Undisclosed Accident, Frame Damage & Salvage History in California

Finding out after the sale that your car has a serious accident history, frame or structural damage, or a prior total-loss/salvage title can be a gut punch. In California, dealers cannot hide material damage, frame/structural issues, or branded titles when they know about them – especially when those problems affect safety or value.

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What Dealers Must Disclose About Damage in California

California law requires dealers to be truthful about a vehicle’s history. For many new and used vehicles, that means:

• Disclosing frame or structural damage, including bent, cut, or welded frame components or structural repairs that affect safety or value.
• Not hiding a salvage, junk, total-loss, or similar branded title.
• Disclosing known “material damage” (major accident repairs, structural components, suspension beyond normal alignment, or theft-related damage that has been repaired).
• Accurately representing vehicle history reports (CarFax/AutoCheck) and not papering over serious prior damage as “minor.”

The exact rules differ between new / previously unregistered vehicles and used vehicles, but the bottom line is simple: dealers cannot mislead you about major past damage or branded history just to close the sale.

Undisclosed Accidents, Frame & Structural Damage

Accident and structural cases we frequently see in California include:

• Vehicles sold as “clean, never wrecked” that later turn out to have frame pulls, sectioning, or structural welds.
• Cars with airbag deployments or major collision repairs that were never mentioned before the sale.
• Vehicles heavily repainted or repaired where the dealer knew (or should have known) the true extent of the damage but dismissed it as “just cosmetic.”
• Contracts and addenda that gloss over accident history with vague phrases like “minor prior damage” when the repairs were extensive.

If that hidden damage affects safety, drivability, or the vehicle’s fair market value, you may have powerful remedies under California law – including rescission (unwinding the deal) and money damages.

Undisclosed Total-Loss, Salvage & Branded Titles

A total-loss or salvage designation means an insurer determined the car wasn’t worth repairing and it was branded in the title system. In California, that history cannot simply disappear.

• Dealers must not sell a salvage or junk title vehicle as if it were a clean-title car.
• They must accurately describe any branded title (salvage, junk, flood, Lemon Law Buyback, etc.) on the paperwork and prior to sale.
• They cannot advertise or represent the vehicle as “clean title” or “no major accidents” when the true title status says otherwise.

If you later discover a salvage or total-loss history that was never disclosed, that’s a red flag for auto fraud.

Do I Have a Case? Damage Thresholds & Firm Focus

We want to be transparent about where our firm is most helpful.

In general, we focus on California cases where at least one of the following is true:

• There is frame or structural damage, airbag deployment, or significant suspension damage.
• The vehicle has a salvage, total-loss, flood, or similar branded title that was not properly disclosed before purchase.
• For new / previously unregistered vehicles, the dealer failed to disclose damage where the repair cost was more than a few percent of MSRP or more than a few hundred dollars, or involved frame/drive train/suspension components.
• The hidden damage has a clear impact on value, safety, or insurability (for example, the car is worth thousands less than represented).

Your case may be less likely to make economic sense if:

• The prior damage was purely cosmetic and low-cost (for example, a small repaint or bumper cover repair) and was clearly fixed and disclosed in writing before the sale.
• The vehicle is very old or very high mileage and was priced accordingly, with written “as is” disclosures that accurately described the known damage.

These are guidelines, not hard cutoffs. If you’re not sure where your situation falls, we’re happy to take a look.

Signs Your Dealer Hid Damage or Branded History

• The dealer told you the car was “clean title, never wrecked,” but a later inspection or report shows salvage, total-loss, flood, or frame damage.
• You find fresh welds, overspray, misaligned panels, or crumpled frame rails your inspection shop says clearly indicate major prior damage.
• Vehicle history reports show accident or salvage events that were never mentioned or were downplayed as “minor.”
• You discover a prior Lemon Law Buyback, flood, or other brand in the title documents that was not explained when you bought the car.

What To Do If You Suspect Undisclosed Damage

If you think your dealer hid serious accident, frame, structural, or salvage history:

• Get a qualified body or frame shop to inspect the vehicle and document their findings.
• Pull CarFax, AutoCheck, and NMVTIS-based reports and save any auction or prior retail listings you can find.
• Gather your contract, buyers guide, disclosures, and any “as is” or damage forms.
• Write down what you were told about prior accidents, title status, and condition before you signed.

Then have a California auto fraud attorney review everything. Even if the dealer insists the damage is “no big deal,” the law often looks at what was known, what was disclosed, and how the vehicle was represented.

If you bought a car in California and later found out about serious accident history, frame or structural damage, or a salvage/total-loss title that was never disclosed, call (888) 536-6628 or start your FREE Case Review, and we’ll review your documents and inspection reports.