# WARNING \`97 ON AUTOTRADER **URL:** \ **Category:** SON240sx Automotive\ **Created:** [April 9, 2006, 12:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/warning-97-on-autotrader/94739 "2006-04-09T12:22:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grimace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@grimace](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/grimace)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 12:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/warning-97-on-autotrader/94739/1 "2006-04-09T12:22:57Z")
just to inform everyone here that the black `97 5spd on trader thats selling for $8700 has a salvage title. It was in a major accident in 2002, i have the history report if anyone is interested. Just a heads up! i checked the car out too but the owner didn’t tell me that it had it was banged up. Plus the rear bumper isn’t aligned most likely in another accident from the rear. Those who wish to purchase it, you’ve been warned. ---
**Author:** ![spd-dmn](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/spd-dmn/32/5513_2.png) [@spd-dmn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/spd-dmn)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 12:51pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/warning-97-on-autotrader/94739/2 "2006-04-09T12:51:33Z")
thanks for the heads up ---
**Author:** ![duckJAI](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/duckjai/32/5553_2.png) [@duckJAI](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/duckJAI)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 12:53pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/warning-97-on-autotrader/94739/3 "2006-04-09T12:53:46Z")
so wait, the owner didn’t tell you about the accident? if he didn’t tell you how did you find out and how did you get your hands on the history report? just curious. good job informing all of us though. ---
**Author:** ![lewtz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@lewtz](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/lewtz)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 12:55pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/warning-97-on-autotrader/94739/4 "2006-04-09T12:55:19Z")
^^ carfax is your best friend. ---
**Author:** ![duckJAI](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/duckjai/32/5553_2.png) [@duckJAI](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/duckJAI)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 12:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/warning-97-on-autotrader/94739/5 "2006-04-09T12:58:11Z")
ohh right! its free to use? ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/bing/32/7211_2.png) [@bing](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 1:04pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/warning-97-on-autotrader/94739/6 "2006-04-09T13:04:42Z")
good call on the warning, i bet a bunch of people were ready to jujmp on that ---
**Author:** ![grimace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@grimace](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/grimace)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 1:17pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/warning-97-on-autotrader/94739/7 "2006-04-09T13:17:25Z")
well first he said there was front end damage, but didn’t say how bad the damage was and it was from the previous owner, i used carfax to get the report. I mean the car looked alright the car drove pretty well too, but after i saw the report i just didn’t want to invest in a lemon. Who knows what else was wrong with it, owner doesn’t really tell you anything else, thats the impression i got. ---
**Author:** ![S13GG](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/s13gg/32/5506_2.png) [@S13GG](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/S13GG)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/warning-97-on-autotrader/94739/8 "2006-04-09T13:43:56Z")
carfax? do they confirm that the salvage is current or in the past? because that isn’t an irrepairable title from my understanding (although I’m short on sleep and could be mistaken) isn’t it: Plated unplated unfit (plates removed) salvage (requires frame inspection before cert) irrepairable (parts only) ---
**Author:** ![pearlS13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e68b1a/32.png) [@pearlS13](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/pearlS13)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 3:07pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/warning-97-on-autotrader/94739/9 "2006-04-09T15:07:14Z")
Thats a good heads up forsure but IF the car was professionally repaired and the fit and finish is all good and the car runs and drives fine i don’t get what the big deal is. Ya you wouldn’t want a car that has been in an accident before that is totally understandable but ppl make such a big deal out of it sometimes i just don’t get it. You’ll be surprised to know how many newer car/trucks are on the road that were previously insurance write-offs and had salvage titles and you wouldn’t even be able to tell from a visual inspection. ---
**Author:** ![lewtz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@lewtz](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/lewtz)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/warning-97-on-autotrader/94739/10 "2006-04-09T15:48:17Z")
carfax lets you know wether the car has a clear title or wether its lemon in which it is in this case. It tells you when and where ownerships were transferred and if the vin pops up in a major accident. It also tells you if the cars odo has been rolled back. Its cheap to use something like 10$, its worth it to save yourself from buying a shitbox. I suggest that everyone use this before buying a car. [http://www.carfax.com/](http://www.carfax.com/) ---
**Author:** ![duckJAI](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/duckjai/32/5553_2.png) [@duckJAI](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/duckJAI)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 4:04pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/warning-97-on-autotrader/94739/11 "2006-04-09T16:04:54Z")
hrmm, i just put my VIN in and it said it found 15 reports and etc etc. not sure if i should pay for this since i already own my car. ---
**Author:** ![cloudzero3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2acd7d/32.png) [@cloudzero3](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/cloudzero3)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 6:29pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/warning-97-on-autotrader/94739/12 "2006-04-09T18:29:29Z")
Good heads up, but shouldn’t this be in the “used car report” thread? ---
**Author:** ![lewtz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@lewtz](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/lewtz)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 7:11pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/warning-97-on-autotrader/94739/13 "2006-04-09T19:11:07Z")
^^ this is big news, no one looks at the used car section imo ---
**Author:** ![spilner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@spilner](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/spilner)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/warning-97-on-autotrader/94739/14 "2006-04-09T22:15:35Z")
YES!! I knew something was up. ---
**Author:** ![alesserfate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@alesserfate](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/alesserfate)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 10:49pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/warning-97-on-autotrader/94739/15 "2006-04-09T22:49:52Z")
> [@spilner](#): > > YES!! > > I knew something was up. lollol ---
**Author:** ![BlitzSix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@BlitzSix](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BlitzSix)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/warning-97-on-autotrader/94739/16 "2006-04-09T23:39:25Z")
> [@overb0ost](#): > > hrmm, i just put my VIN in and it said it found 15 reports and etc etc. not sure if i should pay for this since i already own my car. Dont pay for it if you’re not car shopping…other forums I go on have threads that pop up every once in a while where peopel will run the reports for you since they paid $10 for unlmited, so I would just do that. I did that with my car after I bought it. ---
**Author:** ![mr200](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/mr200/32/5495_2.png) [@mr200](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/mr200)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 2:31pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/warning-97-on-autotrader/94739/17 "2006-04-10T14:31:41Z")
Oh my God!!! You mean a car that the asking price is about 1/2 of what it should be, there’s something wrong with it!?!?!?!? Salvage title means the car was written off. But “written off” is such a subjective decision. I’ve seen cars written off for a broken headlight. If the car has been repaired, odds are they would have had the salvage inspection done. This is a great opportunity for someone to walk away with a screaming deal. You can just say “I know this car has a salvage title.” and start lowballing like crazy. It depends entirely on whether or not it has passed a salvage inspection. If it has, the car is good to go. Salvage inspection is like a Safety x 100. If it HASN’T passed a salvage inspection, or WON’T pass a salvage inspection, it means there is something seriously wrong. Best to go in armed with this information, and see what he has to say. If he denies it, then you can really nail him. It’s a stupid loophole. As a seller, you only need to inform the buyer if he asks. So if you say “has it been in an accident?” and he says “no” You inform him you know it has, and that he just broke the law. Then you can brownmail (a nicer version) him into selling it to you for next to nothing.