Is It Ever OK To Buy A Salvage Title Vehicle?

Question

I'm pretty sure that it's legal to buy a "salvage title" vehicle in my state as long as it's stamped as such.
I just wonder if the car is repaired by someone who knows what they're doing, would it ever be ok to buy at a highly reduced price?

Answer 1

It can be, depends on the situation. An older car can have very minor damage, but because the resale value of a vehicle is low, the vehicle will be issued a branded (salvage) title because the insurance company has "totaled" the vehicle. As an example, a neighbor has a AMC Concord Station wagon that was side swiped by another vehicle; because the crease and dents run the entire left side of the car, the cost to repair it was in excess of $4000! yet the vehicle drives and steers fine. She bought it back from the insurance company and still drives it today.

But, to more directly answer your question, if it is a late model vehcile then in depends upon the skill of the person(s) repairing the vehicle. You need to have the vehicle inspected by a body shop to check the quality of the body work (assuming that the appearance is ok) and have them put the vehicle on a frame rack to check the alignment of the body; you cannot see if something is 1/8" of inch off center, yet that 1/8 of inch can cause major problems with tire wear, steering or even a rust problem down the road. In addition, have a mechanical shop inspect the vehicle to insure that the mechanical items are functional, nothing major seems out of place and that the safety systems are functional. They can perform a scan to see if the air bag system will work as designed or not...

In some states a rebuilt title is offered; this gives some assurance that the vehicle will drive correctly and that the work was done to a fairly high standard. Nonetheless, I'd still have the vehicle inspected as above.

I'd personally inspected many salvage titled vehicles and as far I can remember, I've only seen TWO that I would consider buying or driving in the last 29 years. One vehicle was so unsafe that I had the customer sign a statement that the vehcile shouldn't be on the road and that we considered the vehicle to be a hazard and that we had advised the customer of this fact.

A salvage titled vehicle should sell for FAR LESS than retail book; how much less is debateable... I would suggest that you contact your insurance company or agent to see what the company says the vehicle is worth. Remember, your insurance company will only pay the actual cash value of the vehicle, whatever they determine it to be. So, don't over pay!

I hope this helps, a car nut.

Answer 2

Salvage cars are not always bad so don't throw up. Now, if the seller repaired the car a year ago he should have proof/receipts, right? Did you see any receipts for anything done to the car or did you just take his word for it? If it was truly cosmetic you should be fine but NEVER take a seller's word for anything - have the car inspected by a pro and always run a Carfax. This will help prevent buyer's remorse/nausea. Once a car is given a salvage title it stays with the car forever and it lowers the car's value by around 40%. Hopefully, you paid that low price and you can drive the car a long time and get your money's worth out of it. I own a salvage/reconstructed vehicle right now and it's been a great car so it's not always bad news but I had it inspected and paid under $2000 for it so I'm happy and I saved some money in the long run.

Answer 3

Depending on the amount and type of damage, and the quality of the repair, you can get a very good car at a good price, or you can get a lot of problems. I have seen cars with salvage branded titles that had absolutly nothing wrong with them. I actually have purchased and sold some of them!

For example, I bought a car that had been stolen and recovered. It was not recovered until after the insurance company had paid the claim. I bought the car from the insurance company and because they had paid for the car in settlement of a claim, the title was branded as salvage. This car was taken and parked in a city parking garage, where it sat for 2 months, before the garage employees thought to check to see if there was a problem.

The ignition switch had been damaged (I had it replaced by a good locksmith) Other than that, there was not a bit of damage to the vehicle!

Another car that I purchased had been impounded by a private towing company (under a police contract) The owner of the car was arrested on serious charges, and with good behavior may get out of jail in 2057. The tow company sold the car to a recycling yard, which is the only thing they were allowed to do under their contract! The recycling yard applied for and recieved a salvage certificate, and then got a title to the vehicle. This title was branded salvage. The car was less than a year old, and only had 5500 miles on it. There was not a bit of damage on the car, it even had the original keys with it! I got a good buy on this vehicle and actually sold it to a friend. They have not had any problems at all, and they saved some serious money!

There are other cars that have had serious damage done, and they have been repaired. I have seen some that I would not let my worst enemy drive, never mind buy!.

Have any car you are considering buying checked out by your own qualified mehanic prior to purchase. That way you can make a wise choice!

Answer 4

I once worked for a used car dealer. They would buy total wrecks and do whatever it takes to make a profit. After what I experenced I would strongly suggest finding an older vehicle or a high milage car before buying a salvage one. If you decide to buy one with a salvage title do this first: Take a tape measure and measure from the center of the front wheel to the center of the rear wheel on the same side. Then do the same on the other side. Be sure and be on a level surface and the front wheels in the straight forward position. Be exact on the centers. OK if there is more than 3/4" difference---RUN Do this on any vehicle every time!

Answer 5

As long as you accept the fact that if you sell it later, you will sell at a highly reduced price. The value goes down exponentially as compared to a car without a salvage title.

Answer 6

Sure it's OK to buy. The vehicle has to pass a safety inspection and be certified to be back in all original ,but not new condition before it can be re-titled for use on the road.

Answer 7

only if you do two things
1. have it checked out well (good idea for ANY used vehicle)
2. plan to drive it till the wheels fall off

Answer 8

I have had good luck with one but if you're not a mechanic have one check it out thoroughly!