Opinion on Salvaged Titles

NYSpeed Automotive
1

yes i searched :slight_smile:
Also, I need some input with relative speed if im going to act on this particular car… (cliffs at bottom)

I found a 2002 Acura 3.2CL with 46xxx miles for 7000. I thought it was bull shit till I found it was a rich hs kid living at home with mom and dad in Victor. I thought he just wanted to unload it quick.
I went ALLLL over the car and everything looked great. every body line was correct, engine bay was clean, interior perfect. The the kid mentions the Salvaged/rebuilt title… ahhhhh then it came out. I asked if he knew why, he said there was an accident with the only other owner before him and the damage was to the front right. he was mostly right (hes a hs kid, i was surprised he even knew it was salvaged…)

So I did a carfax report- 2 accidents, one in chicago in 2006 (no damage, police report filed for insurence reasons) and one in August of this year. The owner had moved to buffalo and all the repair work was done there. It was a collision with a tree.

Parts requested to repair damage after
an accident or other incident
Right side mirror
Right side fender
Right side quarter panel assembly
Wheel

The car was then picked up by a dealership and recertified. The salvo title was reissued to a dealership in victor and after the repair work, was reinspected to NYS specs

"Dealer had vehicle inspected to
prepare it for sale
Passed safety inspection
Passed emissions inspection
View what was inspected "

What was inspected:
A New York inspection checks the following components:

  • Seat belts
  • Brakes
  • Parking Brake
  • Steering, Front End, Suspension, Chassis, Frame, Wheel Fasteners
  • Tires (except spare)
  • Lights: Headlights/Tail lamps/Stop lamps/Directional signals/Backup lights/License plate lights/Hazard warning/four-way flashers/Directional signal indicator/Windshield and other glass/Windshield wipers and blades
  • Horn
  • Mirrors
  • Emission test
    So!!! CLIFFS!!!
    found a 2002 Acura 3.2CL with 46xxx miles for 7000 with salvo title. No frame damage, recently inspected and cretified, sold by a dealership. I offered 6200 and the kid will take it. Visual inspection of the car was positive, no visible damage anywhere, no frame deformity.

do it? on no… The dealership selling it makes me feel better about it.

2

drive it first, see if it pulls. (edit for idiots: see if it pulls left or right. not see if its siq fast.)

3

Also: Carfax shows-
No frame/structural damage
No airbag deployment
No Odometer rollback
No Total loss issued

ps… I have 9 more far fax reports I can run for people for free. First come first serve.

4

oh sorry! I did test drive it BEFORE i knew about the salvaged title… no deficits in anyway that I could tell.

5

it was probably a bullshit salvage

my car got salvaged because there was 2200 worth of “damage”

cost me like 700 to do myself.

and my car was better than 95% of the other cars of its kind outthere

6

i think im going to buy it. it seriously bluebooks for near 14500 in mint shape… and with the dealer purchasing, recertifying, and selling it, i feel much more confident about the condition.

7

i would buy it, most people wont buy salvaged cars because of the title, you have to look past the title and actually see what the car is.

i went thru so much bullshit tho trying to sell my car because of the title, if u ever sell you will have a tough time selling it.

If he would have told you beforehand that it was salvaged i doubt you would have even came out to take a look.

8

i think if the guy trades it into the dealership still wrecked it goes down as a salvage title no mtter what the damage is.

i could be wrong though, as i didnt deal w/ the paperwork side of things at schmitts, i just know that we ALWAYS fixed a wreck before it was actually traded in, unless the car was going right to auction no matter what.

9

BUY IT! my last 2 cars have been rebuild titled… Just means newer parts to me… If it looks good/drives isnt that all that matters… Its a car after all right…

10

if it is certified no frame damage (and it is) i think it eases any fear i have about saftey. What im looking for is long term reliability above all. im going to medical school in the fall and would like a car i can have worry free (or as worry free as it can be) for 4-5 years. an Acura gives a very nice balance of reliability, power, comfort, and class i think.

11

sounds like a steal to me. I’d pick it up.

12

if its ceritified and has passed the dmv’s “test” thing or w/e (not inspection) then everything should be taken care of

alls you have to worry about is maintence

13

Thats real cheap… Super low miles and a hell of a price.

Go over it throughly, let it warm up and beat the hell out of it. If it still works and dosent make odd sounds, get it.

Quite often cars are ‘totaled’ when there isnt really much damage at all.

14

ive owned salvage title cars that were great and ive also owned clean title cars that should have been totalled out

if the car drives good, i would bring it to a shop and tell them to do a thorough inspection of it as well as put it on an alignment rack, tell them the history on the car and that you want them to be really thorough with the alignment specs

if all checks out buy that thing up and enjoy it

the only time that salvage titled cars are a pita is when you actually have to have them inspected at the special stations

15

All you need to do is examine the body sheet metal under the hood and maybe underneath.
Its easy to see the wrinkles from a frame pull. Compare left side to right side.
You will see for sure if it hit a tree. Its best with the fenders off but you will still see evidence of a crash.

If its smooth and same side to side then I would buy it. Remember TL and CL cars of that year had some auto tranny issues. Check the TSB’s and warranty info.

16

Bob just buy it. Drive the car forever then it won’t matter what the title says.

17

If you plan on keeping for a awhile then def. buy it. I personally don’t keep cars very long and I feel that a salvage car is hard to resell…

18

I would have no problem buying a salvage title vehicle im going to use as a daily driver… just make sure you can get the car ona lift, and inspect all of the undercarrage for hack frame repairs etc…

Im not sure i would buy a salvage porsche or something in that nature, but something cheap to fix, sure, why not

my moms protege 5 had 9k in damage done by me, and insurance fixed it, and the car looks perfect now… no salvage title, but it can go both ways

19

Indeed.

And the CL-S has a 6spd, so no trans issues there.

20

the 2003 had the 6spd, this one is auto. I have a shop checking it out officially today. My family mechanic reccomended it for much the same reasons you all are… low miles, reliable, and ill have it for a while.