BRANDED/REBUILT TITLE LOW MILEAGE VS CLEAN TITLE HIGHER MILEAGE

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Thanks all for your advise.....yeah, I have no shame posting the salvage pics, some are worse than others....

2019 Tacoma TRD Off Road – Black $29.9K – 39K Miles

Online Posting: https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inven...iewInventoryListing.action?#listing=329884370

Salvage Pics: https://bid.cars/en/lot/0-31523249/2019-Toyota-Tacoma-3TMCZ5AN2KM256506


2019 Tacoma TRD Off Road – Silver $28.9K – 65K Miles

Online Posting: https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inven...iewInventoryListing.action?#listing=332935232

Salvage Pics: https://plc.ua/auctions/lot/toyota-tacoma-2019-vin-3tmcz5an9km259080-1-36211942/


Obviously, I think those prices are super negotiable as stated before......

 

If you don’t mind having a flood car- go for it! You probably won’t get the real reason it is branded. A flood vehicle will have electrical gremlins rearing their heads down the road.

 

Yeah if I could avoid a floor car most definitely would lol -- are there some tell tale signs of flood damage that you know of?

 

Musty smell... high water marking high in the engine bay or under the dash.

 

With the complexity of a modern vehicle....be it electrical, mechanical and certainly the safety systems......there is no damn way I would purchase a vehicle with a salvage title.

Who knows what been glazed over, patched, cut, spliced, removed etc., etc.

 

No on the salvage title. I would wait a few months if you can, prices will be dropping due to decreased demand because high gas prices.

 

I’d go with neither and pay $5k more for a new one (SR5)

 

to be fair you control the level of repair when you do it yourself. That would be the only way i would be comfortable with a rebuilt title

 

I don't mind rebuilt for driving the wheels off of as mentioned above but wouldn't pay the price they are asking.
I really wouldn't buy one without knowing what was fixed though.

 

As @Clearwater Bill said, make sure you can get comprehensive and a loan if that’s your plan. I don’t believe you’ll find either from conventional insurance and banks.
I also value them much lower,,, think risk vs rewards
There was a reason it was declared a total loss by the one entity that doesn’t want to.

 

You also control the level of inspection... and the cash in your wallet. It's pretty easy to see if something has been damaged too badly to be reliably repaired, and then inspect to be sure.

But I take your point. It's easy enough to take a vehicle to a shop for an inspection if you aren't comfortable doing it yourself.

 

Yes... banks are leery... even though frames are replaced all the time under warranty because they completely rust out in a few years and those trucks are running around on the roads.

I really think it is a big scam making everyone afraid of rebuilt vehicles. It makes the car industry happy because they sell more vehicles, the insurance industry happy because they don't have to pay out as much on claims while charging just as much, and banks are just afraid of anything without a warranty.

And yet the cars drive just as far, just as reliably if they are done correctly. But no one is doing inspections to get clear titles... they aren't allowed.

 

How many salvage title vehicles have you purchased and had success with?

 

I’m 0 for 1.

 

'08 Corolla... Had to put a spindle on it.
'12 Tacoma... replaced 16 inches of frame on one side.
'12 Tacoma... replaced spring mount on one side and straightened the other side.

It's pretty ridiculous what they will total a vehicle for. I'm not a professional mechanic and repaired these in my driveway. They all track well, measure out just fine, and the tires all wear evenly.

And I've looked at several hundred vehicles to find these three to bid on. A lot of the totaled Tacos are rear ended and the frame is folded behind the rear spring mounts as the hitch was hit. Easy fix. Easy, easy, easy.

 

Salvage title is pretty much worthless to a legit dealership.
So if you went that route it'd be private sale only down the line.

I wouldn't invest that kind of money in a salvaged/rebuilt vehicle.

 

Do you bend the frame back to fix it?

 

The truck was hit in the left side right on the wheel. Hard enough to break the magnesium rim, the drum, and the shock. The springs were fine but the rear spring mount on the left was bent, so I replaced it. The right side mount was straight but the frame was twisted (not really bent) toward the outside of the truck, so I just strapped a come-along to it and pulled it back until it was straight when I took tension off of it.

All of these three vehicle repairs have stood the test of time and heavy normal use.

 

i was referring to the totaled tacos that get hit in the rear and bend the frame