Would You Buy This S2000 with Curious Front End Damage?

Seeking Advice

Navigating the world of used cars is obviously difficult. Oftentimes, sellers try to partially or completely conceal issues, even going so far to cover up big problems. So you can't blame S2Ki member bradyn for seeking advice in the forums when he was contemplating a recent purchase. 

Photos: S2Ki Forums

Expensive Mistake

The car's details rightfully made bradyn quite nervous. "I made an offer on an S2000 for $14,750 CAD ($11,000 U.S.). The owner informed me that a rug in his garage fell over and he ran over it. Upon running the VIN today, it shows a $4,000 collision ($3,000 U.S.) repair. Does this seem like a fair estimate, or could it be something worse?" 

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>>Join the conversation about buying an S2000 with a dubious past right here in the S2ki Forum!

Honest or Devious?

To be fair, nothing about the seller seemed too shady to bradyn, anyway. "The owner has been honest with me thus far. But as I get the ball rolling on a sale I've become nervous about this detail. He pointed under the radiator to a bar replaced by the front bumper." 

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>>Join the conversation about buying an S2000 with a dubious past right here in the S2ki Forum!

Pure Skepticism

As you might imagine, bradyn's fellow S2Ki members were a bit skeptical of these claims. "Hard for me to imagine $3,000 worth of damage from a rug," said zze96. "Especially something that would damage the lower radiator support enough to warrant replacement. But parts aren't exactly cheap for this car, either." 

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>>Join the conversation about buying an S2000 with a dubious past right here in the S2ki Forum!

Slow Roll

"I don't see any obvious bars to replace by hitting a soft rolled up rug at 1/16th a mile an hour," added cosmomiller. "I can see dislodging the bumper from its retaining clips or even having a dent in a fender or hood from the thing falling on it."

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>>Join the conversation about buying an S2000 with a dubious past right here in the S2ki Forum!

Weak Explanation

"I smell fish," said Langelo DeMysterioso. "Unfortunately, I have lots of experience paying for body repairs on these cars. Although it is easy to rack up three thousand bucks in damage, I'm not sure how you can do that by running over a rolled up carpet. It would more logically occur if the carpet somehow fell onto the car and slid across a couple of panels. I need a better explanation than that."

Photos: S2Ki Forums

>>Join the conversation about buying an S2000 with a dubious past right here in the S2ki Forum!

Score or Pass?

Despite this sage advice, it appears that bradyn is still interested in buying the car. So we want to know what you think - would you take the risk or run for the hills? Head over here and let us know! 

Photos: S2Ki Forums

>>Join the conversation about buying an S2000 with a dubious past right here in the S2ki Forum!