Salvaged Title On A Used Car In California?

[zz1962]

Find out as much info as to why the car has a salvage title. Then with that info take it to a mechanic you trust. Then you can make a better decision if it is the right car for you.

[84superchamp]

Originally Posted by '70 RS

It really depends on why it has a salvaged title.
Remember, it comes down to this: Is it worth it for the insurance company to pay for repairs, or is it better to write it off.

So, a newer vehicle that may be worth 18-30k on the used market would need some pretty serious damage for the insurance company to write it off. An older vehicle with no real 'specialty' value? A minor fender bender might be a death sentence as far as All-State is concerned.

And yes, resale value will be crap when you try and sell it...but, you should also be buying it at a very low price as well, so depending on the vehicle, you might be taking less of a hit than if you bought a comparable clean title car.

It really is a case by case decision.

that's the problem with some classic cars too. it must take special insurance to cover a classic car because otherwise, they have a very low value by the insurance company because to them, it's just old. a friend of mine lost an early 70's camaro for that reason. it wasn't an expensive restoration, just looked good for the year but after an accident, the insurance company totaled it.
i avoid salvage titles for all the reasons listed here..just too many things that could be wrong that you don't know about. i think about tooling down the highway at about 70 and the car breaks in half.

[RedRockRoy]

Buying a salvage is OK if it is a cool car and you like working on cars. If you are just looking for a good deal, forget it.

[wilkenm]

Originally Posted by emjee

Can anyone tell me if there are any reasons why I souldn't buy a car
with a salvaged title?

Make sure you can get affordable insurance on it first. Many of the top ans 2nd tier companies won't touch salvage titled vehicles, or will charge a premium.

[Boris Bubbanov]

Originally Posted by GuitarToma

It should also be noted that only an Insurance Company can call a vehicle a Total Loss. Once it has been deemed a Total Loss and the words "Salvage Title" appear on the vehicle's registration, it can never be undone. If you wreck your $10,000 car and choose to pay for it yourself and spend even more than the $10,000 it is worth... nothing happens. It doesn't even show up in CarFax. (Which is why I don't trust CarFax)

Excellent, excellent point. Carfax is a good tool for finding issues, but. It can prove problems, but it cannot prove the LACK of problems.

What goes wrong with salvage title purchases is, the would be buyer is starting in the hole without adequate car knowledge, many times. And then, he pays "too much" meaning the discount is usually no where near steep enough to justify taking the chance. Think of it as a Lottery Ticket. If you cannot pay half price for this lottery ticket, don't do it.

Anyway, this thread is from August. Did you buy the car? What happened?

[Stevil]

Originally Posted by '70 RS

In most cases you're right, but here's one example of how it might be a good option.

The K-5 Blazer I traded for my Bug has a salvaged title.

my dad picked up a salvaged 280Z that had been in a fender bender for $500.
he'd always wanted one, loved driving the thing & enjoyed working on it. it did have a gassy smell he was never able to pinpoint that would fill the cab when you opened one window & not the other.

[harriskhaines]

It's good that people have such a reaction when they see a salvage title, because often it will save you!