Many people are afraid to buy a car through a salvage auction. They assume that all the salvaged cars are completely wrecked and cannot be repaired back to working order. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Buying clean title salvage cars is possible if you just know where to look and what to look for.
First, understand the difference between clean title salvage cars and salvage cars. Clean titles are just that – they may be damaged or need some work, but have had no major body or engine damage. In most cases, you can be sure you have a clean title because you haven’t had a major repair job or suffered a catastrophic incident like a flood. A salvage title because it differs in a significant way from being declared a total loss due to flood, fire, vandalism, or collision. This damage can actually be quite minimal. If the insurance company thinks it would be more expensive to repair the damage than to replace the car, they may “total” it. He is then given a salvage title.
Still, even when told a vehicle has a clean title, many potential buyers are still hesitant. For years, it was easy for an unethical auto rebuilder to obtain ‘doctor’ degrees. Also, it was difficult to collect a complete history of a vehicle. For example, a car may have a clean title by one state’s standards, but a salvage title by another state’s standards. This caution has largely taken root, making many people afraid to buy cars at a salvage auction. The good news is that the Internet has even revolutionized the car title industry. All reputable salvage auction listings will present you with a complete history of a vehicle, based on the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). There are several services that offer this, the most popular of which is CarFax. This allows you to be sure that the title is ‘clean’, ‘recovered’ or ‘rebuilt’.
In many states, it is possible to buy a salvage car at auction, rebuild the car, and then get a clean title. If you buy through Auto Bid Master, representatives who work with Copart auctions can help you determine what the title regulations are for your state and how you can get a clean title for your salvage car.
In short, while buying a vehicle at a salvage auction used to be a roll of the dice, today there is simply no reason not to consider buying one.
