Is it worth it to buy a salvage title vehicle even though it has been restored to almost new and works great?

Question

I am thinking about buying a vehicle that looks great and runs great. The problem is that it is used and has a salvage title. Any cons to this? What's the downfall and how can this hurt me?

Answer 1

Cons? Yeah! Like improper repairs! Very few states require any kind of technical inspection of a repaired salvage vehicle and those that do are far from comprehensive!

A very common practice is to weld parts together with a continuous bead where the original was spot welded together. This can result in severe crashworthiness issues since the body will not deform as the manufacturer intended in an accident, often with fatal results.

Much depends upon the reason that the salvage title was issued in the first place. Something several years old may not have been too severely damaged to qualify as a total loss. This wouldn't have nearly as much risk associated with it assuming that the repairs were to generally accepted industry standards. However, something only a year or two old may actually be two partial vehicles welded together. This would be an exceedingly bad deal at any price.

And bear in mind that the salvage title may have been issued due to flood damage; not all states differentiate crash damage from flood damage. Most recovered flood vehicles have little more than a fluid change and a detail job before they go back on the road. The electrical systems aren't even looked at if everything works when it dries out. However, corrosion has begun in critical areas such as the computer controls for airbag systems, engine management, and suspension control. A couple of years down the road, these will usually start failing sometimes with catastrophic results. Imagine an airbag deploying at full force as you drive down the highway at 70 MPH!

There's also the issue that many salvaged wrecks are reassembled with stolen parts. All vehicles have hidden VIN locations and these are often not checked by the repair shop. If stolen parts are discovered by the authorities in the future, you could lose the vehicle without compensation. This DOES happen!

Unless you're getting a HUGE discount from blue book value -- 50% or more AND know why the salvage title was issued AND that repairs were done properly with legal parts -- stay far away from salvaged wrecks.

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Is it worth it to buy a salvage title vehicle even though it has been restored to almost new and works great?
I am thinking about buying a vehicle that looks great and runs great. The problem is that it is used and has a salvage title. Any cons to this? What's the downfall and how can this hurt me?

Answer 3

Buy Salvage Cars

Answer 4

If you are convinced the vehicle is good as it could be, that's great. Just remember, when you sell it, it will be a salvage car.
Banks do not like to loan on these kind, and I hope you give about 25% less for it now based on it's retail price.

Answer 5

A friend of mine purchased one that looked great, and ran good.
Within 3 months he discovered the front end was damaged, which
caused the tires to wear out. The controls for the air conditioner
stopped working and the heater stayed on, when he drives in
the rain, the trunk leaks and fills with water, the water pump housing rusted through.. You might be getting the same type of
car. Before you buy it, take it to a diagnostic center, it might save
you a lot of money in the long run.. It appears to have been in a
flood and washed into some rocks. Someone bought it ,cleaned it
up and sold it to a dealer, who resold it to a wholesaler who sold
it to another dealer.

Answer 6

you will have to drive it until what was salvaged about it shows up. Lots of "Katrina" floaters out there and who knows what salt water will do to those quickly dried out cars? And Salvaged cut in half wrecks pieced back cars in almost all salvage cases Carfax is in order. $20 dollars and see what the salvage is all about trace the history of the VIN# and find out. In Mississippi one year ago the dealer moved the cars on shore and it was not far enough. What do you call a car that moves up and down in the waves? BOB

Answer 7

you need to have a mechanic check out the car, all salvage cars are different, it depends on where the car was hit and how good the repair was. you should pay a lot less for this car than the blue book. if you do buy it, you will have a hard time selling it later with a salvage title.

Answer 8

If you love the car and know it was repaired properly, OK. Don't expect to sell it for anything when you are through with it however, as salvage/rebuilt cars values drop like an anchor.

Answer 9

The absolutely free reverse vin check sites generally provide fake information. To get real information, money will have to be paid. The free searches provide fake information so they can get your email address to send spam.

Stay away from shady reverse vin check sites, most likely you won't get any information after you make the payment. Not to mention you won't get a report and you won't get an answer if you try to call for a refund. Stick with a reputable reverse vin check site like http://www.reversevincheck.net that has been around since 1995.

Answer 10

It all depends on how the vehicle was fixed. If it was fixed by a knowlegde person then it could be a deal. If it was fixed by some shady caracter then it could be an accident waiting to happen. Have the car looked at very closely before you buy.