A coworker a few years ago bought a brand new Honda 2000. A few months after he bought it, he was driving on a highway behind a construction vehicle that lost a load of concrete blocks. The blocks went under his car and tore it up pretty badly, including the steering system and the oil pan, sending him off the roadway. He told me his was not the only car torn up and thrown off the roadway by the blocks, but fortunately nobody was injured.
I came across a station wagon that was crammed to the headliner with camping gear and all seats taken bydriver and passengers. The driver’s side rear wheel had parted company. The axle snapped off at the flange. The rear tire stayed in the fender well and wedged up to the rear. The axle dropped to the ground. Between the axle grinding on the pavement and the tire skidding the car came to a stop and remained on the road. Luck was with the family as this car had the old uni brake system and they did not need to use the service or emergency brakes.
I bought a Ranchero from a fix and sell guy at work. Bad karma to him as he covered rust holes with masking tape and painted them, that is when I learned about buying a car as is and not to be naive and trusting because you know a person!