Can a car with a salvage title get sold? And what exactly does salvage mean?

Question

I'ts a 1996 Jeep and it got hit on the drivers side it just has some dents, missing rear view mirror and some paint job damage. Ins. comp. said more than a lil. over 5k of damage and offered me 4,790 to sell to them or 4,350 and i can keep what should I do????

Answer 1

A salvage title is issued for a vehicle that has become a "distressed vehicle". A vehicle becomes "distressed" when one or more major component parts (such as bumpers, fenders, transmission, engine, hood, doors, frame, tailgate, body, etc.) have been wrecked, destroyed, damaged, stolen, or are missing to the extent the total estimated damage is from 75% to less than 91% of its pre-damaged cash value. The vehicle owner's insurance company will determine the amount of damage to the vehicle. The regular title is replaced with a salvage title.

A vehicle with a salvage title cannot be plated or used on public roads until it is recertified by a specially trained police officer and retitled. Through March 1990, vehicles retitled for road use were identified as "REBUILT" on the front of the title. Beginning April 2, 1990, the words "This vehicle was previously issued a salvage title" are used in place of "REBUILT". Since 1989, salvage and rebuilt titles are orange in color and list the vehicle's color and non-salvageable major component parts.

NOTE: Vehicles with only flood damage may be titled as salvage vehicles

Answer 2

A slavage title means that the car has either been owned by a junk yard at some point, or it was considered totaled by an insurance company(then most likely ended up in a junk yard).

I once sold a perfectly drivable car to a junk yard. It was then given a salvage title. Salvage titled cars can be sold. The word "salvage" will from then on be on the title.
Insurance companies will sell totaled cars at auction, to be repaired and sold at retail. Remember that the title will say "salvage". This MUST be disclosed at purchase.
As must some other forms of damage, like flood damage must also be disclosed.

Answer 3

Let the insurance company total the Jeep. Take the money they are offering and use it as a down payment on another vehicle. With that much down your payments will be very low and you will not have to go through the expense and aggrivation of trying to repair and retitle the Jeep. Believe me the insurance company would not total the Jeep if they thought there was a chance they could repair it for less than they are offering to pay you for it. Remember they are in business to make money.

Answer 4

Yes it can be sold. A salvage title means the car was in an accident, which major collision repair was performed on it. Typically, if I wreck my car, sell it to you it will be a salvaged title, once you sell it to whomever, their title will be clean as if it had never been wrecked. This is why someone created CarFax, so the complete history of a car could be documented and reviewed.

Answer 5

Yes you can expect to sell it for 1/3 the retail value or less. Salved tittle means the tittle was previously a non highway tittle meaning the car was wrecked and not drivable. After it's repaired and past inspection it's given a salvaged tittle.

Answer 6

When a car is wrecked beyond repair, it is salvage, meaning some of the parts might be salvageable for reuse in different cars...the car itself is not driveable. I don't know much about an actual salvage title, but that's what salvage is anyway.

Answer 7

Every state has different rules; to find out the rules in your state, you can check out AAMVA.org. Click on the Links tab and go to jurisdictions to find your state. Usually a salvage vehicle can be rebuilt and repaired and can then be titled as rebuilt or reconstructed...but it will always be branded in some way.

Answer 8

The title shows the car was rebuilt from wreck or in some states engine overhaul. you can sell it BUT you must disclose this to the buyer. As they may be able to have legal recorse on you. Also the value is deminished.

Answer 9

Yes, it can be sold but for a lesser value. salvage means that it has been in a major accident in which the vehicle needed to be towed away from the scene of the accident because it was not drivable.

Answer 10

Yes and as stated by most above.