My WRX was recently involved in a pretty bad accident (not my fault, the other guy ran a red). It's had $10,000 worth of body work and at least $5,000 worth of engine repairs (the timing belt skipped a tooth, so I now have a new short block). After all the repairs, I don't really trust the car (after 2 weeks, I've already had problems with the EGT sensor and the ABS system). I'm filing a diminished value claim with the other guy's insurance company, so if that goes through, I will likely end up with some extra cash.

I'm seriously considering trading in the car either for another WRX or maybe a Legacy GT. I'm worried about the history of the car though. Do the dealerships run a Carfax report? Do I need to tell them the car's history? Do they even care?

 

They will definetly run a carfax report. Don't offer any info and don't offer a price. Just see what they offer you. And knowing what you do if you're happy with it take the offe.

 

Good luck on your diminished value lawsuit there hasn't been a case won yet. If you search Google you can find the details of the last suit that was won by Allstate. They are extremely difficult to prove.

What year is your WRX? How many miles etc. $15k is a lot of repair work for a vehicle not to be considered a total loss. I am assuming you have an STI or the vehicle is pretty much new. Most insurance companies will consider a vehicle to be a total loss once the amount of damage reaches between 65-80% of the a.c.v. (actual cash value). It depends on that companies guidelines and what the value of the vehicle is as salvage.

I would have the vehicle inspected by an independant party. This will ensure that the repairs were made properly and that there is no further hidden damage. Find out what the value of your vehicle is (use Nada.com for avg. retail) make sure to input your mileage and options. Next multiply that number by say 75 or 80%. With that amount of damage I'm sure there will be some items that were missed and you will need to have your current issues corrected. If that figure is at or near 75 or 80% I would insist to the insurance co that the vehicle should have been considered a total loss.

You would have a much better case for this issue rather than trying to win a diminished value suit.

Oh and if I were to trade it in, I would not say a word to the dealer. Let them figure it out.