Salvage title

[CigarGuy]

My son is looking at a p/u truck for about $5000.00 that has a salvage title, what should we look out for or should I stay clear? I know water damage is something to look out for. Looking at a Ford or Dodge-anything to stay away from.....beside the 5.9 dodge-gas guzzling machine.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Have the vehicle you choose looked at by a "mechanic" and a "body" guy. We get salvaged vehicles in quite a bit and as of yet I have not had one on the hoist that I would considere acceptable based on my education in auto collision repair and my experience as an automotive technician.

Flood damaged cars are a whole different ball game. The where rumors of flooded vehicles making there way into the market after hurricane Katrina that where contaminated with various diseases. The where several reputable automotive magazines that where reporting this. I never heard first hand of anyone getting sick from working on or driving one but would you really want to own a car that was submerged in raw sewage and rotting carcasses for a couple weeks?

[CigarGuy]

Thanks Jeremy, He's now looking at an 2003 Ram, with 172,000, 4.7, at a used car dealer down in So. St. Paul. $4995.00. What do you think? Approx how much does a mechanic charge to look over a vehicle. He goes to school up in Grand Forks, so it will get some use when he drives home every month or so.

[delcecchi]

I probably shouldn't ask this, but if he is going to school, why does he need a pickup? Wouldn't something like a corolla suit his needs better?

[CigarGuy]

Just back from looking at the dodge, didn't buy it-he wanted too. He does go to school, wants it to go hunting/fishing on wknds, meet us at the deer shack and maybe a job. That's his story anyway:).

[motley man]

I would look for something without a salvage title. There are to many if's for $5000.00 !!!! And used salvage title cars don't have warranties.

[jentz]

Personally I'd look in Grand Forks!! ND vehicles seldom run on salted roads.Everything on ND trucks are in better shape than the chemically treated roads in Mn.

[Ufatz]

Man I would RUN from a truck with a salvage title!! I mean, you are just asking for trouble. Good Grief...there are all kinds of good used trucks (if thats what he has to have) that are plenty servicable with valid titles and sold by a reputable dealer.

Don't do it.

Look around you.....there are pickup trucks for sale all over the place.

[CigarGuy]

Were going pass on the salvage title route, thanks for the advise. I aways wanted him to have something larger for the safety aspect, but with the price of gas, I'd like him to find a nice car. He loves his outdoor activities and hauling stuff around, so if we can find a decent truck, thats the route were going. The price point were at is on the low end for anything that has ok miles and little to no rust. Looked on Craigs in the Grand Forks area and not much out there!

[Valv]

I personally don't have a problem with the salvage title if I know what was the damage. I bought dozens of vehicle like that in the past knowing the damage was very minimal or not at all. A hail damage gets a salvage title. sometimes a theft also. It doesn't take much anymore to get 50% of value of vehicle in damage, which is the threshold used by this state insurances to brand a title as salvage. And actually my son was t-boned seriously bad on a Intrepid with salvage title, but was only hail damage, no damage to the integrity of the vehicle, and all the airbags acted as supposed to.

If the dealer was Southside Auto, I would worry though, these people do bad stuff to their vehicles. I once bought a Ford F350 with 130k on it, to then discover they replaced the tach. cluster, and the truck actually had 240k. I argued them and talked to the DMV but amazingly there is not much I could have done.

If can see pictures of the damage, you can decide and assest if it was a safely rebuilt vehicle, if it was rebuilt indeed.

[hulapopper]

I have driven salvage titled vehicle for years. One thing to remember is someone was driving the vehicle when it was wrecked. Meaning it was probably mechanically sound at the time of the accident.

With the new types of machines body shops have now they are able to use lasers to straighten frames and such.

I have the guy at the body shop look at the cars for me first. They kind of know what to look at as far as damage and what brands of cars are easier or harder to fix.

I try and do as much of the work as I can my self. ie unbolting fenders and bumpers, taking off damaged parts.

If you are handy at all it is kind of a fun project to do.

[JosMN]

If I know who did the work to the car, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it with the salvage title. I bought a 93 cutlass supreme coupe from my uncle who runs a his own body shop, by himself. Lady that owned it skidded into a slew - a lot of water damage. All parts were replaced, I had the car from 90k all the way to 270k miles. Never had a single problem with it until she got hailed on back in the 05? Northfield storm. Couldn't do much about that and got a $2000 check for it from inssurance.