Even minor damage properly repaired will affect the trade in value. Many new car dealers won't put a car with a CARFAX repair on their lot, they take them to the dealer auction. If you're in an accident that is not your fault, ask your dealership for a "diminished value" appraisal and negotiate.

I plan on trading in the fall of 2026 so what do I do? about the diminished value

If you do a search 'diminished value' you'll find plenty of advise. Here are a few examples.

https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/c...d-value-claim/
https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shoppin...minished-value

As said, take plenty of pictures to document the damage and present that at trade in time. Also, request a copy of the repairs done and parts installed from the paying insurance company for your records. Any dealer worth doing business with will recognize a, for example, $1,500 repair is minor and the documents will prove that. If they want to make big deal about it, go down the street. There are plenty of other Chevrolet dealers in this country to be loyal to one that won't play fair.

You could always sell it outright for more than you're going to get in trade too, but the manufacturers and dealers have convinced American sheep that they can't/shouldn't do that. I haven't traded a car in, in 40 years. I sell them right from my home.

In 2022 my daughter was driving my wife's 2022 Explorer lease car when she was rear ended on the expressway, it caused $17,000 in damage, insurance paid to repair the car, I had previously planned to purchase the car after the lease was up because it had really low miles on it as it was seldom used.
We turned it in after the lease was up in 2024 as I did not want it anymore due to the accident. About a month after turning it in I was going through photos on my phone when I ran across a pic I took of the VIN, so I Googled it, and it was for sale at a Ford dealer about 2hrs away, complete with a complementary CarFax that showed No accidents...

Great information from all who participated how many people even know about this my useless insurance agency did not let me know of this.

BLUF, Carfax is not always correct. Sometimes it goes the other way...

Years ago I ran into the back of a F-250 with my 2 year old Yukon. The damage was substantial requiring pulling the front frame section, replacing the core support and all associated grille, bumper, headlights and etc. to repair it.

When I went to sell it about 10 years later as a private seller I provided the Carfax report that reported "minor damage" as well as all meticulous service records. I was honest with the buyer and informed him of the actual damage. Being I had owned it for 10 years after the accident and that it ran and drove excellent with even treadwear he bought it anyway. I ran into the buyer several years later and he still owned it and was most happy with it.

Just like every other crime out there, Carfax reports can be "manipulated" by the pros. When looking for a car, and reading a carfax report, IF there has been 1-2 owners and there is a clear maintenance pattern with very steady dates and work performed, but then there is a "drop off" of possibly many months where nothing shows at all, then maybe picks back up again, be very careful. Pros can DELETE activity off a report but usually cannot alter it. If there is many months with "no activity" good chance "something happened" in that time frame (accident). Shady dealers do this all the time

I'm infuriated by a CF situation with my truck. The rear bumper - a bolt on part - was dented in a non moving accident. The police nor insurance were involved. I paid my body shop cash to procure a new bumper, paint, and install. The body shop gave the VIN to the dealer who they got the bumper from and the dealer software reported it to CF! I now have a mark on my CF report because of this. I'm livid and disappointed. I have a claim open with CF but their customer service is trash. Might need to come to terms and move on...

in Ohio there is a law that forces insurance companies to pay for diminished value after an accident.