[itmecmd]

I'm leasing a 2013 Infiniti G37 Sedan 6MT

Recently had an accident, ~15K repairs (not too bad, but labor and parts are VERY expensive)
A small extract of most expensive parts that were replaced:
2 headlight (minor scratches, replaced new) - 2700$
steering rack -1500$
engine mounts - 700$
1 wheel - 1300$ (OEM)
caliper, rotor, hub, tire (one side) - 2000$
windshield (small crack, replace new) -1200$
fender -500$

Initially was planing to keep the car after lease end.

Now... Have doubts.

What is your opinion?

Please advise.

Residual value ~28K; how low should I drop it to make the purchase reasonable? Or the risk is too high?

 

[bachman]

Value, care and past ownership info are really the key.
You as the only 'owner' already know how and who was taking care of it. It sounds like your lease thus far has proved a good test drive. IOW, you must like or love everything about it. If you don't like the color, transmission, or it missing some other key feature you wished it had, you'd be re-thinking it.

Keep in mind there are plenty of people who won't consider buying a car that has a record of being in a crash. There can be a lot of valid reasons but primarily, it has to do with the fact that there are often hundred of choices and most were not in a crash.

The reason to buy a car with an accident record is because it has been devalued to a point that makes sense to the buyer. If you are certain the crash did not affect the frame or alignment or can get it verified, and the other repairs are done to the quality and standards of OEM, there may be deal worth considering. Sometimes a crash can have hidden damage that was not originally discovered so the frame integrity would be the main concern I'd have.

Next up is making a deal or offer and considering that anytime you want to sell or trade it off in the future, you too are going to be 'dinged' with car value and some prospective buyers that will move on to other cars that have no record of a crash. If you got enough of a good deal, it may not matter in the least and I suspect as cars get older and higher miles, the percentage of devaluation (due to an accident record) drops off too.

You'll need to do some homework on how that incident will devalue the car so you know where to start negotiating from.

 

[itmecmd]

As I mentioned, residual value is ~28K
Residual value is not negotiable.
In order to keep this car, I'll have to find somebody to go to auction and try to buy it there.
Having zero experience with auctions, it's difficult to have an idea of the avg price.
...

 

[Gilley]

I'd turn it back in if the purchase price is not negotiable. With the accident on the vehicle history, you would likely lose money when you go to sell it in the future. Buy a good used G with a clean accident history.

 

[bachman]

I agree with Gilley's point.
There isn't any compelling reason I can come up with for anyone to buy that car and I don't often hear of people buying out their lease anyways. Residual value is not very often a benefit at actual real-time market prices.

This ought be easy for you to verify by looking at the current market in your area for the same car and comparing values. That is something you should do even if you were considering that particular one.
Other purchase options will provide more information on how good or bad a deal any car offered for sale is and armed with information is the ONLY way to shop. For anything.

 

[lapd1989]

I'll turn in the car back. I would not buy the car... It not worth it since u lose value because of the accident. But that's just me, I wouldn't like to drive a car that been in an accident.