Buyer Beware - Frame Damage

Hey Y’all,

Second post on the forum.

I’m looking at this truck from halfway across the country and it’s giving me some concern.

The vehicle is spec’d how I want it, but it was in an accident.
Based on some searches on the forum, it doesn’t take much to total a truck out when it comes to frame damage.

The attached photos show the crumple zone of the frame.

Damage looks minor, but I don’t know how to verify.

Thoughts? CARFAX says minor damage, clean title, etc.

 

How can it have a clean title with the hitch pointing down?

I'd pass on that.

 

Depends on the definition of a “clean title”.
No total loss reported.


Dealer says they “fixed the bumper”, but I’m concerned about more than cosmetics.

See attached.

 

I don't have a lot of faith in Carfax, this is more proof. It shows right side/rear damage. The pictures clearly show both sides being damaged.

 

If it was right down the road you could go look at it and potentially arrange for a mechanic to inspect it. That becomes a lot harder (and more expensive) when it’s halfway across the country.

You already sound skeptical about it. Can almost guarantee the dealer will undersell the amount of damage since it will help their sales.

Hard pass.

 

Don’t depend on a Carfax. That’s the frame and it has dimples so it’s damaged. If you have inspection in your state that might not pass. Would definitely come to some challenges to insure. I worked for a major insurance company a long time ago and we would have vehicles inspected and that insurance company would probably pass on insuring this.

 

A frame shop could fix that...many won't. What else would be found in the mean time? Not in your best interests, pass.

 

I trust Carfax about as much as I trust my farts after tequila and Taco Bell.

 

Lying through their teeth

 

Resale value? Don't forget that the next person buying this from you will have the same concerns.

Pass

 

Yes, hard pass on the bent frame. If it weren’t damaged they could align the bumper correctly.

 

Pass

 

Thanks, all, for the feedback!

I was thinking maybe I could get a deal out of them.

 

Depends on what you want out of the truck. Heavily discounted, that's an ideal truck to build into an overlander. Get the frame fixed and start the build.

 

I could see somebody who wants to build a rock crawler taking the bed off, bobbing the frame, putting huge wheels on it and doesn’t care if it gets bent or broken because it will live off-road.

 

depends on the deal, but even salvage title vehicles with that kind of damage generally exceed my tolerance for a 'deal'.

you don't specify the year, but personally, i wouldn't touch a truck with that kind of frame issue for over $15k. yes, i'm aware a salvage-titled truck like this could easily fetch $25-30k at auction. but $15k is my personal tolerance limit for the fiasco the frame repair could be.

it's actually very easy to get outside of the carfax 'damage' stuff. the first and easiest way is to repair out of pocket. the second, is that a majority of police departments don't assign fault in an accident. many times this comes down to the insurance companies to fight it out. if this was never reported or repaired through insurance, there's no branding to the title, so the title remains clean.

 

HARD pass

 

Pass as well.

 

You may want to pull your own carfax .
I have seen them come up amazingly different .

 

i don't really see a reason for that. the fundamental point for pulling a report on any vehicle is to attempt to know if it was in an incident, and where the damage is located to get eye's on the area for a determination if it was either repaired properly, or has any other issues that were related but un-addressed.

he now knows it was in an incident, and has pictures that it wasn't repaired at all. from there, he's got two options. walk away, or attempt to continue negotiating a price point that acquiring a vehicle with damage (to either live with, or repair himself) makes sense for him at.