Salvaged Title question.

[Piggy]

I'm set to trade my daily for a Kouki tomorrow, and I just found out it has a Salvaged title. Is there any significance in it that would give me any issues for this being my new DD? Stupid question I know, but I'm limited to posting and viewing threads while I'm at work so bear with me.

[TrqMnstr]

....Is there any significance in it that would give me any issues for this being my new DD? Stupid question I know, but I'm limited to posting and viewing threads while I'm at work so bear with me.

Not a stupid question, Find out why it has a salvage title first. Then is when you make your decision. Many insurance companies would rather salvage a car than fix it because of age. Could have been a theft recovery.

[Vatche]

could also have damage that an untrained eye can not see.

dont take the sellers word for it, try to get a carfax or history of vehicle.

salvage title car is also worth less to insurance companies but you pay the same amount of insurance

[Piggy]

I did the carfax, and it's clean. He says it was in a fender bender that warrented the bumber being replaced, and he sent me pictures that the previous owner sent him, and it wasn't bad enough to touch the hood. So I guess it's no big deal.

[TougeLove]

Take it to a body shop. Pay them $50 to inspect it for 30 min. If its good you made a good trade. If not you just spent 50 to save thousands. If a guy crashes his car and his buddies fix it, it wont show up on carfax, etc.

[Banana_Cute]

What kind of issue are you worried about? Car being insured or its ability to be driven?

like everyone said, bring it to the body shop. Have them check it out.

This is how I usually check the car's body when it's salvage and the owner said its just a "minor" fender bender.

The trunk:
*Pull both panels, driver and passenger, check if there's stitch welds, wrinkles, and sign of new panels being hammered out or cut and weld type.
*check spare tire compartment. same thing.

The quarter panels.
* a good tap should let you know if its metal or bondo. Check for paint cracks.

Frame.
*check frame if bent or anything out of the norm, besides crush, possibly from car being jacked from that point. Use your judgement.

Front/Engine bay.
*Check radiator support, if it has new welds or possible a sign of it being bent back to shape.
*Same goes with the lower radiator support that you cant see from the engine bay.


Drive the car, or have the owner drive the car and you follow behind it, see how it looks on the road. If its crooked or if it isnt aligned.

Only if the owner doesnt want to take it to a body shop, that is.

Good luck

[Piggy]

Sound advise guys. I've already contacted a shop where we are meeting. If all goes well, I'll post up some thankyou pics for you guys.