Does chassis damage always mean the car is a write off?

[Emmett Brown]

I’m looking at a used car that’s had a minor accident in its history, and the seller insists the chassis damage was repaired properly. I don’t know enough about this to judge whether that’s a genuine reassurance or a red flag I should walk away from. I read a Useful overview of repairing a damaged chassis, which explained that not all damage is fatal, but I’d rather hear from people with real experience. Has anyone bought a car with repaired chassis damage and had it be fine long term? Or is it one of those things you should always avoid regardless of how well it was fixed? Also, how do you actually verify the repair was done properly rather than just cosmetically hidden? I’d rather not gamble on something structural.

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