Hey gang, first time to these boards... I am looking to buy a 'slightly used' Accord Coupe (EX V6 w/ Navi) and there don't seem to be that many around (I'd like one under 26K in miles). I'm pretty attached to it being Silver too. At least it's good to know what I want though, lol!

Anyway, I did find one in TX (I'm in Denver) that meets my requirments (it's an '04 with 18,000 miles and she wants $22k for it). But I'm a little nervous making any commitments from so far away. I called the local Honda Dealer and they said they'd do a 40 pt inspection for like $40, so I'll go with that for sure... any other coaching about making a long distance purchase would be appreciated.

Now my specific question. She sent me some pics of the vehicle and made a point to show me the damage to the front bumper that she says often scrapes on steap driveways and such.

Here are the pics she sent:










I'm not exactly sure exactly what part of the bumper that first shot is from... and that last pic looks pretty nasty. She says you can't tell unless you look underneath it...

Is this really that common? Or should I take this as a red flag and pass on the vehicle? What do you think? What would you do?

The rest of the car looks to be almost perfect, you can see more pics here.

Any input regarding this will be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks

 

IMO 22k is too much due to that damage. I'd try to talk her down to at least 20K. thats some major wear and tear for such a new car.

 

I'd be more concerned with scratches on the top of the bumper, compared to scratches underneath. The latter may not be visible when standing beside the car. I'm pretty careful with my Accord but I put a similiar scratch (but smaller) underneath. All I did was pull out of a steep driveway I was unfamiliar with one time. I'm not lowered either. It's just plastic down there so it's not a rust problem. Maybe you should request another pic of the scratch that shows it better. It isn't clear how long or extensive it is.

 

the 1st pic is near the trunk. looks like the owner doesn't lift things into it, but drags stuff across the bumper, and dumps the cargo in the trunk.

the 2nd pic is of the front bumper. looks like they tried to go up a massive incline.

either way, 22K is way too much for a car that's been driven to hell, and not cared for.

skip it.

 

Geez...I don't have scratches on my front lip that bad.

 

bargain down the price if you're interested....that's some damage for 22K

 

did you mention what year the car is? i have an 04 accord coupe and the bottom of my front bumper has a few scrapes on the bottom as well, although not as intense as the ones in the photos. in terms of appearance. i go to school in the mountains, so we have lots of driveways on hills and crap. mrksts was right, you cant see the front bumper scrathes from any angle except from beneath the car.

but...if someone were to make those kinds of damages to a car, id really wonder how they treated the car overall, like driving it like a mutt or even cared about maintenance. especially if its 2004+. take into consideration if this person washed/detailed the car at any point. if not, the paint might have water spots (extremely hard to treat if left for a long time), the rims might have brake-dust stains that cant be removed, windows might have more fine scratches from dirt/dust, etc. ive worked at a nissan dealership and also run my own detailing side job for 5+ years now, so im not pulling things out my butt.

bottom line, if this person hasnt taken care of their car, listen to everyone else whos posted and tell the seller $22k is way too much with everything in consideration.

 

yea, my friend's 02 accord has some massive scrtaches under the bumper from inclines and shit...he only has 14k, lol

 

40pt. inspection for $40 dollars,
sound like a check the windshield wipers and fluid
levels kind of thing.


What you really want to do is make sure it hasnt been
in an accident and perhaps put back together again
like HumptyDumpty.


you just dont know what your walking into in
a situation like this.....get the vin and do
a web vin check as your first step.
This will tell you if its been a Salvage vehicle
or been in any accident, you dont want to travel
to Texas for a bum deal.

I think you need to show up in Texas and then find a mechanic while your down there. Bring a refrigerator magnet to go over the car and especially the pillars for bondo.
Check the Pink slip make sure it doesnt say 'rebuilt' or 'salvage', etc. on it.

the mechanic do a test drive and he would check for welds, auto body work, ..... possibly 4way wheel alignment, listen to the engine, etc....

 

The scrapes around the trunk opening are minor, but it does
show carelessness that might reflect somewhere else on the car later.
But the front damage I would be more concern about, show
some high speed stunt driving into parking lots. Ask for discount.
Then you can put a color match lip spoiler from Honda that will
cover up the damage.