The Automotive Salvage Title – Determining The Price Of A Salvaged Car

Buying a used car is a delicate business, one that must be done with care so as not to risk futility of investment.  One of the phrases you may come across is automotive salvage title. Such cars are usually low priced and seem alluring but there is a lot that people tend to miss out on salvage title cars that they should really be looking into. After all, nothing comes cheap and if anything does then there are always spoilers attached. Salvage cars are not automatically a bad thing because they can be a good saving if one does the right research.

What is a Salvage Title

Majority of the states provide the salvage title to cars that have undergone extensive damage to the tune of 75% of its actual price. There are total of 11 states that deem stolen cars as salvage title and these can be a good bet since most of the recovered cars from those states have salvage title simply because they are stolen and not because they are damaged.

Some states require a car to be damaged beyond 80% to be titled as salvage. If you are looking into purchasing a salvaged car that has undergone some repair then do so at your own risk because as one state agency puts it, there is no proper way of knowing what damage was repaired and what was not. Even the best mechanics fail in deciphering the life of salvage title cars and there lies the risk with such second hand cheap cars.

A safer bet is a resalvaged car. Such car has been repaired to remove the salvage title and hence should last a long time. However, the cost of such cars is not cheaper than usual second hand cars along with the added baggage of being worthless when sold later on.

Checking Up On Salvaged Cars

There are two things one can do to ensure that their investment into salvage title cars is secured. First is to look into the Carfax report. While they provide limited information on the damage to the car and work done afterwards, it is a good starting point. Sometimes frame repairs are reported in Carfax and sometimes nothing is reported. That is why one must follow up with a qualified inspection by an experienced mechanic. The very best mechanics will let you know the extent of repairs and damages by closely going over the car. They will make a frame inspection and mechanical inspection. Only if the mechanic and his team deem the car a good purchase should you go ahead with the deal.

Current Savings Vs Future Costs

Always remember that a salvaged car will cost more to repair and maintain in the long run. There have been numerous reports of salvage title cars keeping families happy but many reports also suggest the futility of such an investment. The best advice therefore is to trust your head rather than the heart. You may feel that $2000 saved on salvage title cars is worth the risk but in a year or two when you are once again shopping for a new car, you will realize your mistake.

Simon Jackson currently works for one of the leading providers of roadside assistance in Denmark – a company called Falck. He really enjoys sharing useful tips on how to lower the expenses on roadside assistance (interesting to know is that the Danish term is Vejservice til en god pris).