[woodnook123]

Hello All,

I'm looking at purchasing a CPO 2016 535i. It's got 37K miles and is listed as BMW certified pre-owned. It is loaded with every option I've been looking for and the color I love. The one downside is on the CarFax, it shows "Damage to Front". I talked with salesman who said the previous owner hit a parking lot post and had some very minor damage repaired.

It's curious that the Carfax says "damage" and not "accident", which i've seen on other Carfax reports.

As I mentioned, the car is CPO'd, so I assume it's been checked out and BMW is apparently still willing to warranty the vehicle. My concern is whether this has significant impact on the value of the car.

Any thoughts on value impact due to this being on the Carfax? Also, has anyone had any experience with BMW not standing behind a CPO due to it being in an accident?

Appreciate any thoughts on this??

[Ickdeep]

Honestly it's hard to find perfect clean cars. We live in a world that accidents happen all the time and a fender bender here and there happens. As long as the damage isn't extreme, it wouldn't really affect your decision.

[lsturbointeg]

ask the dealer themselves if there's a difference with those two terms or ask if there's a different price for the car if the CarFAX was noted as Accident?

[newbimmer5]

The actual monetary figures in Accident/Damage Estimates and the Insurance Claims section of the CarFax will give you a better idea of the extent of damage. Anything serious would typically be above $10K.

Also, from the salesman, it should be possible to get the photographs of the actual damage before the repairs.

[VAB5]

I bought my 2015 CPO 535i about a month ago. Carfax showed damage to the front, listing "hit a building". I can't tell there was ever any damage, the price was right (about $4k lower than comparable cars), it drives great, and most importantly BMW certified it.

Doesn't bother me in the slightest, and I'm very particular about cosmetics. Since the diminished value seems to be factored in, it's all good.

[JDMSteven]

As long as the story adds up and the price is right, do it! You won't regret it!

[lsturbointeg]

just make sure the front bumper if it was replaced is OEM and not a replica. not sure tho how you would be able to verify that without taking the bumper off

[dbmw335]

Ask if the dealer did the repair or another shop. I have a cpo and passed multiple cars until i got one without a negative mark on Carfax.

Good luck!

[Houranimd49]

The way I see it, I have a "whatever" type of attitude toward damage based on the extent. Frame damage? I'd steer away. Cosmetic damage? I could deal with that. What I steer away from is mechanical and electrical damage. Otherwise, if the car is solid then I would say go for what you want.

It is hard to find a clean car these days especially specified how you want it. If you can deal with a little previous damage (make sure you find out exactly what it was and that everything is accounted for) then I'd go for it.

[TTG]

I just turned my lease in and the carfax shows the very same thing for my car.

When the car only had 600 miles on it, some idiot tapped my rear bumper and caused some super minor damage. I took it in to a BMW Certified body shop and have them install a brand new OEM bumper. If the car wasn't that new, I honestly would not care about it much.

At the end of the day, car was in outstanding condition when I turned it in and I would never let a small thing like that steer me away from a lean car like that.......but I know the exact circumstances. Car Fax is the most unreliable thing ever. Have a body shop take a look at any car that has been in an accident regardless.

[johnhva]

Originally Posted by woodnook123

...

Any thoughts on value impact due to this being on the Carfax? Also, has anyone had any experience with BMW not standing behind a CPO due to it being in an accident?

If I liked the car and it's a CPO, I'd just buy it and wouldn't worry about Carfax info affecting value.