I have been looking at some used Honda Elements and have noticed that some have a "rebuilt title", while others have a "salvage title". Are these two different types of titles or are they one in the same?
salvage title vs. rebuilt title
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Although this could vary by state, generally there is no difference. Both mean that the car was in a severe enough accident that it was totaled, and then someone came along and took the wrecked piece of junk out of the junk yard and fixed it as cheaply as they could without using the proper techniques and is trying to hawk the heap of junk on to some unsuspecting buyer.
It could also have been stolen and stripped. My moms Sportage was involved in a wreck. Didn't look that bad, bumper came off, 1 fender and hood and it needed a little pull on the frame straightner. But it was considered a total.
I/we didn't want to replace it with another with no maintenance history and have problems so we had it fixed. This is what a "total" looked like. Mom was able to drive it home.
Of course it's worthless now with the branded title.
I/we didn't want to replace it with another with no maintenance history and have problems so we had it fixed. This is what a "total" looked like. Mom was able to drive it home.
Of course it's worthless now with the branded title.
"Salvage" or "rebuilt" title vehicles should be purchased fully repaired at 50% of wholesale or less. And that's if you really love them and can't live without them.
Otherwise, just keep looking.
Otherwise, just keep looking.
I've seen some good work on rebuilt cars. The shop I used to get paint work done rebuilds cars for extra money when it's slow. The body shop is located in WV where labor rates are cheaper. This allows the shop to be able to make a profit on cars that are salvaged in the big cities where the labor rates are high. The cars were not wrecked that badly.
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Already suggested, but remember, "total" in this setting is a combined economic AND physical concept. Although the number (or range) varies from state to state, once a vehicle's damage reaches some percentage of its value, the car is declared a "total" (as in total loss).
The way it's done sometimes leads to odd results. The bare bones 2002 4 cyl stick Camry that saved my life was at first NOT a total. Ins co insisted on fixing it, though the repair quote was only a couple hundred shy of the total point. I begged them to just write it off, but they wouldn't budge. So they paid for all the body and paint work, and when I was doing the delivery inspection before signing for it, we discovered that the airbag computer had been fried and had to be replaced. That was another $1900 (wow) and made the car an instant total. So the ins co ended up, in effect, paying for the car twice and ended up owning a salvage title car.
By contrast, if I'd owned a loaded Lexus ES (built off the Camry platform) with the same damage, the car would NOT have been totaled since the supplement for the computer would have still left the car below the total level.
The way it's done sometimes leads to odd results. The bare bones 2002 4 cyl stick Camry that saved my life was at first NOT a total. Ins co insisted on fixing it, though the repair quote was only a couple hundred shy of the total point. I begged them to just write it off, but they wouldn't budge. So they paid for all the body and paint work, and when I was doing the delivery inspection before signing for it, we discovered that the airbag computer had been fried and had to be replaced. That was another $1900 (wow) and made the car an instant total. So the ins co ended up, in effect, paying for the car twice and ended up owning a salvage title car.
By contrast, if I'd owned a loaded Lexus ES (built off the Camry platform) with the same damage, the car would NOT have been totaled since the supplement for the computer would have still left the car below the total level.
Do some states still 'wash' a salvaged title?
I recall that some states didn't have 'salvage' titles so a car can be transfered to that/those state(s) and the 'salvage' or 'repaired' gets removed and the car is sold with a 'clean' title to an unsuspecting buyer.
I recall that some states didn't have 'salvage' titles so a car can be transfered to that/those state(s) and the 'salvage' or 'repaired' gets removed and the car is sold with a 'clean' title to an unsuspecting buyer.
As of Jan 2010 (eg already) they are supposed to have a national title database so washing isn't as easy.
However, my state will issue a transferrable registration on anything older than 1995 with only a non-verified, non-notarized bill of sale. This lets operations like Broadway title get you legal ownership of an old muscle car without any previous paperwork. Any pre-95 car would get registered without any brands; it's up to the next state if titled again to "discover" the branding by VIN... and IDK how that'd work.
However, my state will issue a transferrable registration on anything older than 1995 with only a non-verified, non-notarized bill of sale. This lets operations like Broadway title get you legal ownership of an old muscle car without any previous paperwork. Any pre-95 car would get registered without any brands; it's up to the next state if titled again to "discover" the branding by VIN... and IDK how that'd work.
Anything do do with 'Katrina ' cars?
Geeze. A guy I know who isn't too car savvy bought a 'new' pick-up that came from the coast. Likely a flooded vehicle. Got a huge discount but who knows what the future holds for it.
It's not unheard of to see 'southern auto for sale' in the mid-west. The possibility of flooded or storm damaged vehicle isn't on most peoples minds months after or even a year later.
So the 'southern car' sounds like a good deal.
Northerners are concerned about salt damage/rust; and a 'southern vehicle' is attractive.
It's not unheard of to see 'southern auto for sale' in the mid-west. The possibility of flooded or storm damaged vehicle isn't on most peoples minds months after or even a year later.
So the 'southern car' sounds like a good deal.
Northerners are concerned about salt damage/rust; and a 'southern vehicle' is attractive.
Yes, beware. There's a Toyota dealer on the I-10 access road on the east approach to New Orleans (I've been gone long enough that I now forget which one it is). Post Kat, EVERY NEW CAR on the lot (well, every vehicle period) was roof-deep in flood water. EVERY vehicle was a total. I have no knowledge of what happened to those cars, but the possibilities scare me. And they should scare anyone considering a deeply discounted car of this vintage. . .
I don't know of any way to get the smell out of a Katrina car. At least I haven't seen anyone be successful at it yet. Not to mention every the corrosion at every electrical connection.
Ozone removes all odors, super effective on water damage!
But it eats unprotected rubber, so you must be careful.
I would buy a rebuilt title in a second. They can be as good or even better than a regular car.
Flood cars scare me.
But it eats unprotected rubber, so you must be careful.
I would buy a rebuilt title in a second. They can be as good or even better than a regular car.
Flood cars scare me.
In our state, 'salvage title' car cannot be registered and cannot be driven on the roads. it has to be converted to 'rebuilt title' in order to register it. That basically means repairing the car and having it pass an inspection by a policeman.
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Ozone removes all odors, super effective on water damage!
But it eats unprotected rubber, so you must be careful.
I would buy a rebuilt title in a second. They can be as good or even better than a regular car.
Flood cars scare me.
IMO, the problem evolves into: how do you tell the difference between an acceptable rebuilt car, and a "flood car" whose slow steady decomposition probably can't be arrested by even the best body shop miracle-worker?
Ozone removes all odors, super effective on water damage!
But it eats unprotected rubber, so you must be careful.
I would buy a rebuilt title in a second. They can be as good or even better than a regular car.
Flood cars scare me.
IMO, the problem evolves into: how do you tell the difference between an acceptable rebuilt car, and a "flood car" whose slow steady decomposition probably can't be arrested by even the best body shop miracle-worker?
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