Rmsanger

Test drove a '22 MDX type S advanced in Tiger Eye Pearl (15k miles) today but was an accident vehicle that was written off. A local dealership that specializes in rebuilt titles is offering quite a bit below used market value:

https://www.tjchapmanauto.com/vehicl...d6e512a0a144e3

Listed $50k
Avg Mkt value $65k
MSRP $75k


Sticker
https://monroneylabels.com/cars/9568...=tjchapmanauto

Blue star inspection:
https://www.bluestar.com/app/inspect...hapmanauto.com

I can buy an aftermarket warranty through Autto (+5 years 100k miles) for ~3k. Just wondering if anyone has experience with rebuilt titles? They went through a state inspection to get the title rebuilt and also go through an additional 3rd party inspection "Bluestar" as well. I've talked to some people and they say absolutely avoid any accident vehicles due to potential frame damage or electrical. Other people I've spoken to had a decent experience if you get the "right" vehicle and have proper coverage. Not sure if I should even proceed with this as an option..


Accident:


Current:

us024077

Check with your insurance company first. Some have problems with rebuilt/salvage titles. Some will limit coverage, and most will charge an extra amount over standard underwriting. Might be in for a surprise.

Rmsanger

I just called my insurance and they will insure a rebuilt title vehicle and the MDX Type S would only be +$100/year over my '08 Maxima so not bad. I checked on a new CX90 and it would be +$250 over and check a used Audi A6 all road and it was +$500 so ironically the vehicle with the highest MSRP and rebuilt title was the lowest added $.

I also call my credit union and they said all rebuilt vehicles were covered under their lending program with no penalties for not having a clean title. They also confirmed using the VIN that a rebuilt title with that mileage type S was $58k while this is priced just below $50k so decent from a LTV perspective. Not sure what to do as it's priced $15k below market for clean title just not sure if the savings is worth the potential risk as I've never deal with this before.

ELIN

I'm very risk averse and would never buy such a vehicle. Did they find all the cracks? Was everything structural replaced properly? Penny-wise but pound-foolish as they say! What happens when you no longer want the car yourself? Will Carmax even take this?

Let this be someone else's problem!

Tony Pac

My concern with rebuilt cars will always be safety. Acura has the best and world class safety features. Honda/Acura spent a lot of money in R&D to make safe vehicles for their customers. I have seen some of MDX and TLX owners, where they left the accident scene with a few bruises and the car looked unrecognizable, thanks to Acura. I know in fact people buy Acura over and over again for the safety of their families.
Will this car offer Acura's original safety?

Always remember, safety first

Tony Pac

Read this: https://hondanews.com/en-US/honda-co...-us-government

Rmsanger

good point know way to test or certify that.

sonyfever

Do you have more crash photos? Hard to tell if the crash is fully confined to the crumble zone. The gap between the fender and the door looks aligned, and might be a hint that the body frame was fine after the crash.

If I were you, I would check the four high-strength rails (two that runs on the side of the engine, and two along the fenders), as long as the rails look original and the front subframe looks good, the engine should be fine. If you are not familiar with these, bring the car to a reputable body shop to assess the quality of repair and any trace of frame damage.

Rmsanger

That is a good suggestion... A few more shots of the accident:

ELIN

Looks like someone was racing!

Pics are pretty graphic! I would use these to scare my kids about speeding!

Tony Pac

wow! Unbelievable! bad accident. Imagine, this wasn't an Acura People inside would have been somewhere else today. The driver seat looks untouched.

Proud to own an Acura and grateful as well!

sonyfever

Take a look at the MDX body structure in the link below. I think the lower front body frame (the dark blue parts surrounding the engine) was definitely damaged. The brace along the front fender might escape unhurt. The crash looks like 20-30 mph impact, and the crash energy appeared well absorbed without noticeable damage to the firewall and body frame.
https://www.boronextrication.com/202...ody-structure/

I think the car is salvageable, but the repair must be done right. Are you confident in that?

Personally, I would still pass on this car - MDX-S is nice, but not nice and expensive enough to warrant taking the risk.

ELIN

I like how the lightest blue just says "Aluminum" instead of a pressure rating = "just crush me".

Thanks for sharing!

I would pass on this car too due to risk and uncertainty. You buy new, you might get a lemon that you could bring back to the dealer. You buy a salvaged vehicle, you might lose every penny you paid for it!

rlx015

Given the proportion of the accident damage, I would not advise to buy this...
1) Insurance does not care much about accidents, so good news on insurance not costing too much...
2) I am also not sure if any company selling extended warranties will agree to sell one for the vehicle that was written off / has rebuilt title, etc. If they do, it will likely result in you wasting money for a simple reason - anything wrong with the car, they will deny claim and say it was caused from the previous accident and you will be out of luck...
3) Future option to "sell" - dealers or private parties: you can account as prices of the non-accident vehicles go down, you will need to lower your vehicle price down as well - if you even find someone willing to buy it. I can tell you me personally, I never buy vehicles that have been in an accident (no matter how minor) - but that is just my preference. I have seen people fix up messed-up cars, and are totally happy with it...
4) What bank tells you the vehicle is worth, or what insurance may tell you the car is worth has nothing to do what the actual real value is: Bank, well profits from giving you the loan, so they remove the red tape a bit... Insurance, same thing... they all look at the bigger picture and not just your car.

Good luck whatever you decide, but chew on this question a little bit regarding safety: how much is your life worth to risk it in a rebuilt vehicle like this?

RDX10

Absolutely would never ever consider a rebuilt vehicle simply because when you are done with it very very few people will actually want it. So now I'm stuck with a 5000 pound paperweight that I don't want and can't sell.

dallison

I would never buy it. It will be a nightmare trying to sell it.