good or bad news, is that I am having the insurance company fax me a copy of the estimate for the $7k repairs, so hopefully I can tell how serious it really was.