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Salvage Car Questions

Discussion in 'General' started by cm1744, Oct 11, 2019.

  1. cm1744

    cm1744 Well-Known Member

    If it was fixed, it would have a clean title. So no, 40% would be low.
     
  2. R Acree

    R Acree Banned

    We weren't aware enough and had problems with the clear coat on one entire side of the car. Never again.
     
  3. turner38

    turner38 Well-Known Member

    Yeah, have been burned by a clean car fax also on the MDX my girl drove. Bought it at night in the rain and didn’t catch the RF fender had been painted. It had a clean car fax though...
     
  4. speedluvn

    speedluvn Man card Issuer

    So a clean Carfax doesn't always make for a clean car? o_O

    So there are ways around title status?
     
  5. Tristan

    Tristan Well-Known Member

    Correct on both. The car we just bought had obviously had the rear bumper painted and a small crease in the sheetmetal in front of the driver's rear tire but clean Carfax and clean title. We can live with that since they priced it $2500 under KBB Dealer price (when other dealers were trying to get $3K+ OVER book on this model).
     
    speedluvn likes this.
  6. Kris87

    Kris87 Friendly Smartass

    Which happens way more than you'd think. Plenty of accidents don't get reported to Carfax, especially if a police report isn't filed. I don't have an issue with the service that Carfax provides to the consumer, but it will never be 100% accurate. Cars were sold and driven just fine before Carfax existed and there's millions on the road today that have no Carfax history even though they've had damage/accidents/etc.
     
  7. Kris87

    Kris87 Friendly Smartass

    Again, it depends all on how the insurance company sold it. They can declare anything a total loss, which does not mean the car will have a salvage, junk, or rebuilt title.
     
  8. cm1744

    cm1744 Well-Known Member

    Agreed, it's better than not having any such service, but it doesn't catch everything. Inconsistencies like this and the fact that I despise dealers to begin make me frustrated with the whole process.
     
  9. lopitt85

    lopitt85 Well-Known Member

    It is my understanding that once the insurance company calls it a total loss and pays out, it then become salvage (or whatever tour particular state calls it). If the next buyer wants to repair it, they have have to pass certain inspections and then it can be re-titled as rebuilt (or whatever tour state calls it). So it sounds like this guy is extremely shady and the cops would want to be notified. Think of the next person that doesn't know this vehicle's history, buys the car, then gets the surprise. They're out that money and have to now fight to get it back, if they ever do.
     
    BigBird likes this.
  10. turner38

    turner38 Well-Known Member


    No.

    How is that guy shady? He bought a car at auction and puts it on his lot for sale. That makes him shady how? Hell it is probably still on a floor plan truth be told.

    What determines if it is salvage or not is what the percentage of damage is, not whether or not the insurance paid their customer and took the car then sold it as a wrecked but clean title car.

    Go browse Copart a while and you will see a lot of vehicles with light damage and a good title being sold by insurance companies.
     
  11. cm1744

    cm1744 Well-Known Member

    I wish I could find pics of the car post-crash. It was a mangled wreck. If the system works like it should, no way should the vehicle be sellable without a big fat asterisk alerting the buyer of it has a noteworthy history. Yes it has an impact on retail but it takes a major repair to get it roadworthy again and there's no guarantees things would be nearly as good as they were.

    A post-repair inspection in MN would get it to rebuilt salvage status or similar, I believe. This deems it road-worthy but most insurances companies will only honor liability coverage because it has already been paid out on once. This TL in question has been paid out on. Selling it as a clean title means the next registered owner could have full coverage and possibly have another claim on it. THAT'S what I don't get... But hey, that's the game they're playing.

     
  12. turner38

    turner38 Well-Known Member

    It was fixed, same as if they had fixed it for your dad most likely. The only difference is the insurance lost less money than if they had fixed it for your dad.
     
  13. cm1744

    cm1744 Well-Known Member

    I have the valuation summary of the car in hand. At the time it was $6272. I also have the estimate from the at-fault party's insurance in hand. Net total there was $8270.35. Now I don't have a calculator handy, but...

    Is the guy shady? Maybe, who knows. That depends on your moral compass. Ignorant? At least. Didn't care to find the information himself and doesn't care what is relayed on to the customer.
     
  14. turner38

    turner38 Well-Known Member

    That’s the game his insurance played...
    They sold it with a good title. Can’t blame anyone for fixing it and going on with it.
     
  15. cm1744

    cm1744 Well-Known Member

    So insurance determines title status or repair costs as a % of retail determines title status?
     
  16. turner38

    turner38 Well-Known Member

    Probably varies by state as to how they classify them...

    I don’t really get what you are bitching about? They have a car for sale and think it is worth more than you do. It is there car and they can sit on it till it sales. Sounds like it is a 4K dollar ride anyway and it will bring full pup in about three months when tax season hits regardless of the title status.
     
  17. cm1744

    cm1744 Well-Known Member

    I'm not bitching about anything. I experienced something and didn't blindly take it at face value so figured I'd gather the hive opinion and related experiences on it. If it was so clear cut as you imply, then I would have already paid the $6k they're asking for it.
     
  18. bored&stroked

    bored&stroked Disclaimer: Can't spell

    As a dealer they will have to flip the title into your name from their re-assignment on back. When they go to do that it will become a salvaged title. At that point they've mis-represented the car and are liable for a lawsuit. I'd just walk away from this thing.
     
    VFR#52 and SundaySocial like this.
  19. Spitz

    Spitz Well-Known Member

    We deal with a lot of rebuilt/ salvage cars. I called the guy we get them from, he's actually an auctioneer that does this as a side business to rebuild them back to working order. He said the title will be in the insurance companies name and will be branded as salvage, from there he's responsible for getting the car fixed and inspected in our state. So, in reality it should have been in the insurance companies' name at some point (unless that's only done for salvaged cars). He said he's seen some weird things go through though. Cars that are wrecked way beyond repair with clean titles etc..
     
  20. lopitt85

    lopitt85 Well-Known Member

    Laws vary state to state so maybe it's different where you are. Where I was when I bought my rebuilt titled truck (paid $12k for a 2013 Ram 1500 Quadcab with only 11k miles on it) was the way I described above. Once the insurance company paid for it, it was considered totaled/salvage.

    After the guy repaired all the damage, it was inspected by the state, deemed functional, and can only be sold with a rebuilt title. If the rules are the same in the OP's state, and the car lot owner knows it, and is passing it off as clean, he would absolutely be shady.

    If he got duped too, then he is also a victim of FRAUD.
     
    VFR#52 likes this.

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