Wasted $400 on a 'rust-free' Honda Civic that turned out to be bondo and spray paint from a guy in Denver.

I drove 3 hours to pick it up, got it home, and after one good rain the whole quarter panel flaked off like a bad sunburn - has anyone else found a cheap way to actually check for hidden rust before buying?

2 comments

2 Comments

davis.diana4d ago

Read somewhere you can bring a strong magnet wrapped in a cloth and see if it sticks everywhere, bondo won't grab like real metal. Also helps to tap the panel with your knuckle, a dead thud means filler not steel underneath.

rivera.holly1d ago

Wait hold on, a dead thud? That's wild lmao. I always thought tapping a panel just told you if it was solid or loose, never knew it could actually tell you if there's bondo underneath. So if it sounds kind of hollow and thuddy instead of a sharp ring, that's a red flag? Definitely gonna try that next time I'm looking at a used car. The magnet trick I've heard before but the knuckle thing is new to me, that's actually genius.