Got a car with Salvaged Title, what should I do?

Question

Co worker bought a 2001 VW Jetta GLX for his son last week at Washington DC for $7700 (The car has DC plate and title and He paid with a cashier’s check). When he went to the Virginia DMV(where he lives) to register this car the DMV told him this car was a salvaged car(car was in a serious car accident 3 years ago and it was rebuilt), therefore they cannot register this car until the VA DMV inspect the car and pass the test, if not he needs to make necessary repairs until it passes). They asked the seller if the car was involved in accidents before and seller only said someone rear ended him couple weeks ago and got a new bumper, the seller failed to disclose about the salvage issue. My question is what can he do now? Seller refuse to take car back, can my co worker sue? If so at DC court or VA court? Please help.

Answer 1

Look carefully at the documents: bill of sale, old title.
If there's no disclosure of the 'salvage` title, you can probably sue.

It might pay to have the car inspected first and see where you are.
Lawyers are expensive, and if it passes, WTH.

Answer 2

I am not a lawyer or mechanic but I have researched Lemon Laws for my personal use. Here would be my advice. Go through with the mandated inspection. You need to know any existing conditions that the car has and how much it would be to repair them. DO NOT DRIVE the car for recreational purposes. This could be construed as you do not care that the car may be dangerous. The way I understand it, if the current damages cost greater than 1,000 to fix, and the individual did not disclose them at the time of sale, the car is subject to the Lemon Law. However, even if the damages are not over 1,000, the fact he did not disclose that the car had been totaled may also be subject for the Lemon Law. The DC law reads:
"(a) No motor vehicle dealer may offer for sale any used motor vehicle without first providing:

(1) Written notice to the prospective consumer of any material mechanical defect in the motor vehicle and any damage sustained by the motor vehicle due to fire, water, collision, or other causes for which the cost of repairs exceeded $1,000, when the defect or damage was known to the dealer; and

(2) Written notice to the prospective consumer whether the dealer has conducted any inspection of the motor vehicle to determine known defects or damage. "

Check under the hood for a sticker that says the car is salvaged. This is mandatory in some states. Finally, don't sit on this act fast and decisively, waiting to fix the problems looks bad in a courtroom. You have aa great reason to get your money back. Also you have to notify the Dept. of Public Works if you return the car to the individual you bought it from. Read the DC Lemon Law VERY CAREFULLY. It protects you, good luck. For everyone else: ALWAYS do a carfax report before buying a car, the VIN is on the dashboard of the car visible from the exterior.

http://autopedia.com/html/LemonLaw/DC_lemonlaw2.html

Answer 3

I think that your co worker is stuck with this car. The title should declare if it is a salvaged title or not. If the seller sold it as a clear title and your co worker has proof of this, then this would be a good reason to sue. However, this will be very hard to prove and the courts will need hard core evidence the seller tried to sell the car as a clear title. Your co worker may be able to get some liability insurance even with a salvaged title. I have a salvaged truck from a major hail damage claim and I am able to carry liability auto insurance. I posted a resource that may be helpful in obtaining insurance and information on a salvaged title below.

Answer 4

1st your co-worker got ripped off by paying full value for a rebuilt car. 2nd as the owner was not a dealer, he did not have to disclose anything. 3rd your co worker should have looked at the title before buying. The title to the vehicle would show if the car was a salvage/rebuilt. If the car looks fine then the inspection should not be an issue. He cannot sue, and this is a buyer beware situation -- he should have run carfax on the car, especially for what he paid for it.