Thinking of buying a 2010 Corolla S...Have Carfax question - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

tsherv · 03-08-2011, 08:37 PM

So, we found a beautiful 2010 Corolla S at a Hyundai dealership. It's very clean, and has only 2,800 miles. The price is right, and we are very interested. I worked out a deal with the dealership. They pulled the Carfax report and sent it to me. The carfax said that the vehicle had been in an accident in Indiana, it ran into a "utility pole", but there wasn't an airbag deployment. That's all the detail I can find. The title is clear (not a salvage or rebuilt title).

The dealership bought the car at auction and doesn't have any history on it other than Carfax. It was a leased vehicle.

I'm concerned about this...I would have bought the car in a heartbeat if I had more detail. I'm concerned about hidden "squeaks and rattles" down the road from the accident.

I'm looking for input on this. Does anyone know of a way to get more detail on the accident? Anyone have any input for me? Should I avoid this car?

Thanks!

thestone11 · 03-08-2011, 08:40 PM

First thing.....post out the price and we can tell u whether it is fair, any additional option?

TLeong13 · 03-08-2011, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thestone11

First thing.....post out the price and we can tell u whether it is fair, any additional option?

+1....but theres no way to get anymore info about the incident. If u really want the car the best thing to do is bring it to a professional body shop n have them take a look at the area n ask them has it been repaired correctly
Edit: I would also think why would the person get out of a lease after only 2,xxx miles, the person lost a lot of cash just to do that...just something to think about

tsherv · 03-08-2011, 08:56 PM

The price of the car is $14,500.

Here's the wording on the Carfax report:

"Accident reported involving right front impact with a utility pole. Damage reported to front of vehicle".

The carfax also mentions that the airbags haven't been deployed.

***zythr*** · 03-08-2011, 08:56 PM

That is a question mark of why the car has only a few thousand as a lease and more importantly why did the dealership buy it from an auction, Don't be surprised if the asking price is high, Usually most almost new cars bought at the auto auction come from rental agencies (Enterprise, etc). You should try to get as much info as you can and see if the body shop that did the repair offered a warranty and/or guarantee.

tsherv · 03-08-2011, 09:00 PM

That's where I'm stuck...The dealer say's they can't get any info prior to the auction. They don't even know who did the work. I checked with a Toyota dealership, they said if the body work would have been done by a Toyota dealership, it would show up in their database. They had nothing on it.

Here's what I know: The car was titled as a leased vehicle in Illinois, got in the accident in Indiana, and was bought at an auction by a Wisconsin dealership.

There are no special options on the car...Pretty standard S model. $14,500 is the price.

Thanks,

Troy

***SuperchargedMR2*** · 03-08-2011, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsherv

That's where I'm stuck...The dealer say's they can't get any info prior to the auction. They don't even know who did the work. I checked with a Toyota dealership, they said if the body work would have been done by a Toyota dealership, it would show up in their database. They had nothing on it.

Here's what I know: The car was titled as a leased vehicle in Illinois, got in the accident in Indiana, and was bought at an auction by a Wisconsin dealership.

There are no special options on the car...Pretty standard S model. $14,500 is the price.

Thanks,

Troy

For a base model 2010 S I would want to pay less than $14500 after it had been wreaked. That being said, if you can have the car checked & the work was done correctly than I would feel okay buying it IF the price were lower.

thestone11 · 03-09-2011, 12:49 AM

Air bags haven't pop doesn't mean the car damage was minor. The frame might already have some structural damage or bend....

TLeong13 · 03-09-2011, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thestone11

Air bags haven't pop doesn't mean the car damage was minor. The frame might already have some structural damage or bend....

+1....I would also find out what a new one is going for right now and use that to help decide if u wanna buy a used wrecked one...if ur only saving a grand or so i would go new but if ur saving a substantial amount then thats different

***FlawedLegacy*** · 03-09-2011, 06:58 AM

dealership prob got it from an auction b/c the OG owner opted for new car over repair. Father in-law and I buy cars from auctions and fix them up quite often, this is normal. The only thing was, was the repair done correctly? Can you see where anything new is welded on or anything? If you are unsure, as others have said, let a body shop look it over. I'd def haggle a bit lower, heck I got my 09 LE with 16k miles for $14k. (More miles, but no accidents)

sinnaever · 03-09-2011, 11:33 AM

To me it sounds like Hyundai dealer bought the damaged Corolla from an auction, did the repairs and are now trying to make a hefty profit.

I wouldn't pay anything over $12,500

But that is me. I would only pay $14000 for a used one with no accident and features

blb · 03-09-2011, 12:40 PM

You can buy a brand new, never titled, never wrecked, 2010 LE for less than $14,500.

johnnya005 · 03-09-2011, 10:23 PM

I think it must have had a decent amount of damage for the owner to walk away from it. I had an accident a few weeks back, both airbags deployed yet the insurance company is paying to have it repaired. 10K worth of damage. They didn't total it since it's pretty new with only 13K miles on it. At this point, I'm not sure I'm keeping it once I get it back. I don't think you're saving much, so I would shop around some more. I don't think you will find any addtional information regarding the damage.