How much is a 2005 Acura TL with hail damage worth?

(2012-02-04 15:30:16)

1. You got Q's I got A's Says: Seller is asking $10100 for a 05 Acura TL with 119000 miles. The hail damage looks very small, hard to see unless you look closely. Says it cost $600 to fix. How much should I purchase for if I decide to purchase it?

2. Jape Says: You should price the car with a good appraisal tool, like Edmunds.com. The appraisal tool suggests an Acura TL like that one in "clean" condition (like that one but without any damage) sells for about $9,600. If it is in "outstanding" condition except for the dents (i.e., dealer showroom *perfect*) then it could be a little more. It sounds like it is not in outstanding condition, though. Hardly any car over 100,000 miles is that good. Then take the car to a large, reputable body shop and get a quote right there for the work required. Maybe call first to make sure they can do that for you - they could be extra busy or something. Mid-morning or mid-afternoon is the best time for them, usually. I'd say the car is worth about $9,600 minus the price of that estimate. DO NOT TRUST any $600 estimate for hail damage. I just got my TL's VERY slightly dented door fixed and it was $600 and took almost a full week. The dent was maybe a half a centimeter deep, and the estimate was done by the insurance company's own people. $600 for any noticeable hail damage is really optimistic!

3. Fred Says: The bluebook value on that vehicle in good condition (having factored in the minor dings from hail) is $10,858.

What he's asking sounds like a fair starting point for negotiations. It wouldn't hurt to have a body shop take a look at it before you buy and give you a free estimate on fixing the damage. It could end up being more than $600, in which case you can negotiate an even lower price.

Good luck