I went to look at an 06 Accord with only 115k miles [ 4cyl, auto] that a local guy had for sale.

He said the previous owner told him the car had been hit in the front, but still had a clean title. Of course, its not out of the ordinary for any car to have a fender bender, but this car had something else going on.

When I test drove the car, it had a really strange vibration only in gear at low speed, and felt like it was coming from the rear of the car. It felt like a bad rear u-joint, but of course that is absurd as this is a front wheel drive car.

I did notice the transmission had a flair from the second to third gear shift.

I passed on buying the car, but I'm still curious as to what could be causing that vibration? Surely a bad rear wheel bearing wouldn't be causing something like that, would it?

 

Could be a bent wheel. If the car was in a front-end accident and then they moved a damaged wheel to lessen the vibration through the steering wheel, you could easily get what you felt; vibrations from the rear.

Sounds like it is time to look for a different car.

Curious, how much was the seller asking for the Accord?