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Rebuilt Title - Great deal, or headache?

O'Rattlecan

Redneck Prognosticator
26,687
797
Belton, MO
Hi Gents,

Tell me about your experience with vehicles you bought that had a "rebuilt" title. Anything from hail damage to major collisions. Was it worth the discounted price, or did it give you years of headaches?

I'd love to hear your experience.

Ryan
 

smokey

Hitech hillbilly
Staff member
I had one it wasn't that bad.
Rebuild a ranger and got a special vin number issued.
the Vin number with the insurance company was the only real pain. Their computer system didn't know how to handle the vin. I had to keep taking pics of the vin and sending in a copy of the title with the odd vin number. About once a year I had to send the paper work in.
 

polarbear

just growing older not up
12,878
607
Boring, Oregon
I wouldn't touch a rebuilt title on a newer vehicle with you're 10 ft. pole. I could go on forever as to why, but the major issues are

1. Safety
2. The net selling price rarely takes the full impact of the rebuilt (or salvage, depending on the state) title into account.
 

smokey

Hitech hillbilly
Staff member
For a rebuilt title here in maryland you have to have it inspected by the state police garage. Mine was just a cab swap in maryland that is enough for a rebuilt title and a special vin.
 

O'Rattlecan

Redneck Prognosticator
26,687
797
Belton, MO
The car in question had damage on the roof, he claims they were "dents."

I'm trying to determine if they pulled the dents out, or if they cut & welded new metal, with paint refinish. I'm requesting a VIN # so I can run a carfax or something. The repair wasn't done at a Ford dealer so I won't bother Vince with running the history.

It's a very good looking 2012 Fusion SE, black w/ chrome. Black cloth interior, spoiler. Low mileage, 61k

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/cto/5147601461.html

Ryan
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
A tree branch fell on Dad's Focus when it was about 1.5 years old; I forget the numbers but they cut off and replaced the roof. That was NOT enough to get it a salvage title.

So yeah...something is missing from this story.

(Personally, the only way I'd touch a salvage title would be a cheap beater- and even then, only if story passed a 'gut check'. Kid who sits in front of me bought a flood salvage Mazda. He would not do it again, at least not a flood car. Duh.)
 

blacksnapon

Moderator
Staff member
Its all in what you're comfortable in dealing with. Just because its got a rebuilt title means nothing. Research who did the rebuilding. If they have a good track record, enjoy your vehicle.
 

dustybumpers

don't play well w others
Md has changed salvage tittles now, and no longer accept them.
Too many unscroupulous scrappers have bought "donate" cars and put them on the road. There is also the tittle loans thing

You can do as Smokey did, and change cabs, etc, as long as you have the tittle to both trucks, then you take the completed truck, both vin plates, both tittles to the state police for an inspection, where they issue a completely new vin, for the year the newest truck was built


Me personally, I would have to really get one heck of a deal on a salvage tittle car. I probably would pass
 

CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
Reality of this matter:

a) The quality of the product will strictly be a function of how serious the person was about doing a real good, quality repair and didn't mind foregoing a little profit to accomplish this.

b) Salvage title vehicle is typically worth 33 - 50% LESS than a vehicle with a clean title.

c) Some insurance companies may not insure them, and some states may put up issues/flags over titling them.

d) Once upon a time and as a rule of thumb, cars got totaled when the damage was ~80% of FMV. Today, that is closer to 60%. Need proof? Do a little homework and note how many body shops there were 35 years ago, and how many are around today.

Cars in the world we live in today are rather "bic" (ie, disposable). Get the five year old bic off the road and replace with a new, more fuel efficient, and cleaner running bic. Stimulates the global economy too. :D

My 5 cents.
 

O'Rattlecan

Redneck Prognosticator
26,687
797
Belton, MO
Thanks for the feedback, guys.

It's 3,000 below KBB private party "good" condition value. It books normally at 11,300, but he's got it out there for 8,500. Hence the temptation.

I'll probably go look at it and see if it passes the gut check, but honestly I'm not sure I want that lingering doubt over a few thousand bucks.

Ryan
 

taxreliever

Licensed to Represent!
14,695
287
Maine
As I read each post, I'm getting more and more nervous for you.
 

O'Rattlecan

Redneck Prognosticator
26,687
797
Belton, MO
I learned a little, basically the short version is a rebuild is a totalled vehicle fixed by a pro. A salvage was just released and someone else managed to get it road worthy.

I'm scared of the car but I'm going to go look for giggles

Ryan
 

CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
Thanks for the feedback, guys.

It's 3,000 below KBB private party "good" condition value. It books normally at 11,300, but he's got it out there for 8,500. Hence the temptation.

I'll probably go look at it and see if it passes the gut check, but honestly I'm not sure I want that lingering doubt over a few thousand bucks.

Ryan

Develop no "love" or bonds with this vehicle. Deduct 33-50% off of the value of an equal vehicle that doesn't have a salvage (or rebuilt) title.

I learned a little, basically the short version is a rebuild is a totalled vehicle fixed by a pro. A salvage was just released and someone else managed to get it road worthy.

I'm scared of the car but I'm going to go look for giggles

Ryan

Perhaps in your state, but I would surely not bet my life on that applying in the other 49. And what's a pro, I mean, I've done a ton of body work and painted cares over the years, I didn't go to some two year trade school or for that matter, any autobody school, I learned from the school or hardknocks, talking, watching, and things like that. I know how to put a vehicle with unibody issues on a flatbed tow truck and send them to a frame shop to clean that up. The right way, done by a guy who knows what he's doing. The quality of my work, after doing it for awhile was utterly awesome, I can make body damage, depending on what happened, about impossible to find without a major witch hunt and even that will probably leave doubts. So......am I a pro? And the person who flips cars that is supposedly a pro, what would motivate him to dig in his wallet above and beyond the call of duty to put it back on the road? When it comes to rebuilt cars that have been totaled and the objective is to fix and flip, less is more (money in the sellers pocket).

33-50% deduct, even if God did the work.
 

polarbear

just growing older not up
12,878
607
Boring, Oregon
I learned a little, basically the short version is a rebuild is a totalled vehicle fixed by a pro. A salvage was just released and someone else managed to get it road worthy.

I'm scared of the car but I'm going to go look for giggles

Ryan

Correct. But remember, EVERY CL ad I see that involves a rebuilt title implies "light" damage or a theft recovery. Let's remember, to generate a salvage title, the car has been totalled.

*Sellers around here generally seem to have heavy Russian accents. For some reason, rebuilding cars... especially high end European car... is a favorite business enterprise.
 

CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
I'm scared of the car but I'm going to go look for giggles

Ryan

Get the VIN and google it. Wouldn't it be just great if you saw the pics of the car as it sat in a holding lot at a copart auction facility? Copart, place where people bid online for wrecked cars and they are scattered all over America. I've seen the pics for a few of those lightly hit rebuilts pop up online....I bet the seller wises otherwise. :rofl2:
 

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