I found a free vehicle history report from Cars for Sale (similar to Carfax) regarding a 2014 Subaru Forester. In March 2023 it was branded as “salvage” in Ohio. In May 2023 it was reported as “rebuilt” in Pa and in Oct 2023 “rebuilt” in NJ. Yet, there are no reports of collisions, vandalism, fire, theft or flood. How is it possible it needed to be rebuilt? Although it has only 91,500 miles, should I avoid buying this car?
The vehicle may have been salvaged due to a blown engine.
I would never buy a vehicle that was salvaged. Especially if I don’t know who performed the rebuild.
Tester
3 Likes
avoid it at all costs no matter how “good” the price may seem to be
4 Likes
Yes…
1 Like
+1 for all the above…
A rebuilt title normally means that the vehicle was a total loss, or it would cost the ins company about 75-80% of the value of the vehicle to repair it correctly, meaning on a $10,000 car, it would cost $7,500-$8,000 or more to repair it, not worth it…
Now the 4th gen Tacoma (2024 and up) frames are on national back order, about a year out, last I checked, and the trailer hitch is part of the frame, so if you back into something or get rear ended and it bends the trailer hitch part X%, then ins will total the vehicle, cause of the cost and it could take a year to get a frame, so they just total it… That would be a great one to buy if you never plan on towing with it, or want to try to repair it yourself, but the ins rates are about the same as a non wrecked Tacoma, so no money saved there…
But I can total a vehicle out and 1/2 ass repair it in my back yard, and retitle it as a salvage vehicle and sell it, but I have delt with lots of used car dealers that sell these on the cheap that look like a 5yo tried to weld the core support back in or whatever, and I have also lifted one that the rear subframe stayed on the floor, so it all depends on why it has a salvage/rebuilt title and the quality of repair done to it, so since that is almost impossible unless you did the work yourself, stay the heck away from any salvaged title vehicle…
Yes. Avoid it. Don’t buy a salvaged car.
“Rebuilt” in this case is a title status; a vehicle with a salvage title was inspected and qualified as “Rebuilt”.
It may not have been necessary to rebuild the vehicle, however in order to register the vehicle it is necessary to change the title status from “Salvage” to “Rebuilt”.
The reason the DMV changed the title status to “Salvage” may be unknown, perhaps the vehicle was stolen, then later recovered and sold at action. The vehicle could have been damaged, sold at auction, then repaired in someone’s back yard. A close-up inspection of the vehicle might answer your questions.
1 Like
My neighbor has purchased several salvage/rebuilt vehicles over the years (he is not a mechanic).
I’ll tell him to stop doing that.
???
A “restored salvage” titled vehicle could be a great buy, or it could be a waste of money, or worse. The only way to really know is to find the reason why it was salvaged, and inspect for concealed body damage, shoddy repairs, etc. Of course, a “restored salvage” titled vehicle is worth half the price of a clean-titled example in similar condition and mileage. Anyone trying to charge more is ripping you off.
What is most important, aside from price, is how old the vehicle was when it became “salvage” and how long ago it was “restored”, and how long the owner kept it after that. An older car (10+ years old at the time it became “salvage”) and the owner kept it for several years after it was repaired would not bother me. A late-model car (10 years old or newer at the time it became “salvage”) and/or the vehicle was sold repeatedly would scare me off no matter how good a deal it might seem.
I have never owned a “restored salvage” titled vehicle, not because I am afraid to purchase such a vehicle, but because sellers want too much money for something which just isn’t worth it. If a particular model is worth $10k with a regular title, why on Earth would I pay $8500 for a branded-title? The answer is, I wouldn’t. At $5k, it might be worth looking at.
1 Like
Yes all of the above. The worst would be if it were due to a flood. You do want to actually see the title though and not go by a computer report.
If the car can be bought at a 25-50% savings, the car can be checked for proper repair and alignment, and you never intend to sell it again, maybe.
My son ended up with a salvage. I said no but he bought it anyway. Never had any issues with it except one rear tire was slightly out of spec. He got sandwiched between two cars after about five years and it was totaled so we never had to try to sell it. Kids will be kids. We never did figure out why it was salvaged but it was a nice low mileage car and served him well through school.
1 Like
I usually would say if you knew exactly why the car has a salvage title and that the repairs were done properly, then buy if it is an amazing deal. BUT, recently a coworkers truck was deemed salvage due to a minor rear damage. They took the money and fixed the car for much cheaper. The problem came with the CA registration renewal where more inspections were needed and they started picking on other stuff to be fixed. They eventually fixed everything and re-registered the car but realized that all in all it was probably not worth the hassle.
I have yet to see any reporting service list the cause of damage unless it was a flood. Makes sense as the reporting repair place is only listing what area was damaged/repaired and sometimes the relative extent of that damage (e.g. minor, moderate, major). They have no idea how it happened. I think the only exception is flood damage where that is somewhat obvious. Personally, that is all I care about. I don’t care how it happened, just the extent of the repairs so I can judge if it’s in my comfort zone to take the risk.
@jmcarc This probably a post you will not like. Looking at your other threads you have I really believe you have no business with a rebuilt vehicle of any kind especially one with All Wheel drive . I personally would not lease a new vehicle but you might be one of those that would benefit providing you do not go crazy leasing some high priced luxury vehicle.
You need to inspect the car yourself or take someone that is a professional mechanic or advanced DIYer to assess condition. It would be great if this is a relative or close friend that would do it for the buddy price. It would help to put it on a lift of some sort to look at the undercarriage. If you can’t do this, keep looking.
Tester