I can get a great deal on a car that has a salvage title. The shop seems to have a very good reputation,the car has all the safety checks and seems in really good shape. They bent over backwards and have done everything I've asked.
Opinons anyone ?
Thanks,
phil

 

Whats the year/model/mileage/asking price?

 

Insurance companies can refuse to insure a salvage title. Just FYI.

 

1. Make sure it passes all the safety checks before you buy.
2. Make sure you can insure before you buy.
3. If you do buy it you will probably want to drive it til it dies because you wont get much selling it.
4. Its salvaged so its not worth much and cobalts already have a poor resale.

 

i had no issues with insurance(nationwide) comp only though, my saturn is a salvage/rebuilt twice or so over

 

Is it a salvage title or rebuilt. These 2 are different. Salvage needs to go through inspection to make sure everything checks out and they give you a rebuilt title. Rebuilt titles are usually cars that were salvage but were repaired and meet driving standards & don't need inspection those are great deals since they're ready to go on the road. Salvage is a hassle.

 

My friend bought a rebuilt Tiburon and he's had so much trouble with it. Parking brake broke, both rear calipers busted twice, front wheel bearings and complete hubs broke. Many electrical problems too. Just saying.

 

Depends on what totaled the car, what actually happened to it?

Generally I wouldn't due to electrical issues and parts being damaged beyond repair like a bent frame...depending on what happened to the car

 

you would need to look into why its salvaged/rebuilt. could be flood damage, crazy wreck... could be something stupidly small.

Another thing, people can actually 'settle' with the insurance company to have the car salvaged in order to get the insurance money and then they just buy it back and fix it themselves.. or something like that.

look at the carfax usually itll tell you damage.

 

I had a "99 Ranger 4x4. It was a salvage title because the front end was smashed up. A body shop bought it and did a hell of a job fixing it up. I never had a single issue with the truck. As far as insurance. Here in Ohio I was only able to get liability and no dealership was able to take it as trade or even sell one. Don't know how it is in Michigan but like emiller said drive it till it dies cause you won't get **** as far as resale unless you find someone that's hard up for a car.

 

those problems have nothing to do with it being a rebuild. if it was messed up in the wreck etc.. it would have been fixed. or your buddy didnt check stuff before he bought it.

 

salvage cars can have a lot of alignment issues but, thats if the frame was bent.

 

A properly repaired salvage car will be straighter than factory. But it all varies on who did the repair and the processes used. Saying that though make sure you don't pay too much for it.

 

i agree, i bought my saturn from a salvage auction.. rear ended nothing to horrid.. it does have piece of an infinity frame welded in though.. never have i had an alignment issue, nor recurring issues from either wreck(initial one or the second one)....

If its a Rebuilt and done right you should be good to go, just check the rest of the normal basics..

If Salvage and you plan to rebuild(or have a shop do it) make sure you check frame and talk to someone with access to a frame rack to see how bad they think it is..

 

I got a 2009 LS 5 speed salvaged for a good deal (about 25% off the retail) and I've yet to have a problem. I took it to a mechanic before I bought it and he could tell it had been in a front end collision (due to what parts were replaced) but couldn't find anything wrong with how it was repaired.

All the bodywork was done at a body shop. Just be aware that the cost to insure the car will be of a car being worth the full amount but the payout is of a rebuilt car if it's ever totaled. Lastly GM won't do any recall work on it, I took it back to the guy I bought though, he has a dealership license but only goes through about 35-40 cars a year, (had the issue where the key gets stuck in the on position and can't be taken out) and he took it to the dealership near him where he knows them and they did if for free, even gave me a loaner car for two days.

 

cobalts get salvaged titles all the time. if it was rear end damage it probably will be alright. If it got hit in the front idk if it would be a issue depending on if the shop knows what its doing just drive it and see.

 

It depends on why it has a salvage title, I wouldn't advice to buy a flooded car, fresh water flooding is not too bad, but salt water flood is worse. Apart from that, it might be fine, but you need to have the car checked by some mechanic if you have any doubts. I've got salvage mustang recently (here is a big choice of cheap mustangs for sale) I also bought salvage car 3 years ago, and the only problem I had was to find someone who'd buy it from me when I decided to sell it, as many people don't want to deal with salvage cars.