How to tell if IMS bearing replaced?

[epapp]

IMO these cases are excellent for first time P car buyers. If things check out (do your homework), buying from a flipper normally comes with a lot of negotiation room (they normally know nothing about the car). If you can hold you own checking out the car etc (short of seeing the IMS) then you can get away with a steal.

E.g. before my car was my car, it was in a minor front end collision. Cracked the headlights - you can guess it was totaled. Owner sold it to a flipper, he got new headlights, new bumper etc. and flipped it as salvage. A PCA car its whole life in my driveway with new headlights. Sure you pay the middlemans profit margin but its normally a whole lot cheaper than the PCA owners price!