# Quick question about salvage vehicles **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [September 21, 2019, 4:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/quick-question-about-salvage-vehicles/149213 "2019-09-21T16:07:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Blakensnake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@Blakensnake](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Blakensnake)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 4:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/quick-question-about-salvage-vehicles/149213/1 "2019-09-21T16:07:00Z")
If you see a super good deal on a car, that still needs a little bit of body work, scrapes and such. And you asked the guy if you could get it fully inspected , and you also want the title “rebuilt” from the DMV to avoid any issues. What risk is left at this point after a head to toe on the car and a clear title. ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 4:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/quick-question-about-salvage-vehicles/149213/2 "2019-09-21T16:20:14Z")
> [@Blakensnake](#): > > _ **… and you also want the title “rebuilt” from the DMV to avoid any issues.** _ What does this mean? Some states require a salvage or rebuilt title for vehicles that were declared a total loss and some states do not. What do you mean by wanting the title “rebuilt”? _ **CSA** _ 🌴🕶🌴 ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 4:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/quick-question-about-salvage-vehicles/149213/3 "2019-09-21T16:31:52Z")
> [@Blakensnake](#): > > What risk is left at this point after a head to toe on the car and a clear title. **???** Who’s going to do an adequate inspection that will remove all the risks? I know of very few qualified to do that. I’ve seen cases where one has to obtain factory measurement specifications and be able to use them in the inspection. Are all the folks doing the check-out including this procedure? Risks? Why is it that these vehicles are super good deals, do you suppose? One does not know exactly if/what the risks are until the unexpected surfaces or never surfaces. Take a super good deal totaled “flood car” that looks perfectly fine, for instance… what problems await the next owner? No problems (unlikely)? Many problems? Roll the dice and take a chance if you’re a gambler. _ **CSA** _ 🌴🕶🌴 ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 4:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/quick-question-about-salvage-vehicles/149213/4 "2019-09-21T16:32:30Z")
What is the risk? Legal risk—ask a lawyer. Mechanical risk—ask the mechanic that performed the inspection. ---
**Author:** ![Blakensnake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@Blakensnake](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Blakensnake)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 4:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/quick-question-about-salvage-vehicles/149213/5 "2019-09-21T16:46:47Z")
Turns out I don’t need a rebuilt title > **[Loophole allows damaged cars to be sold in Minnesota](https://www.kare11.com/article/news/investigations/loophole-allows-damaged-cars-to-be-sold-in-minnesota/89-488426143)** > > In Minnesota, cars six years old or older – or worth $9,000 or less – can get clean titles no matter how badly damaged. Unlike salvage vehicles, they don’t need to be inspected before being rebuilt and re-sold. Turns out you can have a completed smashed, unrepairsble car with a clean title. So even if I have a full 300 point inspection done, still rolling the dice , same with used cars on top of salvage ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 5:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/quick-question-about-salvage-vehicles/149213/6 "2019-09-21T17:00:07Z")
I think it really depends on the extent of damage and the quality of the rebuild. Was it just front end damage or did they weld two different cars together? If it wasn’t too bad requiring strut tower replacement and the work was reasonable quality, my concern then would be alignment issues that may not show up until irregular tire wear happened. At any rate the price should be significantly lower like 25-50% off an undamaged vehicle. Then the whole idea of selling it again should be forgotten. Against my advice, my son bought one and it was really no problem except for one rear tire that always wore. The salvage title made selling impossible but luckily it was rear ended and totaled again. ---
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 5:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/quick-question-about-salvage-vehicles/149213/7 "2019-09-21T17:06:09Z")
THAT is honestly No Bueno… Once a title gets into the “Salvage” category…whether deserved or undeserved… it is supposed to be in vehicle Limbo basically. Sure you can repair many of these vehicles as some get salvaged due to water, or hail, or some other reversible issue and Salvaging the title and devaluing the car may not be correct but… sometimes it surely IS correct to salvage classify it. They really should never be able to be un-salvaged imho…and that is coming from someone who can handle anything car related repair wise. Not only that but if you can unsalvage at will, you then magically increase the value of the previously salvaged vehicle by quite a bit…and that opens the door to some unscrupulous people… hell they are unscrupulous enough out there with out this ability. Me no likey. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 5:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/quick-question-about-salvage-vehicles/149213/8 "2019-09-21T17:11:24Z")
I didn’t read the article but I’m not aware of being able to unsalvage a salvage title in Minnesota. There is one provision for a full inspection at a patrol location to get it titled again so maybe, but I kinda doubt it. Of course if the car comes from NJ and the title is washed and no one knows it was salvaged in the first place . . . ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 5:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/quick-question-about-salvage-vehicles/149213/9 "2019-09-21T17:37:39Z")
You are never going to have a “clear title” as long as it’s been branded Rebuilt or Salvage. A “litte bit of body work, scrapes, and such” is not going to total a car unless you mean that the scrapes and body work is from sliding along a bridge abutment at 80 MPH. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 10:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/quick-question-about-salvage-vehicles/149213/10 "2019-09-21T22:08:56Z")
I once considered buying a nice Ford Escort and took it for a test drive. It steered oddly and had a new paint job. I contacted the DMV and found out it was a salvaged car and I concluded it would never run right although the body work was OK. I strongly advise against buying salvaged vehicles; there will always be something wrong that you have not caught. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2019, 4:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/quick-question-about-salvage-vehicles/149213/11 "2019-09-22T04:49:46Z")
Title washing happens all the time.you register and title a car in a state that has on salvage title law, then you can sell it anyplace with a clean title. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2019, 2:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/quick-question-about-salvage-vehicles/149213/12 "2019-09-22T14:02:16Z")
was at persons house yesterday. younger guy who just got out of an autobody course. he has a 09 ford edge he bought salvage. he fixed it up and wife drove it 1 day and hit deer on way home from work. is fixing it again. i think your insurance co may be ok with a reduced value due to salvage and may cover new repairs based on that? though i did not ask guy about who was paying for repair ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2019, 5:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/quick-question-about-salvage-vehicles/149213/13 "2019-09-22T17:48:48Z")
> [@Cavell](#): > > he fixed it up and wife drove it 1 day and hit deer on way home from work. is fixing it again. Heh heh. It’s cheaper if you buy a larger quantity of paint at one time than for each repair. I used to stock green pearl for my son’s car because the thing was always getting run into for some reason-usually unattended. The perils of fixing cars. My new Olds got key lined all along the side, so I repainted the whole side Saturday night and drove it to church on Sunday. Of course someone slammed their door into it and took a chunk out of the still soft paint. No one confessed though. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2019, 9:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/quick-question-about-salvage-vehicles/149213/15 "2019-09-27T09:14:16Z")
Gawd ain’t that the truth, Bought my used trailblazer like 12 years ago, luckily I took in necessary maintenance for the price. All looked good. Did the trip to the EAA airshow and the pinion seal was leaking, $1200 later due to bad bearings as the cause it has been good for everything, no I did not have a shop check it out, I did it myself. In the maintenance receipts was the pinion seal was replaced at 60k. 110k later still happy. I paid 12k for a truck that was selling for 16k at the time. Pinnion seal was not leaking, just wondering if a test drive whacked it. Guys email was like Christlove @something. ---
**Author:** ![wentwest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wentwest/32/6073_2.png) [@wentwest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wentwest)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2019, 2:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/quick-question-about-salvage-vehicles/149213/16 "2019-09-27T14:43:42Z")
We argue about the most unimportant things here, and then you guys bring up religion. Can we just drop it, please?