Guide to Purchasing a Salvage Vehicle

Salvage vehicles are considered “totaled” that have been written off as unfit, damaged or unrepairable by the insurance company that has paid a claim for it. Often these vehicles are not completely damaged and can run well after moderate or extensive repairs. Therefore, buying salvage cars may prove to be lucrative for people with a tight budget, and can’t shell out a large amount for a new car. If you are looking to buy an affordable car, you can find one through salvage cars auction online or visiting a local dealer near you. However, before you seek to buy a car, you should be aware of the possible issues that you may face while shopping for salvage title cars through an online auction. Here are some guidelines to help.

Often, salvage vehicles require extensive repair before they get roadworthy. The damage may not be extremely severe, but still enough to make the insurance company give it the ‘salvage’ title. On a brighter note, the price of the car is significantly low. Once an experienced mechanic completes the repairs and fixes, it can qualify to get a clean title.

Earlier, salvage yards were the first place that car buyers used to visit to buy salvaged vehicles. These days, however, with the emergence of the Internet, buyers can easily find salvage cars through online auctions. Reputed auto auction portals list a wide range of salvage vehicles that are available for bidding at affordable prices. Potential buyers can bid on their favorite top-of-the-line vehicles at the fraction of the original prices. These websites are, usually, consumer-friendly, and allow the personal inspection to assess the actual damage and repairable condition before placing their bids. 

Although salvage cars are available at attractive prices, you should be alert and look out for any red flags that may indicate that the car is not a good deal. Some telltale signs can be:

Often storm-hit or flood-damaged cars are listed on various auto auction portals, and they provide those vehicles’ history in details. In this way, buyers have a clear idea as what to expect and can make their buying decision after inspection.

While buying a salvage vehicle, regardless of whether it is through a salvage cars online auction portal or a dealer, insist on the seller’s signature on the title, name, brand, make, and model of the car and other important information on the papers of the car. Don’t just rely completely on a mechanic to tell you about the condition of the car, and do some research on your own as well.