im about to buy a cash car for my gf and just wanted to see what people think about a car with a salvage title. its a 01 model and just planning for her to drive it for a year or 2 then get something new. should i back away from the deal, the seller claims it was in mild accident and it was fixed. its a 01 mitisu galant with 67k miles. i found a few other cars but this one was alot less miles for the same money. thanks in advance for any input on this!

 

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STAY AWAY!!!!! unless he's giving it to you for next to nothing. i wouldn't pay over 2k for it. you won't be able to get rid of it once you get.

 

interesting ... Where I live, once a car has a salvage title on it, its done, cant be registered anymore so it has to be crushed and recycled.

 

Nooo Bueno

 

I believe that is the case in Connecticut too. I have a brother that bought a car a few years ago and was given a salvage title. When he tried to register it, They said the car could only be used for parts and couldn't be registered.

The seller was no longer anywhere to be found and he ended up having to scrap the car.

 

yea i didnt plan to pay too much for it. i also dont plan to try and resell it for alot too. i just figured i was getting a car in alittle better shape for the price. i can easliy go buy her a early 90 toyota thats all beat and smoking down the road for 2 grand. i figured after 1 or 2 year i should be able to get rid of it for atleast 1 grand.

 

Check with the DMV or go on their website, really it depends on the damage and how it was repaired.

All states are different.

So find out what was damaged, what was fixed.

you don't want to buy a car that has frame damage and they just replaced some panels, leaving the frame damage.

I know a few years ago here in Mass, if you got a vehicle that was salvaged, you would have to repair it, save all the receipts, then have the State Police inspect the car, then you could get a new title (still marked salvage).

But they would put it on the lift, and inspect the car to make sure you didnt use stolen parts, and it was road worthy.

Personally if I didnt do the repair on my own, I wouldnt buy it

 

There's a difference between a vehicle titled as a salvaged car and one that had a "mild accident and was fixed."

If your car is in a mild accident and gets fixed it doesn't get titled as a salvage car... if it's in a major accident, or went through say a hurricane (ahem Katrina) or flood then it gets tagged as salvaged.

 

Salvaged title means the vehicle was totaled by an insurance company and sold/auctioned as salvage for parting out. Once the VIN is tagged it will be next to impossible to get collision insurance and sometimes even liability insurance. Check with your insurance first then try Carfax to run the VIN and see what happened. Flood damage will show up as MAJOR electrical problems in the future as wiring and electrical components continue to corrode.

 

Please check your state laws before purchase.

We bought one that had a salvage title and it took us about 3 months to get all paperwork needed to get a rebuilt title back from the state.

I rebuilt it, and I didn't have to do what a dealer has to do to get a rebuilt title (total inspection).

We got the title and got it insured too. But that is TN. law.

Please check yours before you purchase.

This car was part of my trade in on the HHR.