The biggest issue is with the title. Getting a salvaged title returned to a regular title is an up hill battle. You cannot register a vehicle with a salvaged title. You have to get the vehicle repaired then inspected then title swap (which is very time consuming) then registered. Check with your local tag office for salvage title restoration requirements before you buy anything. You should also have a qualified mechanic look at vehicle and advise you of condition. They will probably find something serious that you may have missed in your "Dreamy State" inspectionAuto Salvage Info....?
You should ask who did the reconstructive work on it and talk to that person/business about the car. It is possible that the car was just smashed a little, but enough damage was done to make it more expensive to fix than replace. In cases like that, the insurance writes the car off as "totalled" and if someone else fixes it, the title has the brand salvaged on it. I bought a car that was salvaged, it had front end damage and a new motor put in before I bought it. The good part with my car is that all the front end was replaced so i don't need to deal with that or the motor except for maintenance. On some cars, the place the car was crunched can be a safety issue, I don't know the rules for welding frames back together or stuff like that, but it is good to ask about so you are aware. Depending on the year and make of the car, you might be able to get a carfax report on it online. Just do your homework, and get any promises in writing ... make sure you understand your rights as a buyer in your state because different states have variations in rules for what can be sold to you as a salvage. One more thing - stay away from cars that have been through floods because the wiring can go t*ts up on you at any time, computers get crazy glitches, window motors short out, any number of freaky problems can come up from those.Auto Salvage Info....?
I always buy salvage cars. Just expect to pay maybe $400 to fix little things that were not done quite right. And expect to have trouble trading it in. A salvage title car is a long term keeper.
Otherwise, just make sure the repairs seem to have been done right. I ask to see a "before" picture. My last buy, just last month was a 2004 Focus and I don't see why the car was even totaled. Just the drivers side front fender and the headlight from that side were whacked. And a couple cracks in the air induction system that I fixed with duct tape.
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