The Body (Exterior)

What you want to know is if the vehicle has been in an accident. Accidents can produce damage to a vehicle in various forms other than the large scale cosmetic damage. Accidents can cause such things as small cracks in plastic housings, bending/warping
of the vehicle frame, and damaging individual parts. If the car was in an accident where a police report was generated, then you will likely find this in a Carfax Report. I highly recommend obtaining a Carfax Report for any vehicle that you are seriously considering purchasing.

The car fax report can also indicate locations in the united states that the vehicle was registered in. This is important for knowing to what climate the vehicle was subjected.   For example, if the vehicle was operated in the northern states then the salt used on the roads during the winter can cause serious body rust. This is due to the corrosive nature  of salt. This is also encountered in vehicles operated near the ocean.

There are two main things that you really want to look at on the body.

1. External signs of an accident.
2. Signs of an accident while driving (internal).

External Signs of an Accident:

External signs of an accident (other than obvious damage) are:

1. Fenders with different pigment/colors
2. Fenders with different thickness/gloss paint
3. Accidents where the front end was damaged can almost always be detected by inspecting where the front frame (in front of the radiator and where the hood rests) connects with the rest of the body. These should be smooth welds. The color at these connections should be uniform. Also, the rubber stops where the hood rests when  closed should be black. If they are painted then this indicates front end painting. You can also look for paint over-spray on nearby components. I will try to post some pictures of  this later.

Signs of An Accident While Driving (Internal Damage):

The other type of body damage shows up when you drive. When a vehicles frame is warped, the vehicle cannot be properly aligned. This results is a shaking or vibration  while driving. This of course may also be attributed to tires being out of balance or misalignment of the front tires. If the frame is warped, you will also be able to detect uneven wear in the tires. If all of the tires are rotated, balanced, and aligned then the tire wear should be even. If however, the vehicle frame has been damaged/warped then it   will likely show up in the tires.

The Spare Tire and Tire Tools:

Anther thing to inspect when looking at a car body is the trunk and floorboards. Make   sure that you first check the trunk (or respective location) to examine if the vehicle has a spare tire and  if the spare is inflated. If anything is missing then barter the price for the pain and cost of replacing the items.

Water is oderless...except in a car:

Check for water invasion. Look in the trunk to see if there is rust lines where the spare is. Also examine the interior of the trunk for damp spots and odor. Water always leads to  odor in a car. If you detect order, again barter the price.

Head Lights, Tail Lights, And Turn Signals, and Wipers:

Make sure the headlights and highbeams are working properly. Also, check the tail lights and turn signals. Have someone sit in the passenger seat while you check these out. Although these are usually no big deal to replace, electrical problems can show up here.  If someone installs their own aftermarket radio and boogers up the wiring...you need to know about it.

Wipers cost money and if you are looking at a car that someone says is in "Excellent" condition then, well...it better be. Check the wipers. These can be a pain in the neck to fix and take time. If they need replaced, knock $30 off the price.

Tires Aren't Cheap:

Not only are tires expensive, but bad tires can kill you (or someone else). I saw  a tire blowout in January 2006 and in a split second the guy's truck was slammed up against     a tree.

Used cars often sit in the sun. The UV rays from the sun can deteriorate the tire wall and cause it to dry rot. Pay special attention to the tires taking car to examine the sidewalls for small cracks. Make sure you check the inner part of the tire as well where the tread can separate undetected.

Look at the wear patterns in the tires. For a very simple summary click here. They should be even. If there are any bald or low patches the tire(s) will need to be replace and the price of the used car should be reduced to reflect this (if not already in the price).

Never take a chance on your tires. Worn tires are responsible for numerous deaths     each year. The 2007 Research Report to Congress on Tire Aging claims that about 400 people die each year from accidents attributed to tires:

"From 1994 to 2004, NHTSA estimates that about 400 fatalities, annually, may be  attributed to tire failures of all types*."

*Based on analysis of NASS-CDS data, from 1994 through 2004 NHTSA estimates that tire-related problems may have contributed to about 400 fatalities annually. Crash investigators determined that   tire related problems probably had some influence on these crashes. However, data limitations make it difficult to conclude that tire related problems are the exclusive cause of these crashes. In addition, an estimate of the number of fatalities directly related to tire aging cannot be determined from these cases.