Buying a Car With a Salvage Title

The dealer also agreed to share a copy of the CarFax report. A preliminary check of the VIN online shows the report to have 5 "findings," so hopefully that will reveal some details.

One part of the dealer's story that doesn't add up so far is how the car could get a salvage title (i.e., be dubbed as "totaled" by an insurance company) and only have the rear bumper and trunk lid repaired to salvage it. In other words, it seems there would have to be more serious damages the dealer either doesn't know about or isn't telling me about.

Does anyone know of a circumstance in which a salvage title could be issued for only a rear bumper and trunk lid - especially on a car that's 1-2 years old?

One thing you might also want to check is what the OBD II computer reports. You can get a detailed report using AutoTap (http://www.autotap.com/) which is an OBDII -> USB -> PC tool application. What you're looking for are the major faults the system reports that have been cleared in the system and for discrepancies like differences between the computers odometer and the dashboard odometer.

This is my humble opinion. If you take this car on a decent test drive, and it runs smoothly, rides O.K. over reasonable bumps without mysterious rattles or loss of control, and all the electrical systems are in working order; what more can you ask for? That’s what a car does; gets you from point A to B and back again a hopefully high percentage of times you drive it. Park it somewhere clean for a few minutes to make sure there’s no leaks, smells of fluid, etc. Have the certified mechanic check it as your links mention.

The fear in buying a car like this is that you will drive it for 2 months and then it will suddenly and inexplicably die, never to be revived again and without any logical cause; based solely on the fact that it was “salvage”. I would say the chances of this are the same for any used car you buy assuming it drove well at the outset. (The only difference being the part about no warranty, maybe.)

Now I’m assuming your family has a “good” car in which to take longer trips in and safely transport that new baby around. Just having something to get back and forth to work in is no reason to waste a lot of money on a new car unless your work requires a certain “status” to be displayed. But then again I’m somewhat extreme in my views on this subject.

I don't know how reputable the dealer you are using is. Make sure the VIN number on the CarFax report is the same as the actual car you are looking at, and the date is current. You can research the CarFax yourself a little without paying for it. By typing the VIN number into the website, it will usually give you the number of items called out on the car without telling you what they are. If this number matches what the dealer has, it's just one more indication of legitimacy.

If this car was hit in the back I would pay special attention to the gas tank/fuel area on this vehicle.

No, No, No - You might as well go back to the salvage yard that bought your old car and pay 65% of Blue Book Value - At least you would know what you are getting! If the only damage on the proposed purchase vehicle was to the bumper and trunk lid, then there are other structural issues that the dealer found too expensive to repair. It might not impact the "running" condition of the car - but could very easily impact safety and on-going maintenance expense. In order to qualify for a salvage title, the car must be TOTALLED, and I don't see how just a damaged bumper and trunk lid would total out a 3 year old car. I hear about too many accidents to ever vote for taking any chances on vehicle or driving safety.

Melissa Rodgers

I went yesterday afternoon and inspected the car thoroughly according to the afore-linked plan. I was only able to identify the transmission fluid as not being perfectly clean (and yet probably not as dirty as that in an average car) and some road noise. I took it to a mechanic and paid $60 for a bumper-to-bumper inspection, which didn't identify any signs of a serious accident, or any mechanical or electrical issue. There was some scheduled maintenance that needed to be done (e.g., flush transmission, power steering, radiator) and the road noise was chalked up to the tires not being rotated on schedule.

A few people I've talked to have mentioned many cars are "totaled" for minor damages like this, while others' titles remain clear after major damages. A guy who has purchased multiple cars with salvage titles commented, "It's all a game." Given the car checked out so well, I can only assume it was the game that led to this being totaled, not the actual extent of the damages. I mean, if a mechanic can't see any evidence of a major accident, then who can?

Stupor of Thought, or Warm fuzzy?

-Clayton (at school, so i can't login)

It's surprising how quickly an insurance company will 'total' a car. The insurance company merely compares the cost of repairs to the remaining value of the car at the time of the incident in making their decision. Repairs are so costly, that many times they are quick to ‘total’ the vehicle. Since the car was hit from behind, you shouldn't have any engine problems. This is encouraging since unanticipated engine problems could result in you being stuck with ongoing engine repairs that never end. If the current owner merely replaced fenders and bumpers, you shouldn't have a problem; however, I would be very concerned with undisclosed damage to the frame. A car with a damaged frame can result in the car never holding an alignment, and you wearing out tires every couple of months. In addition, you ought to check with your current insurance agent to make sure you won't have any issues in insuring the car. Lastly, a major consideration is one you already entertained. You will need to drive the car until it dies, since resale of a ‘salvage titled’ car will be very difficult.