How do you tell if a vehicle has been wrecked?

[CoachStanton]

Vehicle has a clean carfax, but it doesn't always get reported. What would cause the bed to look like it does on this vehicle?

[flywise]

It got tweaked pretty good it appears.
Maybe twisted frame from 4wheelin
Loaded way to heavy
Just a couple guesses

[PowThudBeer]

Yes, I bet it took a good hit while offroading. Spend the money for an independeny pre-purchase inspection. A good mechanic will tell you for sure if the frame is bent. If it is, run away.

[PondPopper]

Fat girl set on passenger side tail gate.

[dodgeman]

We see them all the time. I work at an independent shop in austin. Even vehicles from big time dealers come in and you show the customer the body lines out of whack and so many crappy paint jobs where front clip is bad fish eye and rest is nice smooth paint. Always get a vehicle checked. It pays off in the long run

[AntlerCollector]

Fat girl set on passenger side tail gate.

Yep!

[murph62]

Go by a body shop and ask

[twistedmidnite]

My dad had a small truck like that, it was from hauling too heavy

[JP135]

I see what you're talking about. Might be something, might not. I did auction inspections for quite a while, so here's some stuff to look for.

Obvious things - look for fenders, doors, hood that have different sized gaps where the panels meet up. Look for orange peel in the paint or paint that doesn't match exactly - either too shiny or not as shiny compared to the rest of the truck. Look under the upholstery on the doors - see if one door of a different color has been repainted to match and installed on the truck. Look at the headlights/taillights - is the lens on one side old and hazy and the other side brand new? Look for non-factory welds anywhere on the radiator core support, inner fenders, fender aprons and firewall. Look for wrinkles in the sheet metal under the hood, underside of the floor. Look at the gap between the bed and the cab - both on top and on the sides. Get under the truck and look at every inch of the frame. Look for wrinkles, extra holes, non-factory welds, tool marks from a frame machine (kind of like when you clamp vise-grip pliars on a piece of metal and it leaves little serrated tooth marks behind), look for factory holes in the frame that might have been stretched or elongated - again, signs the vehicle has been on a frame machine. Finally, look at the bolts where the bed mounts to the frame - one or more of the rubber bushings may just be worn and in need of replacement.

PM if there's anything you come up with that doesn't look right.