Is it ok too buy a vehicle sometimes with a rebuilt title, if the damage is minimal , like just replacing a bumper or a fender, and theirs no frame damage, or some cosmetic damage?Seems you can a lot of money that way. Thanks
Generally a rebuilt title means at one point it was issued a salvage title. To better understand what a salvage rebuilt title entails see the excellent post here:
https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/qa/salvage-title/
For most buyers it’s just not a good idea to buy a salvage rebuilt title because it has little to no (resale) value, and then also how can you be sure of the complete history of the car in terms of damage that was done (to grant it a salvage title) and if it was rebuilt and inspected correctly to be granted a rebuilt title afterwards? You need a good mechanic to really inspect everything carefully, but even then they can miss something. Sometimes some of the collateral damage incurred may not have been fully addressed and can manifest itself later at your expense. It’s just a good idea to avoid rebuilt title cars unless you know 100% what the damage was (and there was no hidden collateral damage elsewhere) and that it was rebuilt correctly - good luck proving that.
You ALWAYS want to have such a vehicle inspected by a professional mechanic, before you even consider buying it.
If it does check out, the price has got to be low because it has no resale value, thanks to its salvage/rebuilt title.
Also, have a look at the FAQ section of this website for more information regarding this subject.
there's a bit of information about this in the FAQ buying guide
- I have personally had good luck buying rebuild cars. Like high mileage cars, it can be a good way to get one cheap. What you want to do it get the CARFAX to get the details about the accident and get a pre purchase inspection from your mechanic. The pre purchase inspection is something you would want anyway, but it is especially important for rebuilds because you want to make sure that it was properly repaired.
i would like to hear opinions on this also
maybe ask your insurance company what they think
I never recommend buying a rebuilt/salvage title car and I avoid them myself as well. Some people say they save money buying them, but you never know what is wrong with it and it is literally worth scrap value.
Why people still buy them I will never understand.
