Car Salvage

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Would you buy a car with a salvage title? What is a salvage title specifically?

[Like2Plan]

Would you buy a car with a salvage title? What is a salvage title specifically?

No, I wouldn't.
However, I have heard of a practical way to use a car with a salvage title in my state is to get it licensed "for farm use only". Obviously licensed as such would cause some limitations in its use. (And I would assume the person licensing it would have to be mechanically inclined to fix up the car so it would be driveable).

I also know someone who is quite handy with vehicles (lives in a different state) who took parts from various years and put them together as one. It passed inspection and he got it titled. (I am very impressed at his ingenuity!)

[MonkeyMama]

It means car was damaged (more than just a fender bender, probably). But I don't know much about it.

No - I wouldn't bother with a salvaged vehicle. That's a whole can of worms. There are plenty of great used cars available without having to deal with salvaged titles. That's my take. (I might have bought some really used cars very cheaply in my life, but this is where I draw the line. I'd like a car that wasn't totaled and repaired. & if there is a reasonable reason for the salvage title, I am not really interested in doing all that homework to be sure).

[greenskeeper]

"salvage" title varies from state to state, but generally means the cost to repair was higher than the value of the car.

Now with older vehicles, it doesn't take much of an accident to exceed the value. It could even be a minor repair.

Most states require certification of the repairs to be road-worthy before it can be state inspected or titled.

I would caution though that with a salvage title you will have fewer buyers when you go to sell it, but that is a non-issue if keep your vehicles til the wheels fall off.

Have the vehicle inspected by your mechanic for peace-of-mind.

[LuckyRobin]

I think it really depends on why it was salvaged. A vehicle that was in a flood for example might look impeccable but will be prone to all kinds of trouble because water got in where it shouldn't ever have been. A vehicle that was in a major hailstorm or was smashed by falling ice that wrecked the body and was deemed too expensive to fix by the insurance company, but has nothing mechanically wrong with it and was pounded out and repainted could be a good bargain. You would have to know why and it might not be worth the research time.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Saw some on a dealersite and it said salvage title. I wonder if they even knew why it was salvaged.

[maynard]

In illinois a salvage vehicle cannot be registered and therefore cant be driven on the street

[GrimJack]

It is not worth the hassle - it could have been in the water, flooded to floorboards then dried out. There are so many possible ways it could be totaled but look fine on the outside. You can order up a report on it, if you are interested.

[snafu]

Check the specifics with your auto insurance agent. You need to know all pitfalls before you assume that much risk. If it can't be licensed and can't be insured where will you drive it? It may be useful to cannibalize/part out for someone in that business

[bjl584]

You are taking a chance doing so. The vehicle could have cracks and/or weakness in the frame that could cause catastophic failure. If the vehicle was flooded it could have nagging electrical issues and bad odors that will never go away.

I'd recommend staying away from Salvage Title cars. There are plenty of used cars out there with a clean history to choose from.

[cypher1]

I personally have no problems with salvage titles as long as I know exactly whats wrong with it. Although I would NEVER touch a car with flood or fire damage. Not worth the headache. Typically I buy for engine or other parts, depending on the damage. Theft recovery salvage is no biggie, but major body work for total out is sketchy.

Although my last one was definitely worth it. Few years ago my cousin totals out her 00 CRV. I buy it back for 1500 and put another 1300 into it (parts/body work) since it was hit in the front. One of the best purchases I made for under 3000, and doesn't hurt being able to do most of the repairs myself (excluding body work). This is just one example to benefit from salvage title if you're not planning on reselling. I wouldn't expect everyone using this as DIY method but it can have its advantages.

[owesalot]

In PA a dealer can apply to have an R-title for a vehicle after they show that the items that caused the car to be salvaged have been corrected. The state then issues the R-title.

R-title is a great way to get an inexpensive car that had minimal damage. No dealer is going to take on a car that costs too much to fix so as others noticed many of these cars have minor damage and are a little older.

[SnoopyCool]

I have owned numerous cars with salvaged titles - went to the salvage yard and picked them out myself- but my father owns a body/repair garage so I trusted the car was put back together properly.

Salvage can cover a multitude of things, and if you're not familiar or sure of the reason why the car is salvaged or the mechanic's ability to put it back together then I wouldn't. Otherwise, you're getting an awesome deal on a car!

[kork13]

Just curious, but at what point is a title no longer valid? I mean, if for some reason you were to take a salvaged car (or any car really), strip it to the frame, and rebuild it with new parts, would it still maintain the same title? Or would it be re-titled as a "new" (different) car? Similar to how classic cars are often totally rebuilt... Certainly some of those cars were simply rescued from the scrap heap.

[Hawkeye]

I purchased a salvage titled Saturn Ion a few years back. It was totaled in the front and my father and I repaired it. At the time the car was selling for 12k at the dealership for the exact same model and we were able to get the car going for 5k. I've put 80k miles on it and haven't had a single problem. Its been great!

I reccomend only buying one if you know the person who is selling the car and can trust them or you can do it yourself. DO NOT buy one from somebody you dont know and defintitely stay away from flooded ones. It can have electrical damage and it can be such a pain to fix.

Also remember the resale value is going to be much lower on salvage title vehicles. If you are conisidering buying one I would always recommend driving it until the wheels fall off because the car imo is going to be worth much more than it can actually sell for.

Good luck!