how to avoid rebuilt titles

[terry274]

I am in the market for a used car. While looking on Craigslist, I see a lot of cars with rebuilt titles. No problem in that, I just don't go look at them. But I am wondering, is it possible for a dishonest person to take a car out of state and register the car in that state with a clean title, then bring it back to my state (Tennessee) and register it here, now with a "clean, clear" title? We had a severe flood last year and I think a lot of the rebuilt titles may actually be flood cars.
Any thoughts or suggestions on this matter?
Thanks,
Terry

 

[MrCritical]

Very possible and happens often, as well as odometer rollbacks. Carfax or AutoCheck USUALLY catches it. Not 100%, but nothing is.

Often, the seller who isn't the original owner doesn't even know it, because they didn't check it.

 

[Burt]

I know this does not fully answer you question, but here's a link that is supposed to tell you whether the title is clean.

https://www.nicb.org/theft_and_fraud_awareness/vincheck

Car fax can tell you where the car was originally titled, how many owners etc., so you could tell how much a car has moved around title-wise. You might feel better if the car had always been in TN.

 

[eljefino]

I think the scenario would be more likely that it would still be an out of state title.

TN might remember their brand and slap it on an OOS clean title. Then again maybe not.

They were supposed to have made interstate title info all electronic a couple years back, but last map I saw had a couple exceptions.

One universal is the issue date on a title, if it's within the last four months or so the seller wants out for a reason... like they're flipping the car.

What kind of car are you looking for? I find it scary there are so many rebuilts of the kind you're shopping for. My dealer purchases have not been rebuilt but, instead, oddly, REPOs that made it to auction. One was a great car and one a turkey. The only way I knew about the Reposession (I didn't really care) was the affadavit stapled to the title... turned it in and got a clean title in my name.

I'm also concerned when you finally find a car with clean paperwork and carfax that you won't do due diligence on inspecting it.

 

[pbm]

Originally Posted By: MrCritical
Very possible and happens often, as well as odometer rollbacks. Carfax or AutoCheck USUALLY catches it. Not 100%, but nothing is.

Often, the seller who isn't the original owner doesn't even know it, because they didn't check it.



I recently looked at a 2008 that had a clean AutoCheck report.
When I looked at the car it was obvious that there had been bodywork done.
The car had been a 'rental/fleet' vehicle so I'm thinking that some of these outfits do their own repairs which are never reported to Carfax?

 

[CharBaby]

I guess anything can be done and the wool can be pulled over the eye of the unsuspecting.

I think a salvaged title stays with the car it's whole life even when moving from state to state but, the term "salvaged" is, if there has been an insurance claim and the vehicle has been totaled out by the insurance company for the reason that the repairs cost more than the vehicles' value(or there abouts).

If a car was flooded for example and fixed by the owner or someone else at their own cost, the title won't show salvaged. I don't know why anyone would want to incure such a high cost though! But, for a car to be taken out of state, fixed and returned to TN, I don't think that this will change the title.

The crime/penalty is very high for doing something like this. More likely than not, if the title is clean then, your in good shape. The owner of any vehicle that your looking at, should the car have been in a flood, Im sure that the owner took the insurance money and let the car go to salvege. Therefore the title will show "salvage".

During an insurance claim, once the insurance company tells the owner of the car that the car is totaled, the owner has to make a decision on wheather they want to buy back the car "cheap" or let it go and take the money offered by their insurance company and then the owner of the vehicle has to sign over the title. Either way, the title has to be signed over and a new title reissued stating such, some how, some way!

 

[Artem]

It's impossible to know / avoid this, based on what has already been said before me. The only real way is to go out there and inspect the car yourself and loom for small signs that point in the direction that there has been work done.

Take it in for inspection. Etc etc.

My 98 Toyota Camry has been in 3 accidents, insurance involved in 1 of them (I repaired the car on my own the other times) and the title is clean. I'm sure the accidental might show up on record though.

 

[terry274]

Originally Posted By: eljefino


What kind of car are you looking for? I find it scary there are so many rebuilts of the kind you're shopping for.

I have not decided exactly which model I want. Some possibilities: Corolla, Fusion, Focus, Accord, Mazda 6. I want a midsized sedan that will get around 30 MPG on the highway.
Originally Posted By: eljefino

I'm also concerned when you finally find a car with clean paperwork and carfax that you won't do due diligence on inspecting it.

