Salvage Titles

M

Madgame

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May 2, 2020
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Piedmont, SC
I want to get my wife a Wrangler from between 2013 to 2020, and I am seeing some good deals on salvage titles. What type of shop should I look for to verify the salvage repairs were done correctly?

If anyone is local to Greenville, SC and knows someone, that would be especially helpful.
 
Rubicon John said:
I think this is state specific. It definitely doesn’t matter in Florida and I don’t think Georgia matters either.
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It's all company policy. Most companies will only finance for liability, but that's company specific. I also know that most banks won't finance a salvaged title either.
 
Insurance has not been a issue here in California. If a vehicle is totaled and is repairable it must pass a safety inspection by the state to receive a new salvage title. Everything has to be as factory and working. You probably wouldn't want something that was in a flood or fire, but with today's shop rates, insurance companies seem to lean towards cutting their losses and total the vehicle,,,gregg
 
State Farm sure seems to have a fetish for totaling vehicles, even with minor damage. I had QUITE the disagreement with them about 10 years ago because they wanted to total my car. They eventually saw it my way - and I'm still driving the car today!

Point is, a vehicle with a salvage title *MAY* not have had that much wrong with it in the first place.
 
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Madgame said:
I want to get my wife a Wrangler from between 2013 to 2020, and I am seeing some good deals on salvage titles. What type of shop should I look for to verify the salvage repairs were done correctly?

If anyone is local to Greenville, SC and knows someone, that would be especially helpful.
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Any competent shop should be able to do a PPI and give you an idea of the repairs. If you do find a salvaged title that you're interested in I would recommend running a vehicle history report - sometimes they have some details as to the type of damage that led to the salvaged declaration (frontal impact, roll-over, etc.). Take that report with you to the shop so they understand what type of repair was done.
 
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qslim said:
Any competent shop should be able to do a PPI and give you an idea of the repairs. If you do find a salvaged title that you're interested in I would recommend running a vehicle history report - sometimes they have some details as to the type of damage that led to the salvaged declaration (frontal impact, roll-over, etc.). Take that report with you to the shop so they understand what type of repair was done.
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I agree with this if the salvage title doesn't scare you. Just get it as cheap as you can because the next buyer will work you over on the price when they see a salvage title.
 
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Ericict said:
I agree with this if the salvage title doesn't scare you. Just get it as cheap as you can because the next buyer will work you over on the price when they see a salvage title.
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Yeah, I've bought a few over the years. You just have to understand that the salvage title almost completely removes the vehicle from the "regular" car market that most folks deal on. Book values pretty much go out the window, financing / insuring can be different, etc. There are good deals to be had with branded titles, you just have to realize what you're getting into.
 
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qslim said:
Yeah, I've bought a few over the years. You just have to understand that the salvage title almost completely removes the vehicle from the "regular" car market that most folks deal on. Book values pretty much go out the window, financing / insuring can be different, etc. There are good deals to be had with branded titles, you just have to realize what you're getting into.
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Great post . I grew up around body shops and rebuilds.... Here's the deal ....how hard was it smacked ? That's what matters.

I saw a 2014 4door sahara totaled with 30,000 miles because water got up inside the rear cargo area. It was mint . Not a scratch.

I have an 06 Rubi..it wasn't wrecked ...got stolen and the VIN tag was removed ...that totaled it. Had they looked on the frame , they would have been able to verify it.

As he said , you have to know what you are getting into. You can get one that never aligns right , has plastic pieces randomly falling from wherever , the doors don't feel right, tires wear weird ...you hate it , and can't get your money out if it .

And foremost , it needs to be safe for her . These are real, steel frame vehicles , even the JK's, but it has to be safe.
 
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If the seller would allow you to take it to a reputable body / frame shop for inspection you could maybe figure out if it was fixed correctly, still a gamble without disassembly in some cases. I would expect at least 25% off clean title price for a comparable vehicle if not more. Salvage title can be a good deal, if you buy right, its fixed right, and you keep it long enough that the title brand does not matter as much to when you go to sell it.

Make some calls to well reviewed local shops. See who is willing to help, and what they expect to charge for inspection. Really its up to you to see what you are comfortable with.

My last experience with a salvage title car was when I was looking for something for my son. A 2012 Impala with repaired front end damage for about 40% off KBB value. Once I got it on a lift, I could see it had serious uni-body repair in the front strut tower and frame horn by a hack job welder who used caulking to hide his lack of skill. Spliced wires in the main harness that looked like a birds nest, and a bent engine cradle they shimmed out with fender washer to make everything line up. Needless to say I passed on it, but it was gone a week later. Someone bought it. Don't be that guy.
 
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