We are considering purchase of a second fit. This one is a 2009 Sport AT with 6k miles for sale privately. The only catch is that the car was rear-ended, and the rear bumper was replaced by the other person's insurance company.

How much should that reduce the value? Of course I'll take it to a dealer and have them check the whole car out before purchasing. But for purposes of deciding on a fair price, what do you think? How much impact (sorry, terrible pun) does this have on the bottom line?

 

Well if they used a new OEM bumper I wouldn't think it would change anything. This of course is assuming that the only damage was actually to the bumper.

 

none what soever as long as the work looks factory.

 

I have replaced the bumper on my fit and there is no foam, barrier whatsoever between the bumper and the metal. It is very easy to pop off the bumper to better inspect what is behind the bumper. also check to see what the car fax report shows. if the accident is on there, then that will reduce the selling price.

 

If the accident was not reported such that it appears in a Carfax report, then zero impact [pun intended] to value. Possibly a couple of hundred dollars if the incident appears in the report.

 

Ask how much it cost to fix. If it was over $1k then likely the quarter panels and tailgate were repaired. If it was just the bumper or the repair was less than a grand I'd buy it in a second.

 

We are seeing the car tomorrow. The owner has promised to show us the paperwork from the repair, so we will see what was done.

As noted, if the incident is on a carfax report, it lowers the car's value forever. But how much?

Also, since the bumper is not original, the car could no longer be sold as "Certified" by a Honda dealer. Thus, its trade-in value goes down. This was discussed in a recent thread, but sadly I can't find it.

 

its rare to see the paint quality the same.. good luck with it.

i rather have the rear bumper replaced then the front tho, because it has less chances of getting chipped.

 

^ what he said.

A poorly painted front bumper will chip. .
A lot of the previous answers are good. How much will it decrease in value? Realistically probably around 500 if its on the car FAX. . But I'd use that as leverage when negotiating the price. Good luck!

 

I used to work at a dealer and you'd be surprised how many bumpers get repaired/repainted and not declared to the owner if it's under $1k repair (don't know what the legal limit is but there is one). You guys all might be running around with aftermarket paint and not even know it. The damage can happen anywhere... once purchased a brand new integra with port damage (entire quarter panel repainted- you could only tell by the tape line on the clear coat).

 

heres a good one:
WikiAnswers - How do you paint using static electricity

this explains why stock paint is always so badass.

but like you said, its the rear bumper that was replaced which is no where near as bad as having the front one, the rear one isn't subjected to highway rocks and stuff hitting it like the front one is.

 

Unfortunately, in my less than 2 month old Fit, I was involved in a very minor, rear end accident. Minor damage to my bumper. Less than 1000 dollars damage.

When getting estimates from Body Shops, they all wanted to repair and refinish the damage. Originally I wanted to lobby for a totally new bumper. The feedback I got was that a new bumper, may or maynot be OEM, and even if OEM it would be repainted. Ultimately, I simply had the original bumper "repaired".

I'm not a "Super" expert, but trust me I am looking at the bumper very carefully. I honestly can't tell any difference.

1, 2-3 years from now will I notice a difference? Perhaps...but I'm going to have some faith in modern bodyshops and the quality of modern automobile paints.

In the immediate? As an unreported accident, I don't honestly think the value of my Fit has reduced at all. It's functionally and visibly the same vehicle in all respects.

The difference being, I KNOW the accident was minor. Because I was there.

In a buyer of a used vehicle situation? I'd definently want the vehicle checked out. I'd be very suspicious of a vehicle with less than a year of ownership...and only 6000 miles on it, "suddenly" being sold after an accident.

If you can verify no body damage...no frame damage and that the repair was limited to only the bumper. And that the work was done at a reputable body shop...which may back their work....then your leverage isn't with the specifics of the bumper...your leverage becomes the fact that it has been involved in an accident. Negotiate accordingly.

 

Well said.

 

Don't trust the paperwork. Inspect the car itself or get someone to inspect it for you.

 

We saw the car, and the repairs were extensive. They replaced the rear bumper, bar behind the bumper, rear gate, and a body panel. Total bill was $3500. Not being any kind of expert, the work looks a bit sub-par. The molding around the rear window didn't fit well. The brackets on the left and right ends of the spoiler that attach it through the glass to the gate were totally missing. There were a couple of other issues like that. It was helpful to have my 2009 Fit Sport to do side-by-side comparison.

We're going to keep shopping. Too bad, because we were hopeful that this one would work out.

 

yeah, if the car got rear ended best to look in the spare tire area, see how the floor board looks., then you would know how hard it took a hit
Always good to find out who did the repairs, a reputable shop, also, all the honda body panels have a tagged serial number, so its good to see that number to verify that the panels are original not replaced.
the 09 FIT is a pretty tough car, strong frame, it can take a hard hit, and there's no styrofoam bumpers on this car, thats Hyundai and Kia lol