How much does repaired damage affect value?

I've got an 07 TRD Access Cab with 82,000 miles. A year ago I wrecked on an interstate bridge due to a freak snowstorm I drove right into. Visually the damage wasn't too bad, but it was a lot of little bits of damage that needed whole part replacement.

New fender, grille/bumper, one headlight, one quarter panel, complete composit bed replacement (because of an inch long crack), new rear bumper, and two crumple zones replaced. There was no damage to the frame. That sounds like a lot and it ended up being almost $17,000 in repairs (amazingly, wasn't quite enough to total it). I posted pics of it on this link. Some of what I said as far as damages ended up not being accurate, so ignore that unless it matches the above.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/suspension/203681-wrecked-need-some-frame-info-please.html

The work was all done at a dealership so the parts are all genuine. The truck has had ZERO issues since repair, and the paint blending was fantastic. People have told me many times that it doesn't look like it was wrecked.

I'm interested in selling it privately and getting a 4 door long bed since the kids are getting bigger. I did a quick value check on KBB and it's coming back around 18k in its current condition. However, people always say a previousy wrecked vehicle is worth less. Is that accurate? How much less? I would tell any buyer the whole truth but should I still expect them to lowball me when the truck has no lasting effects visually or mechanically?

 

Rebuilt title? Lack of total loss would mean no?

 

It's not a rebuild title.

Was that 30-40% for a trade-in?

 

I think this is simply going to depend on the individual looking at it. For a bank as long as it doesn't have a rebuilt title they typically don't look any further than that. It's just whether someone is comfortable paying for a vehicle that has been wrecked and is willing to give you why you want. The thing that is on your side is that its a tacoma and they are fairly hard to come by without paying mucho dinero.

 

This is essentially what I'm hoping for. I plan on being completely truthful about the wreck, but the truck should speak for itself. It's had absolutely no issues and I've put 25k miles on it since the wreck. It tracks straight as an arrow, I've never taken it offroad, all my miles are interstate, I've been running Mobil 1 for the last 25k miles, etc. It looks and runs great, top to bottom. And I've got the invoice for the repairs so they can see there was nothing done to the frame or engine.

Plus thanks to the wreck it's got lots of new parts..lol The bed alone was $1,500.

 

Nope. If I do that I'm definitely hosed..lol

What's sad is, they're probably offer me 12-13k since it was wrecked, then stick it out on the lot for 18k like all the others.

 

It normally does affect value in most buyer's minds. That is why the insurance company usually pays extra for the "lost value", at least in some states they do.

But I would say you are in better shape, especially if you can prove the exact damage and that OE parts were used and it all looks as good as factory and such as that. I would be less concerned as a buyer if I was convinced that was the case.

The more major hits are with frame damage, door frame areas where they have no choice but to cut and weld in a section off another (junkyard) car, engine damage etc.

Edit: I answered above before seeing the pics and description. Not so sure about my answer now.

 

If it has no rebuild title or salvage title than you're good to go man. For sure people will pull the carfax on the truck's vin #number before they buy but I think it only specify it's been in a wreck, no full detail specifics. I bought two salvaged title vehicles before and i pulled the vin # carfax and that's all it said, no full details. If the truck runs like when it was new and was repaired with original oem parts than If i were you I'd tell the person buying it it's been in a minor fender bender. The truck's value shouldn't diminish that much. Good luck man .................I would buy it...."I never back down from a salvage title vehicle yet"

 

Check the carfax on it. If it comes back clean don't think about it. You have no worries.

 

If it was properly repaired and no frame damage it shouldn't matter.

Fuck Karma

 

Nah I'll tell them about it. I wouldn't feel right about it otherwise. I believe in karma too.

After the wreck the insurance adjuster kept throwing the word "frame" around like the truck was bent up but it was just the crumple zones. It took the dealership 40 days to get it done, in which time I fell in love with my rental truck, a Ram Hemi, but I refuse to pay 40 grand for one. Toyota prices are inflated enough as it is..lol The dealer's body shop manager was pretty much worthless. I never once received an actual update from him. I always had to call, and I always waited until after the completion date he gave me on the previous call just to be sure. I am an extremely patient person. Every part they unexpectedly needed was "at the warehouse, we'll have it tomorrow", etc, etc. It got ridiculous. This place has a 250 gallon shark tank and a Corvette museum but they didn't have a tie rod (after cutting off the old one during an alignment) or clockspring in stock. Then Enterprise sold my rental while I still had it so I had to go swap it out. My rental coverage expired after 30 days, so I had to borrow a friend's car.

So I finally get it back, not expecting much and it looks amazing..lol

Then the airbag light comes on (yet it had never deployed), repaired, comes on again, repaired, then my wife notices the bed spacing to the cab is off, corrected, annnnd... Then I was good to go and it's been perfect ever since.

Their service department however, is phenomenal.

Dunno why I felt the need to tell that story. I never did get to vent it I guess. I've got a bad history with body shops. My other story is even more infuriating.

 

Personally I will not buy a vehicle that has been in a wreck of any kind whether it was on car fax or that I can tell a body panel has been repainted.

It is just not worth it in my eyes.

I am currently looking a for a vehicle for my wife and most of the time the deals on the vehicle I am looking at are the ones that have been in a accident.

Typically 1500-2500 less than a clean history vehicle that is trending around 16-18K.

Just letting you know you will likely get beat up by the potential buyers, main thing going for you is that tacomas are a rare bird to find used.

 

A completely illogical yet common concept.

 

A completely illogical yet common comment

Your view versus mine. I am not going to pay for a vehicle that has been in or wreck or has had paint work. Vehicles are a dime a dozen and typically the #2 common expense why would I roll the dice.

I do not need carfax or autocheck it is just a added bonus to see service history.

 

No my comment is not illogical. As I posted a few months ago in a previous thread such as this. If I replace my front bumper with an ARB, change my hood for a skewp, satoshi my grill and put some projector headlights in, we call it modded and actually increase the value of my truck. If i bump a car at 10 mph, and dent my hood, break a headlight and crack my grill and bumper, take it to a body shop and they declare the damage is strictly bolt on items, you call the truck a shitbox and wont buy it. The absolute reality the two trucks are IDENTICAL IN EVERY WAY. The replaced damaged parts and the replaced because I have the modding bug parts are the same parts. I worked for years in a body shop and I will tell you the real value of the two is the same. The ONLY difference is the illogical stigma placed on the truck by the misinformed masses.

 

Modded vehicles are worth less to the masses and so are vehicles that have been in collisions.

Exception to the rule is crosis since he is informed and correct again.

 

If I could see the accident, IE pictures of the wrecked car pre repair, I would judge for myself. If not, I would walk. The point is that you know it was in an accident, but that's it. Could have been major, could be small...without details, your mind assumes the worst and that's what you want to pay for.

OP, if you want to be honest, I'd show the buyer the pictures of the accident, and all the invoices for repair. May ease the mind of the buyers...even with the apparent missing grille and headlight...

 

A lot of people don't have a clue what they are looking at when they shop for cars.

If they don't want to buy a truck because it go into a little bump and the bumper got painted it just means I can get a deal on a truck.

 

I agree a lot of the devaluation is just due to stigma and not always justified or fair. It is the general belief that a wrecked car will never be the same as it was before the wreck and who knows what future problems are waiting to surface down the road and so forth.

 

I agree with ya fella.