How much value should a used car be discounted if it has accident in history?

Assuming it works flawless, the damage has been fixed, and it still looks mint just like one without the previous accident claim|||It really dedpends on the extent of the damage. It if was light damage it should only be a slight difference in price. The repaint is what will cause the decreased value.





If the damage was severe with a lot of body, frame and rebuild work done the value will decrease significantly (approx 10% -15%). Who wants a car that may not have been repaired well when you can just keep looking for one with no repairs. There are way too many cars for sale to settle for one that has been in a bad wreck.





Of course a car that has been salvaged and rebuilt is about a 40%-50% decrease in value because these cars tend to exhibit real structural issues and are deemed unsafe in many cases. Anyone buying a salvage car is ignoring some serious safety issues in pursuit of a bargain.