frame damage?

[zenithnim]

Hello, the BRZ I'm about to purchase has one incident history where it cost $1400 for the body shop to fix it's left wheel, front bumper and left fender. The car looks fine from the outside. Should I worry about its frame damage&suspension issues? or am I being too skeptical about it? thank you very much in advance.

[Drambeenie]

Only $1400 to fix all that??

[Benji]

All three BRZs I looked at that had a hit on the front left wing/wheel, the shock tower welds had cracked and had frame rail damage.

[zenithnim]

Originally Posted by Benji

All three BRZs I looked at that had a hit on the front left wing/wheel, the shock tower welds had cracked and had frame rail damage.

Thank you but what exactly is shock tower and if it really is cracked and had frame rail damage, is it easily fixable/replaceable? if not, is that something that can potentially harm my vehicle's performance in a long run? I'm just not a car guy and trying to get help from you guys. Thank you again.

EDIT: Are there any other possible frame damages that might've been occurred besides shock tower cracked from this kind of incident?

[guybo]

Take it to a garage and have them do a pre-purchase inspection. spending $100 today may save you $1,000's tomorrow.

"Looks good" means nothing. Checking alignment alone means nothing. Have it on a lift where they can get a good look at it and if you are worried about the frame, get it to a body shop where they can see if the frame is still square.

Umm... excuse me... just because some pedant will be a **** and point it out.... NOT FRAME- UNIBODY.

[Tcoat]

If the damage was actually $1400 to repair than it was light cosmetic only and there will be no chance of structural issues. As said take it and get it checked by somebody that knows what they are looking for.

[Benji]

Originally Posted by zenithnim

Thank you but what exactly is shock tower and if it really is cracked and had frame rail damage, is it easily fixable/replaceable? if not, is that something that can potentially harm my vehicle's performance in a long run? I'm just not a car guy and trying to get help from you guys. Thank you again.

EDIT: Are there any other possible frame damages that might've been occurred besides shock tower cracked from this kind of incident?

The strut/shock towers are either side of the engine bay and are what the shocks bolt into (with the brace between them):



On all three cars the left tower (that hold the top of the front suspension!) had torn welds that connect it to the frame.

The fourth car I was going to look at had been described as having the *exact* same front left damage (what the hell is everyone doing in these cars?!) that had already been repaired, I told him I'm interested in the car but only if we could meet at the local Subaru dealership to have it properly inspected (which I was happy to pay for). He agreed but then on the day we had agree to meet at the dealership, he bailed with lame excuses.

Spoke volumes. NEVER buy a crashed damaged car without having Subaru do a FULL check over it, they know what to look for and the $100-200 is MORE than worth it.

[zenithnim]

I guess the previous owner took it to the Subaru dealership after an incident and below is what it say according to carfax report.

Maintenance inspection completed
Fuel filter replaced
Oil and filter changed
Tires rotated
Vehicle washed/detailed

I know it's safe for me to get it checked one more time but I feel little safe now that I read what it says above. Should I still get it inspected regardless? Thank you again, all of you. This will be my last question.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by zenithnim

I guess the previous owner took it to the Subaru dealership after an incident and below is what it say according to carfax report.

Maintenance inspection completed
Fuel filter replaced
Oil and filter changed
Tires rotated
Vehicle washed/detailed

I know it's safe for me to get it checked one more time but I feel little safe now that I read what it says above. Should I still get it inspected regardless? Thank you again, all of you. This will be my last question.

That is the standard service inspection and would not even come close to looking at the areas you should have checked. Get a full inspection done.

[asdf]

Originally Posted by zenithnim

I guess the previous owner took it to the Subaru dealership after an incident and below is what it say according to carfax report.

Maintenance inspection completed
Fuel filter replaced
Oil and filter changed
Tires rotated
Vehicle washed/detailed

I know it's safe for me to get it checked one more time but I feel little safe now that I read what it says above. Should I still get it inspected regardless? Thank you again, all of you. This will be my last question.

That just looks like a dealership maintenance visit and completely unrelated to repairs made to bumper, fender, and wheel.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Benji

what the hell is everyone doing in these cars

[zenithnim]

Thank you so much all of you. Will do a full inspection this weekend.

[nocoolname]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

If the damage was actually $1400 to repair than it was light cosmetic only and there will be no chance of structural issues. As said take it and get it checked by somebody that knows what they are looking for.

This. My BRZ was a light hit on the front right corner when I bought it. I had about 1300 in just parts and materials. Replaced a fender, airbag, bumper cover and crash bar, inner wheel wells, and all the front end lights(went with FRS headlights and front end), then painted the bumper, fender, blended the hood and passenger door. Mine was however a salvage title from that impact.

$1400 at a shop would have been one BRZ headlight, bumper cover, paint and labor.

If you can take it to a reputable shop, have the alignment checked and measure diagonally underneath using the same points, and measure in the engine bay diagonally as well. This will let you know if the front is tweaked any. There should be some measurements in the shop manual for the brz as well that you could reference while you inspect it as well.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by nocoolname

This. My BRZ was a light hit on the front right corner when I bought it. I had about 1300 in just parts and materials. Replaced a fender, airbag, bumper cover and crash bar, inner wheel wells, and all the front end lights(went with FRS headlights and front end), then painted the bumper, fender, blended the hood and passenger door. Mine was however a salvage title from that impact.

$1400 at a shop would have been one BRZ headlight, bumper cover, paint and labor.

If you can take it to a reputable shop, have the alignment checked and measure diagonally underneath using the same points, and measure in the engine bay diagonally as well. This will let you know if the front is tweaked any. There should be some measurements in the shop manual for the brz as well that you could reference while you inspect it as well.

Or a light dent removal and respray. That is the whole issue since we have no idea the extent of the original damage. It could have been a scratch and an alignment which could easily have been done for $1400. Or the amount given could be wrong and it was a whole front corner for $7400. We can't assume it was either though so it should be checked.