Check the front and rear license plates; inspect the inspection sticker pasted under the hood at the factory. Generally, if a vehicle has been in a collision, the sticker will be removed for bodywork and repainting. Check the radiator frame—if the car has been in a collision, the radiator frame cannot be restored to its original condition. Carefully inspect the upper mounts of the front shock absorbers and examine the symmetry of the bodywork on both sides. Look for any signs of twisting or welding on the frame. In recent years, new cars come with stickers on areas like the doors and rear trunk lid at the factory. If these stickers are missing, the vehicle is likely an accident car. From the side, if the vehicle is an accident car, the original steel plate joints will not be straight but rather stepped. If these joints appear straight, the vehicle is likely an accident car. Inspect the appearance of the wheel arches on both sides of the rear trunk and observe the smoothness of the wheel arch lines. New cars usually have waterproof adhesive applied to the hinges of the rear trunk lid. Press with your finger or nail to check if it's the factory's hard waterproof adhesive—if it feels soft, the car is likely an accident car. Check all welded areas for signs of welding and look for parts with material number labels. Generally, only replaced parts will have material number labels. Additionally, you can check the insurance claims. Call the insurance company to inquire about the vehicle's claim records, as these records cannot be falsified. Most accident cars will have insurance claims for repairs. Once a claim record appears, you can determine the severity of the accident. Insurance companies usually share vehicle information, so even if the insurer or owner changes, the records remain as long as the VIN stays the same. Check the repair records at a 4S shop. Most owners choose to have their cars repaired at 4S shops during the warranty period to avoid voiding the warranty. If the other party is at fault, they also prefer 4S shops to ensure genuine parts. Usually, providing the owner's name and license plate information is enough to access these records, but this method isn't always effective. Many 4S shops only provide warranty records for 2 years or 60,000 kilometers. If the vehicle was serviced or repaired at an external repair shop, it becomes harder to track. Check for any unresolved traffic violation records. Download the 12123 app on your phone, register, and bind the used car to check for unresolved violations. However, resolved violations are automatically cleared and generally not visible. Inspect the engine compartment for welding marks: Open the front hood to reveal the engine compartment. While opening the hood, carefully observe the inner side, edges, and the area around the soundproofing material for signs of repainting. If none are found, check if the entire front hood has been replaced—a common repair after rear-end collisions.
