How to Spot Frame Damage Before You Buy a Used Car

Buying a used car with hidden frame damage is expensive and dangerous.

We’re talking about a mistake that can cost you tens of thousands of dollars and put your family at risk every time you drive.

Frame damage wrecks your vehicle’s structural integrity, messes with safety systems, and tanks the resale value.

If you know what to look for before you buy, you can avoid a financial nightmare.

Frame damage happens when a vehicle’s structural foundation—whether it’s a traditional frame or a unibody—gets bent, twisted, or cracked in a collision.

Some dealers will be upfront about a car’s accident history.

Others? They’ll hide it or downplay it to close the deal.

Your job is to catch these red flags before you hand over your money.

What Frame Damage Actually Does to Your Car

Cars are built one of two ways.

Trucks and SUVs usually have body-on-frame construction—a separate steel ladder that holds up the engine, transmission, and body.

Most regular cars use unibody construction where the frame and body are one piece.

Both types can suffer frame damage, and both create serious problems.

In body-on-frame vehicles, damage changes how weight sits on the vehicle and how it’ll perform if you get in another crash.

With unibody cars, damage to one part compromises the whole structure.

Either way, you’re looking at safety concerns and a car that’s worth a lot less than you paid for it.

What to Look For During Your Walk-Around

Start by standing a few feet back and looking at the car from different angles.

Cars with frame damage often look slightly off—like something doesn’t quite line up.

Here’s what jumps out:

Body panels that don’t match up at the doors, hood, or trunk.
One side has a bigger gap than the other between panels.
Paint overspray on rubber seals, glass, or trim—someone repainted recently.
Colors that don’t match between panels.
Metal that looks wrinkled or rippled near structural points.
Fresh welding marks under the car or in the engine bay.

Walk around slowly.

Crouch down and look at it from bumper height.

Frame damage can make one corner sit higher or lower than it should.

Check if all four wheels line up—if the car looks like it’s moving sideways when it’s pointed straight, you’ve probably got frame issues.

The Door Test

Open and close every single door, plus the hood and trunk.

On a car that’s never been wrecked, these should move smoothly without catching or sticking.

Frame damage shows up when doors won’t latch right, stick when you try to close them, or need to be lifted to shut properly.

Feel the seams between body panels with your hand.

Run your fingers along where panels meet.

Both sides should feel the same—smooth transitions with consistent gaps.

Look at the door jambs and structural pillars.

These spots should look factory-fresh.

If you see welding, grinding marks, or fresh paint in these hidden areas, someone did major repairs.

Check the Tires and How the Car Sits

Frame damage causes weird tire wear, even on relatively new tires.

Get down and really look at the tread on all four tires.

The wear should be even across each tire’s width.

Stand in front of the car and behind it.

The wheels should be perfectly vertical.

If they’re tilted in or out at the top (that’s called camber), or pointing toward or away from the centerline (called toe), the frame might’ve moved the suspension mounting points.

Push down hard on each corner and let go.

The car should bounce once or twice and settle.

If one corner acts different, or the whole car rocks unevenly, you might be looking at suspension damage related to frame problems.

Get Underneath

If you can safely look under the car, or at least shine a flashlight up there, do it.

Most buyers never check underneath, which is exactly where dealers hide problems.

Look for:

Frame rails that should run straight but are bent or crumpled.
Fresh undercoating sprayed over damage to hide it.
Welds that look cruder than factory work.
Rust in weird spots where metal was ground down and not sealed right.
Subframes that have different paint or finish than everything around them.

The frame rails should be straight, match each other on both sides, and have no major creases or buckles.

Compare left to right—they should be mirror images on an undamaged car.

Vehicle History Reports: Helpful But Not Perfect

Always run a CARFAX or AutoCheck report before you seriously consider buying any used car.

These reports show reported accidents, title brands, and insurance claims.

But understand the limits.

Not every accident makes it into these databases.

Minor fender-benders that get fixed without going through insurance won’t show up.

Some sellers also “title wash” by moving vehicles between states to remove salvage or rebuilt title brands from the vehicle’s record.

Use the history report as just one tool.

A clean report doesn’t mean the car is perfect, and an accident on the report doesn’t automatically mean you should walk away—if the repairs were done right and documented.

Get a Professional Inspection

The best way to catch frame damage is paying an independent mechanic to inspect the car before you buy.

A good inspection runs $100 to $200, but it can save you from a $10,000+ mistake.

Professional mechanics have specialized equipment that measures frame dimensions against what the manufacturer says they should be.

They can spot repairs that you’d never notice and tell you if previous damage was fixed correctly.

Never skip this step.

If a seller won’t let you get an independent inspection, walk away.

That refusal alone tells you they’re hiding something.

What California Law Says About Dealer Disclosure

Here’s what you need to know about your legal protections in California.

While dealers don’t have to volunteer every detail about a used car’s history, they absolutely can’t mislead you or hide certain critical information.

Dealers must disclose material damage that affects the vehicle’s safety or value. Under California law, if a dealer knows about frame damage, major collision repairs, or other structural issues, they’re required to tell you. This falls under their obligation to disclose material facts that affect the vehicle’s safety or value.

They can’t lie if you ask. If you specifically ask whether the car has been in an accident or has frame damage, and the dealer gives you a false answer, that’s fraud—plain and simple. Always ask directly about accident history and have a witness present.

They can’t make misleading statements. When a dealership fails to disclose material facts about a used vehicle—especially when they have exclusive knowledge of that information—they violate California consumer protection law. This is true even if you didn’t ask the right questions.

“As-is” doesn’t give dealers a free pass. Even cars sold “as-is” come with certain protections. Dealers still can’t commit fraud or hide frame damage behind an “as-is” clause.

When You Find Out After the Sale

If you discover hidden frame damage after buying that the dealer didn’t disclose, California law gives you options.

You may be able to unwind the sale completely (called rescission) or get compensation for the diminished value and repair costs.

The California Consumer Legal Remedies Act and Unfair Competition Law provide strong remedies for consumers who’ve been defrauded by dealerships.

Documentation is everything.

Keep all your purchase paperwork, any ads or listings for the car, and any written or verbal statements the dealer made about the vehicle’s condition.

Get a professional inspection that documents the frame damage and provides a repair estimate.

This Isn’t Just About Money

Frame damage isn’t only a financial issue—it’s a safety issue.

When a car’s structure is compromised, it won’t protect you and your family properly in another crash.

Airbags might not deploy correctly.

Crumple zones might not absorb impact the way they’re designed to.

The passenger compartment could collapse more easily.

If you think you bought a car with undisclosed frame damage, or if a dealer lied to you about the vehicle’s accident history, don’t try to handle this alone.