Arguments against buying a salvaged car

[ArmenK]

Let's here them.

 

[KLin]

It could break down on you at a very inopportune time.

 

[PowerMac4Ever]

Hard to resell

 

[Kipper]

The important parts: engine/transmission, assuming they are intact, are usually shot to hell.

 

[myusername]

re-titling it once you fix it so that you can legally drive it.

 

[thedarkwolf]

My mustang has a rebuilt title. Its old enough that it doesn't take much to get totalled. I can't find any structual damage other then some very slight crinkle on the driverside inner finder and I mean slight. Other then that the only proof is the driverside headlight is clearer and the driverside fender doesn't have any rust. The downsides are its not worth as much and harder to sell but then I didn't pay as much and its a black mustang coupe with a v8 and a 5 speed so its pretty disarable so that should cancell out some of those downsides.

 

[QuitBanningMe]

Completely depends on the car and reaon for salvage

 

[Black88GTA]

Theft recovery, some parts stripped = salvage title
HUGE major somebody-died accident = salvage title

Completely depends on the car. Reason for the "salvage title" is very important.
Other than that, it affects resale (moot if you plan on keeping it forever - bonus because you can pick it up cheap) and in some states you must get a clean bill of health before being legally able to drive it.

 

[Drakkon]

salavge sometimes means some sort of frame damage could have occured...at regular speeds might be ohkay but at highway speeds maybe get the car drifting to right/left a bit much and be fighting with it more than you'd like....

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: PowerMac4Ever
Hard to resell

Replace Hard with Nearly impossible.

If it's in good mechanical condition, frame hasn't been damaged and you never plan on selling it - then go for it.

I bought a salvaged Toyota Corolla only because it was a GREAT DEAL. Selling it was a nightmare. I will never buy a salvaged car again.

 

[Mrvile]

They look bad.

/end thread

 

[Ronstang]

Originally posted by: QuitBanningMe
Completely depends on the car and reaon for salvage

Yep.

 

Originally posted by: PowerMac4Ever
Hard to resell

 

[gump47371]

It could break down on you at a very inopportune time.

How anymore so than a vehicle that hasn't been totaled?

The important parts: engine/transmission, assuming they are intact, are usually shot to hell.

Same as the first question. The wear and tear on the drivetrain has to do with use, aka mileage. A high mileage car that hasn't been wrecked has the same risk.

My father has bought totaled vehicles and and resold them for over 30 years. He deals strictly in low mileage vehicles, and is known around our small town for the quality of his vehicles. No, some will not even look at them because of the "scare factor" that has been displayed here. Nearly all of it is ignorance, expressing what they THINK is right, but have no factual evidence.

Look at it from this perspective. With the low mileage cars that he buys, people were not expecting to get rid of them, so they are repairing small problems with them, taking good care of it. When someone trades in their car for a new one, many times there are things beginning to go wrong with it, and they want to unload it instead of fixing the problems.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: myusername
re-titling it once you fix it so that you can legally drive it.

That's thet key. Getting a salvaged car through the registration process is almost guaranteed to cost far more than the car is worth once you're done.

 

[gump47371]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt

Originally posted by: myusername
re-titling it once you fix it so that you can legally drive it.

That's thet key. Getting a salvaged car through the registration process is almost guaranteed to cost far more than the car is worth once you're done.

Tell me, GagHalfrunt, how much did it cost you?

In Indiana, $10 for inspection by local law enforcement, and $15 title fee.

I would like to know what the fees are where you live, or are you speculating?

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: gump47371

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt

Originally posted by: myusername
re-titling it once you fix it so that you can legally drive it.

That's thet key. Getting a salvaged car through the registration process is almost guaranteed to cost far more than the car is worth once you're done.

Tell me, GagHalfrunt, how much did it cost you?

In Indiana, $10 for inspection by local law enforcement, and $15 title fee.

I would like to know what the fees are where you live, or are you speculating?

Connecticut salvage laws

About $100 for the inspection plus the cost of towing the car in since it's illegal to drive it there. That's the easy part. To get registered a salvage car must be completely restored to before salvage condition. EVERY piece of damage that caused the car to be a salvage must be corrected plus the car has to pass other checks that normal registrations are not subjected to.

And you're completely full of crap about Indiana too. Yeah, the fees are small, but you STILL have to repair all the damage before it can be registered. You might want to learn what you're talking about before opening you mouth, you'll look less stupid that way.

 

[gump47371]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt

Originally posted by: gump47371

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt

Originally posted by: myusername
re-titling it once you fix it so that you can legally drive it.

That's thet key. Getting a salvaged car through the registration process is almost guaranteed to cost far more than the car is worth once you're done.

Tell me, GagHalfrunt, how much did it cost you?

In Indiana, $10 for inspection by local law enforcement, and $15 title fee.

I would like to know what the fees are where you live, or are you speculating?

Connecticut salvage laws

About $100 for the inspection plus the cost of towing the car in since it's illegal to drive it there. That's the easy part. To get registered a salvage car must be completely restored to before salvage condition. EVERY piece of damage that caused the car to be a salvage must be corrected plus the car has to pass other checks that normal registrations are not subjected to.

And you're completely full of crap about Indiana too. Yeah, the fees are small, but you STILL have to repair all the damage before it can be registered. You might want to learn what you're talking about before opening you mouth, you'll look less stupid that way.

Please point out the part where I stated it didn't need to be repaired before inspection. Any idiot with an ounce of brains would understand that you needed to repair the car before it was INSPECTED, that is the reason for an INSPECTION, to show it was done.

Once again, speculation. $100 is more than it is in Indiana, but not even close to enough (quoting you) " to cost far more than the car is worth once you're done" unless you are fixing a $400 piece of sh!t, or are paying WAY to much for the salvage.

To quote you once more, "You might want to learn what you're talking about before opening you mouth, you'll look less stupid that way".

 

[TitanDiddly]

Consumer Reports magazine had a good article on this last year.