new salvaged car??

Question

im planning to buy a used car from a private seller, its a 2006 but has a salvaged title. it only has about 14K miles on it. checked it out under the hood and underneath, even test drove it, and found no problems whatsoever. the seller said he bought it off an auction and that it had been in a minor accident (fender bender in the rear), but he had it fixed to look like new so he could sell it. it even had the new car smell..
my question is, what could be the reason(s) why its salvaged? i feel like i want something to be wrong with this car, because of the salvaged title. is this legit, and am i just being paranoid?

Answer 1

if everything is legit you dont have too much to worry about. I have bought 2 cars already that have had salvage titles and they were literally written off for small accidents. No engine/frame damage, it was small cosmetic things. I always take pictures to prove this in the case of a resell. Dont get me wrong, there are times where a car is really messed up, but in those cases the car is scrapped for parts and deemed 'irrepairable'... in that case it is not allowed to be registered in Canada again. Many cars get messed up and still have 'clean' titles on them too... for many different reasons/loopholes. So really.. you can never be sure. But if you do your research, and nothing is wrong with the car, I wouldnt hesitate to take advantage of a good deal.

also the equation for an insurance company to write off a car is a lot more complex than simply seeing how much it is to fix. i know this because i am in the business. an insurance company will weight the INFLATED bodyshop cost, plus rental, plus processing costs, plus your premiums for a couple year period (based on how often the average person has a claim) etc, then also consoder the auction/resell value of the damaged car (higher if less damage) and then make a desision. That is why you may have a newer car (worth more to the insurance company with less damage) with lighter damage getting written off.

Answer 2

Salvage title has a clear meaning. This vehicle was damaged to the point that it cost more to fix it than the worth of the vehicle. Buyer beware, there may be hidden faults in it. It's hard to find an insurance company that will insure a salvage titled vehicle. Those that do will not pay full market value it you have a claim but generally will take at least 30% off what what you would otherwise get. Most buyers will not even look at a vehicle with a salvage title. In some states a salvage title means the car is a parts only vehicle, and not not be registered. Yes, it you are looking for parts, a salvage vehicle can be a wonderful buy. It you are looking for something to drive, it's not for the reasons outlined.

Answer 3

the reason it has a salvaged title is that it was totaled by an insurance co.which means it more than likely had more damage than the car was worth to have a body shop fix it.i have bought many trucks with salvaged title's and so for i have had good luck.the guy i buy from does not sell any that has had frame damage ,that is where you have to be careful.i live in alabama and the only draw back on buying a vehical with a salvage title is you can't trade them in at a car lot unless they deal in salvage vehicals.normally i sell them to an individual which is kind of hard or i drive them until they are worn out,be careful but keep in mind if a salvage title has been issued that means it has passed all state inspections and is fit to be on the road.also it should have a state issued salvage sticker on the inside of the drivers door.also even if it has a salvaged title it is still under full factory warrenty most go three years or thirty six k miles

Answer 4

A car doesnt get a salvaged title from a small fender bender. The car had to have been whacked pretty hard and have frame damage in order for that to happen. A salvage car is a car that was so badly damaged that the insurance company figured it would be cheaper to replace the car than fix it and give it back. They mark it with a salvage tag because it was salvaged and fixed for resale. It could have also been damaged by a natural disater to get a salvaged title.. maybe a flood like what happened from Katrina??? either way a car with a salvaged title is just about worthless for trade in purposes, I would not buy that car for any price!!

Answer 5

My ex husband bought my daughter a "brand new" car with a salvage title. That car had been stolen and the insurance company had already paid off on it when the car was found. Now, as far as the car having been in a minor fender bender, I would do a carfax on it and see what it says about the actual damage. Better to be safe than sorry.

Good luck!

Answer 6

I have bought a salvaged titled car before. And I'll tell you, when you try to sell it, NOBODY will buy it (except idiots like me). And if they do, they will offer half at most of what it is worth. Believe me, I couldn't sell a $2200 car running great for $1100 just because of the salvage on the title. The only way I would do this is if it is a really cheap car which you plan to drive to death. And seeing as how your'e lookind at a 2006 with 14K mi, RUN....

Answer 7

salvage title.
a bent frame and extensive body damage can get a vehc. this Honor.
when these in amount exceed the present cost of the car/truck replacement.
saftey can be a factor,though when repaired the salvage cannot be removed.
your purchase is up to you.it may be a good deal.better with all paper work intact.
i would check for; what caused the accident or any type recall and factory defaults that may have contributed.to be sure of the future.

Answer 8

Hello...Is there a bell inside your head.."Red Flag". Salvaged means the car was damaged in one for or another. O.k. so you test drove the car, did you look at the welding were the damage occurs ? Your car probably was so messed up that it took massive amounts of welding to put it together. Also look at the floorboard. Ask him where the exact damage and look at the weddings. Have the car lifted up so you can get a better view. Another thing you can do is to pull over the carpets, and how messed up the damaged is. Don't buy the car, it's like buying someone use cloths with a hole in it. Every seller just hide the hole or tries to cover it up.

Answer 9

I would avoid salvage titles. You can never be sure what you are getting, and what was fixed.

A salvage title is placed on the car because the insurance company felt that the cost to repair the car was more than the cost to fix it.

For a newer car, it must have been really badly damaged for the insurance company to feel it necessary to write off the vehicle.

Answer 10

The car could have come from out of the united states and may have been confiscated from a drug dealer or the sort.Cars will not usually have a salvage title unless something is up.