Buying vehicles that come from another state?

Question

I am concerned with some of the vehicles that come from other states, my question is, if a vehicle comes from another state, if the title can be washed. (an example would be a Hurricane Katrina flood damaged car) and it was sold at an auction, if these used car dealers have the ability to clear the title so the ususpecting buyer does not know that it is a flood vehicle?

I am from Michigan, and am in the market for another vehicle. I am just concerned that I may get one of these vehicles unknowingly

Answer 1

While a title may be run through another state to remove a brand, once it was titled with a brand (flood salvage) in any state, a vehicle history report (Carfax, AutoChek) will show that it was branded.

There are many reasons why a car would have an out of state title. I buy and sell cars regularly at auctions in PA and VA, and I am a MD dealer! Other dealers come to these auctions from different states! Last week I bought a car in PA that had a NJ title, and took that car to VA and sold it to a dealer from KY. It happens all the time! Michigan dealers, along with many from the New England area, often travel out of state to buy cars from areas that have less road salt, and therefore less rust on the cars!

Have a vehicle history report run, and have your own qualified mechanic check out any vehicle you are considering PRIOR to purchase.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

A title from Florida should be viewed with suspicion, since apparently titles can be cleaned running them through Florida. If you have a car you are interested in, don't let an out of state title make it a no buy, just have a competent mechanic look at it. It's pretty easy to tell if there is water damage.

Answer 4

Just pulling a Carfax or AutoCheck is not going to make you feel entirely comfortable so look into a service like http://www.inspectmyride.com who will send out a qualified mechanic/inspector who can give you the low down on the vehicle for around $120. It is worth the investment if you find the car that you really want and remember- not all cars with Florida titles have a questionable past!