How do you protect yourself from buying a wrecked car? You don't need to be a professional mechanic to spot some suspicious signs that the vehicle you are buying may have hidden damage.

Look at the door jambs and the outside of the doors. Does the paint match?  Is there a color variation between the different panels on the car? Is one part of the car more shiny than others? Paint over spray is a definite sign of prior damage and may indicate hidden damage.  Overspray looks like fine particles of paint where there should be none, or where it should be glossy. If a part is not painted completely or if there is paint where there should not be, be wary.  Often when paint work is done near the engine compartment, overspray may be present on insulation, the underside of headlights or any other non-painted portion of the vehicle.   Feel the paint.  Is it rough or smooth?  Rough paint usually indicates paint overspray, although the paint in the engine compartment is not always polished smooth from the factory.  A mechanic should check the underside of the vehicle for evidence of frame welding or straightening.

Examine ALL parts of the vehicle.  Do the parts line up with each other?  Are the gaps between the hood and doors equal?  How about the gaps around the rear lift or trunk?  At the taillights and headlights?

Most newer vehicles have VIN stickers placed on most body parts of the vehicle, such as the fenders, hood, bumpers, doors, and quarter panels.  These are usually in inconspicuous places.  If your vehicle is missing one of these, chances are the part has been replaced at some point.  These stickers cannot be removed and then reattached. Only a dealership can replace the sticker on a new part, and it is always marked with a letter "R" to indicated replacement.

Always check the vehicle's title.  Accidents are not always listed on the title, but sometimes are.  You can use carfax.com or a similar service to order a report.  Also on a carfax reports are places of previous vehicle registration as well as when and where emissions inspections were performed.  If the vehicle is from some distance away, such as another state, it is more likely to be damaged in some way.  It is easier to sell a damaged vehicle by taking it across state lines, especially into North Carolina.

Check for flood damage by looking under the trunk mat for dirt or mud.  Look for watermarks on the inside of doors and for moisture inside the trunk or seats.

Be wary of rental, lease, and fleet vehicles.  These are often, but not always, severly-driven or abused vehicles and may have hidden mechanical problems.

Whenever purchasing a used vehicle, or even a new vehicle, take it to the manufacturer's dealer and ask for a computer software update for the modules in the car. Software updates are normally free, but may cost upwards of 30 minutes to one hour in labor charges. These updates fix or enhance the functionality of a vehicle to make your ownership more pleasant.