I have purchased seven or eight used cars in the last ten years and had no major problems. Price range for the used cars in the past has been as low as $800 to as much as $7,000. My stepson is still driving the $800 car (an '89 Aries) and got hit by another driver last month. Not a lot of damage, but it is looking like he will get $800 for the damage and keep the car.
Terry

 

[eljefino]

I ask what kind of car because new late model cars are most likely to have serious issues that are worth fixing, covering, and defrauding over.

An $800 car, I would not care what kind of paperwork came with it, so long as I could get legal plates, if the rest of the car were in good shape.

 

[MrCritical]

Personally, I have seen lots of Katrina cars with clean titles.

Carfax and AutoCheck will advise you when a car has been registered in a flood zone.

Don't buy any car unless you are comfortable with your skills inspecting it, or pay someone who's qualified to inspect it.

 

[CivicFan]

Rebuilt title will usually be caught by CarFax because it implies a "catastrophic event", such as flood or a major accident that is determined and reported by the insurance company.

What Carfax may not catch is a catastrophic event for a car that is not reported by the insurance company and the repairs are "off the book". For example, a car is flooded but the owner does not report to the insurance company and "fixes" it himself.

One should use CarFax and also a visual inspection by an expert to avoid any such issues.

 

[terry274]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
I ask what kind of car because new late model cars are most likely to have serious issues that are worth fixing, covering, and defrauding over.

An $800 car, I would not care what kind of paperwork came with it, so long as I could get legal plates, if the rest of the car were in good shape.


Thanks for your reply. Yeah, the $800 dollar car was just something for the boy to get around after he wrecked his $1,000 Lesabre.
What I am looking for is a car less than six years old with less than 100,000 miles for around $7,000 to $8,000. Finding this criteria difficult to meet in anything other than a base model econo-box.
Terry

 

[SteveSRT8]

I would not hesitate to consider a rebuilt title if the price was right. I'm usually getting a substantial discount!

If a competent body shop did it right most of you could never tell anyway. Some end up straighter and with better paint than new!

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted By: terry274
What I am looking for is a car less than six years old with less than 100,000 miles for around $7,000 to $8,000. Finding this criteria difficult to meet in anything other than a base model econo-box.
Terry


What I discovered this past spring helping my daughter find a used car is that the small, used car market is inflated regarding price. Cash for clunkers also eliminated a lot of cars off the market.

In my opinion, the best "value" used car out there right now is the Ford Taurus. Lots of them out there that meet your criteria. MPG, I imagine, is between 25 and 30. At your price, you should find them with less than 60K miles.

When we shopped the internet, it was odd that many Taurus' in the Dearborn, MI area were salvage titles. Dearborn is Ford's world headquarters. The "too good to be true" low price usually tipped me off on the salvage title.

 

[OilNerd]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
I would not hesitate to consider a rebuilt title if the price was right. I'm usually getting a substantial discount!

If a competent body shop did it right most of you could never tell anyway. Some end up straighter and with better paint than new!


I'd NEVER touch a salvage titled vehicle in here in NYS, because the state makes it such a pain to register. First, you have to have the car towed to the safety/emissions inspection, because you can't get plates for it until the anti-theft exam is done. Then you have to get a temporary transport permit to drive the thing to an anti-theft examination center (about 150 miles to the one closest to me).

OP, check into your state's law regarding registering a salvaged vehicle before even thinking about it.

 

[MrCritical]

I would by a correctly repaired vehicle with salvage title. My problem is that the seller usually thinks much more of the vehicle than I do.

I'm thinking about 40% maximum of wholesale value for one that it takes an expert to know it's been rebuilt. Usually they want about 70-80%.

 

[Cogito]

What are the typical problems that you find in the "flood" cars?

 

[Propflux01]

Originally Posted By: Cogito
What are the typical problems that you find in the "flood" cars?


Electrical/wiring issues, Funky smells

 

[Norm Olt]

re: the OP-

Only buy new cars. -or-

Don't forget to actually READ the paperwork.

p.s. Can you say "CARFAX"?

 

[MrCritical]

The truth is that if it's done correctly, and hasn't been in a flood, it can be difficult to avoid a rebuilt title.

The kicker is that 95% of the people who rebuild them don't "do it right." They cut corners to save money that give them away every time. Spliced wires, poor body part fit, [censored] welds, they are in a hurry because time is money.

There is a local guy here that does it right, and doesn't hide the fact that his cars are rebuilds. He gets late models, uses used OEM parts (frt caps, ect) and replaces electrical parts and wiring harnesses with new. His team is fast, efficient and good. He doesn't cut corners, and he makes his profit margin when he buys the vehicle wrecked. Any local bank will finance his vehicles, and he stands behind them. I'd buy one from him in a heartbeat.