Fresh paint hides old accidents

What a cosmetic repair hides

A good respray fools the eye completely. What it cannot undo:

• ✓Structural pulls and straightened chassis members that change how the car crashes next time
• ✓Airbag deployments patched over with a cluster reset and a replacement cover
• ✓Misaligned monocoque points that eat tyres and make the steering wander
• ✓Rust starting under filler where bare metal was never properly treated

How the inspection reveals it

The evidence survives under the paint — you just need instruments to read it:

• ✓Paint-depth readings across every panel — factory paint reads roughly 100–150 microns; filler and respray read far higher
• ✓Panel-gap mapping: doors, bonnet and boot that were removed never sit quite the same
• ✓Weld-point and seam-sealer checks in the engine bay, boot floor and door frames
• ✓Glass and lamp date stamps — a windscreen younger than the car has a story
• ✓Airbag and cluster checks — a deployed-and-patched airbag leaves electronic traces
• ✓Insurance claim-trail cross-check — the record a seller cannot detail away

What our own reports keep finding

Across 72 recent inspections, beyond cosmetic dents: brake-safety findings on 6 cars (lights not working, rotors scored, pads at the limit), warning lamps lit on the cluster of 2, one car with repaint across more than five panels, and 2 odometers that contradicted their own service records. Every one was headed for a sale.

Should you always walk away?

Not necessarily. A properly repaired minor hit at an honest discount can be a fair deal. The report tells you which kind of repair you are looking at — cosmetic or structural — and prices your risk so the decision is yours, made with open eyes.

Frequently asked questions