How bad does this look?

2019 Caravan. Not branded, 40k (miles). $13k in your money

I'm getting frustrated trying to buy a van. This is lower mileage and newer by a lot than I can get for this money right now.

Look or run?

That's a pretty hard hit. I'd be afraid of it. For sure the airbags were deployed, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were replaced with some wadded up newspaper.

I disagree with the Doc.  That doesn't look like a hard enough hit to have blown the bags.  But maybe I've been looking at too many of the IAAI listings to know any better.  Do you know / trust the seller/rebuilder?

An extensive inspection would be necessary, but personally I wouldn't be afraid of that one.

In reply to Indy - Guy :

You can see the passenger bag in the photo-

I wouldn't necessarily be worried about the repairs. I would be worried about the fact it's a 5 year old chryco product. 

In reply to Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself :

Well E36 M3.  I guess I was wrong.  If they were replaced properly and the computer reset, it shouldn't be a problem.   I'd wanna check to make sure the AC is functioning and not punctured.

The airbags were most likely the most expensive parts for this repair. It does not look like a bad hit. It was most likely totaled because of the value of the van vs the cost of the repair (70-80% of value).  Ask to see pictures of the repairs and have a scan done. It looks like a hood,bumper grille,headlights repair.

Rebuilt has been a hard no for me in the past, and that's probably not going to change, but I didn't think this one looked too bad, and thought I'd see what the experts think. The carfax called it a total loss and a $30k repair. The seller was totally upfront about it. 

bobzilla said:

I wouldn't necessarily be worried about the repairs. I would be worried about the fact it's a 5 year old chryco product. 

As the owner of a 9 year old Chrysler product, I feel seen.

dculberson said:

bobzilla said:

I wouldn't necessarily be worried about the repairs. I would be worried about the fact it's a 5 year old chryco product. 

As the owner of a 9 year old Chrysler product, I feel seen.

I hear ya, I'm about as anti Chrysler as it gets, but the go-to vehicle every time it's asked is still the Caravan

I can't speak to the accident damage, that's all up to your own tolerance level.  But in general a 2019 Caravan is a nice vehicle to have.   Mopar improved things throughout the run of the 5th gen, and this is about as late as they get, with the T&C ending after 2016 and the Caravan after 2020.   Upgraded Pentastar plus lots of little things like the improved oil filter housing etc.   

I'm surprised it doesn't have a rebuilt title if it's was declared a total write off by Carfax.   There should be a MTO certified inspection of the repairs done before it can be re-licensed in Ontario.

Check the MTO website for the various stages that have to followed to get from a salvage title to rebuilt status.

Gordon 

Seems odd doesn't it?
Not going to bother at this point, but it's all part of my research. I've been looking for a van for some time, dropped the ball on what looked like some good deals, so thought I'd get the opinion of those who know more about this kind of thing than me, just in case.

I've rented tons of vans.  It's hard to beat a well optioned Chryco minivan as a road trip car.  I prefer the Toyota Sienna but these are just fine.  

Only way to really know is to look closely at the frame rails. They can beca 1 and done in a modern car. They're designed to self destruct, to a degree. And the way they're built can be tough to replicate. If they're fine, the next concern is drivetrain. The trans probably hated that hit.