37driver

I'm actively looking to buy and have found a 2019 C7 vert 1lt with 7000 miles and a few options on it for a great price, at least in this market. It has 16 months left on the bumper to bumper warranty and 40 months left on the drivetrain. The Carfax though is reporting minor damage to the rear of the car that's been repaired. would that be of a concern to any of you?

Jim Barker

Only if the repair is not done right. I am very happy with my '14 stingray so much so I let my leased '17 ZO6 Go Back . Only put 8K in three years on it because I liked the stingray better, except for the power.

Bill Dearborn

From a car quality standpoint? No. From the overreaction of other people when I go to sell the car? Yes.

Three years ago I backed mine into the Turn 10 tire wall at VIR at about 90 mph. Tore the rear fascia off the car damaged the transmission and diff coolers on both sides of the car cracked the right rear quarter panel, cracked the right side aperture panel and caused a crack in the passenger door. The right rear suspension was bent and the wheel was bent. $14K damage. The coolers, fascia and all of the parts in it were replaced including the torn wires. The right side quarter was replaced, the right rear suspension was replaced and the aperture panel and the door were patched. After the repairs were complete the body shop aligned the car with their Hunter machine and used my tools to set rear caster. What was amazing to me is when we were done the mounting cams for the right rear LCA were turned to the point they almost matched the marks I had set on the cradle/cams when the previous alignment had been performed. I never expected new parts with new rubber bushings to come in so close to used parts that had several years of track duty forces applied to their rubber bushings.

Car runs like it always did, drives like it always did and looks good as new. Over the last three years, it gained more street and track miles with no issues showing up so why should its value get dinged for an accident that hurt my wallet but not the car.

Bill

JMII

if your getting a good deal and the car was repaired correctly then it should be fine. However you'll be told by others that you now have a worthless C7

My wife's last two cars were in minor fender benders, the only "repair" was replacing (and repainting) the rear bumper cover. If it wasn't for the accident report nobody would have even know as both cars were flawless.

Avanti

"...minor damage..." can mean anything. I'd want some conclusive proof of what was done to repair it, or I'd walk. All the best, in any event.

Bird67

Important questions:

1. How great a price is a great price? Whatever "discount" you're getting it for ought to be reflected in the "discount" you're going to have to give when you part with it. So if you're $10,000 under "value" for the car's purchase owing to its accident-reporting CarFax, it shouldn't matter if you have to give up $10,000 to "value" for the same reason when you part with it. But if you're getting it for $2,000 under "value" and will have to give up $10,000 when you sell it, you should be mentally prepared for that. That's not quite as bad as it sounds - other than those who are selling into today's distorted market, most all of us expect to get less when it comes time to sell than we paid for our cars. YMMV as to how much that reality would bother you.

2. How long are you going to own it/how many miles will you put on it? If you're thinking you'll only own it a short while and/or never drive it, it's likely a bigger impediment to selling it than it will be years from now with lots of (smile-inducing) miles on it.

It should go without saying I'd want a set of very refined and experienced eyes on it be sure it was, in fact, a minor repair - assuming it is, applying 1 and 2 above may help your decision-making. GL

rfh928

No, as others have said as long as it was professionally repaired...I think every one of our vehicles has been hit by a bad driver when it was still relatively new...fact of life living & driving in a city.

vbb

Exactly. If it's a car you're going to keep and drive for a long time, I wouldn't worry about it breaking on you because of minor body work. But just know up front that it's going to be an issue when you go to sell. It'll narrow your market and decrease your sale price. So if you're getting a good deal now expect to have to give an equally good deal when the roles are reversed and you're the seller instead of the buyer.

Vetteman Jack

If truly minor damage and repaired properly, then no, I wouldn't let it stop me from buying the car. But I would probably like more detailed info about what was damaged and who did the repairs.

fsvoboda

Redoing the bumper covers is nothing so long as the body shop matches the color accurately. It's just cosmetics.

37driver

Thanks all for the advice, unfortunately the car sold before I could buy it.