Will a car depreciate if the bumper has been replaced?
2 Answers
From the perspective of a used car, replacing the bumper does have an impact on the vehicle, but it is not significant. More details are as follows: 1. On one hand: Bumper replacement is considered physical depreciation, as the original and the replaced bumper are two different concepts, so depreciation will occur. However, simply replacing the bumper does not significantly affect the overall performance of the vehicle, so the impact on depreciation is minimal. 2. On the other hand: For vehicles with higher original value, details like bumper replacement have a greater impact on the overall resale value; conversely, for vehicles with lower initial value, certain defects are not magnified. Compared to critical damages like the crash beam, chassis, or engine, replacing a bumper is hardly worth mentioning. 3. The extent of depreciation: Regarding how much a car depreciates after replacing the crash beam, if these rigid structures are damaged, the car is classified as an accident vehicle. The depreciation depends on factors like the model, years of use, and the severity of the accident. Simply replacing the crash beam without involving safety hazards does not lead to significant depreciation.
The first car I bought had its bumper replaced, and when I resold it, the price was indeed significantly lowered. Buyers would always say, 'Has this car been in an accident?' when it was just a minor scrape. The key lies in the reason for the bumper replacement: if it was due to a minor scratch repair using original parts and professional painting, the depreciation wouldn’t be too significant, roughly 5-10%. However, if the report indicates the replacement was due to a major accident, buyers get nervous, suspecting potential structural damage, leading to a sharp drop in resale value by over 15%. I recommend keeping the repair records handy when selling to prove only surface parts were replaced, avoiding excessive negative assumptions from buyers. Of course, maintaining a good exterior appearance also helps, so don’t overlook the details of regular maintenance.
