Why Buy A Salvaged Car (And Why Not To)

What Is A Salvaged Car?

Typically, a salvaged car is one in which there has been more damage to the vehicle in terms of dollar value than the vehicle is worth.  Cars that have been in accidents or that have sustained flood damage are often branded as salvaged cars.  Rebuildable salvaged cars are cars that have been rebuilt or repaired and are then worthy to be driven on the road again.  What’s important to realize, however, is that salvaged cars come with salvaged car titles, which are not attractive to many people, and for good reason.  There are times, however, when buying salvaged cars makes sense, and we’ll explore that concept in this article.  Most important, though, is that you should be aware when you are purchasing a salvaged car.  That’s why it is important to get a vehicle history report on any used car you are considering purchasing, which you can do at http://www.carfax.com.

Some states even use salvage titles when a vehicle is stolen, so it stands to reason that any car with a salvage title has or has had some serious problems.  By doing your research before you purchase a used car, you can find out ahead of time if the car has a clean title or a salvage title.  Rebuildable salvaged cars may look great on the road, but they will still have a salvage title, usually a variation of the brand salvage, such as resalvaged or rebuilt savage title.  Still, there are situations when buying salvaged cars make sense.

Who Should Buy A Salvaged Car?

Those who are able to work on cars may save a lot of money buying salvaged cars and fixing them up.  Even if you have to pay the repair bill instead of doing the work yourself, you can still save a bundle.  If you’re planning to keep the car and drive it until it falls apart, it may be a good idea to consider salvaged cars for sale.  Salvaged cars are often sold at insurance auctions.  Hurricanes and floods often cause an influx of salvaged cars to hit the market, even years after the damage occurs.

You can learn a great deal about buying used cars when you view a sample vehicle history report at Carfax.  You can view sample reports for free; ordering a comprehensive vehicle history report costs $29.99 for one; $39.99 for unlimited reports.  One thing to look for when you view the vehicle history report of the car you may be interested in purchasing is whether or not the car has ever been registered in an area that was declared a disaster area because of flooding, or if the car has been registered in an area that sustained a major hurricane.  While the report will reveal if the car has ever been issued a salvage title, even if it hasn’t, there are things you should look for, such as water or frame damage and where the car was registered. 

Salvaged cars for sale aren’t necessarily a bad thing; it all depends on what your needs are.  For those in the market for salvaged cars, there are bargains to be had.  Still, it can be a costly mistake to purchase a car with a salvage title when you had no idea you were doing so.

Who Should Avoid Buying Salvaged Cars?

If you are planning to sell your car or even trade it in sometime in the future, you may want to think twice about purchasing a salvaged car.  This is because most dealers won’t take them in on trade, and many savvy car buyers won’t want to mess with them.  While it may be tempting to buy a luxurious car at a fraction of the cost because of its salvaged car status, realize that you may have difficulty down the road getting rid of it.  This is true even for rebuildable salvaged cars.

The Advantages Of Salvaged Cars

Clearly, there are distinct advantages to buying salvaged cars.  Buying a salvaged car may allow you to drive a much more luxurious model than you could otherwise afford.  As long as you know what you are getting into, looking for salvaged cars for sale can save you a great deal of money.

The Disadvantages Of Salvaged Cars

The biggest disadvantage to buying salvaged cars is that they can be difficult to sell and almost impossible to trade in.  Salvaged cars also are famous for having damage that is not visible to the naked eye, so even if you are planning to keep the vehicle and drive it until it is no longer drivable, that time could come sooner than you think if the damage is serious enough.  Be proactive and consider investing in a vehicle history report and taking the car into a mechanic for inspection before you make a purchase.

Salvage Title Laws

What makes a car a salvaged car in one state may not make it so in another state.  Although the laws regarding salvaged cars are similar, they do vary from state to state.  To see the salvaged car laws in your state, visit http://www.dmv.org.  It is illegal to sell a car with a salvaged title without revealing the status of the title but unscrupulous “title washers” often find ways around the law.

Sometimes, airbag deployment can result in a car being branded as salvaged, as airbag replacement can be quite expensive, and this could exceed the value of the car.  This is another area where fraudsters cut corners; instead of replacing the airbags, they merely stuff the holes with something and make it look as if the car has working airbags.  Because this is extremely dangerous in the event of a car crash, it is wise to do your research and ensure that the used car you are considering buying actually has working airbags.  You can take it to an ASE certified airbag mechanic to make sure the airbags are good, and you can get a free airbag history report from Carfax at http://www.carfax.com/airbag.  Even if you don’t want to purchase a full vehicle history report, at least take advantage of the free airbag history report.  It could save your life or the life of someone you love!