Possibly buying salvaged car... tips?

So, I'm in need of a second vehicle with much better gas milage than the truck. One car I found, a Toyota Echo (http://www.cars.com/go/search/detai...ping=false&rpp=50&feedSegId=28705&aff=gogsema), could fit my needs. A quick Google search of the VIN shows that it may be a salvaged vehicle.

Anyone have any tips on what to do when buying a salvaged vehicle? What would I need to do to register it properly? The vehicle is in VA, and the cars.com ad says its VA inspection is valid thru 5/12. I live in MD, so any idea if the MD laws are more strict?

Thanks in advance.

 

Does it run and drive?

If it's marked as Salvaged, it should already be cleared for operation by the DMV.

Just because it's been "salvaged" doesn't mean it has been wrecked badly. For instance, we had a big hailstorm a few years ago and my buddy's insurance company totalled out his '92 Jeep Cherokee because the cost to fix the dents was more than 70% of what the heep was worth. He had to re-title the Jeep as a "Salvaged" vehicle even though it ran and drove fine.

 

Btw, the google machine found this

http://www.mva.maryland.gov/About-MVA/INFO/58000ASE/58000-03T.htm

 

Thanks

Haven't had a chance to check the vehicle out firsthand. There's only the one pic, and I'm waiting for a reply to my email.

 

As long as it's priced right for a salvaged vehicle and it drives ok and runs ok, I would go for it.

 

There was a thread about this a while back and if I recall correctly financing can work a little differently if the vehicle is salvaged. If you have any other specific questions about what it takes to make a salvaged vehicle road worthy, post them up, a guy I work with takes 'totaled' vehicles, fixes them up, retitles them and sells them so I can ask him about the process if you'd like.

 

The car is cheap enough, so I'll probably just pay cash for it.

Anything in the way of what to look for (as far as VINs not matching, any signs that it was stolen, etc.) would be great. Just wondering if there may be any dead giveaways as to why it would be salvaged. I'm not incredibly mechanically inclined, but I can figure out a few things.

 

I asked him if there's anything to watch out for when buying a car with a salvaged title and he said there's not really. If the car has been retitled as a salvaged title, it should have already gone through the proper channels, been reinspected and ready for road use again. If the shop you're buying from switched VIN's or stolen parts to make the car run, there's really not much you can do since you wouldn't know. Apparently most of the cars he brings to work every day have been salvage titled cars (I never even knew that). The only issue he's run into is with insurance in the event he's gotten into an accident. He said he's had to fight with the insurance company because they didn't want to give him money for the car since it was a salvaged title. He was able to get them to pay up by stating since they didn't give a discount for buying insurance on a salvaged title, they should cover the claim as if it was a normal titled car. If you buy it cheap enough and aren't carrying collision insurance anyways, that may not be an issue for you.

 

Sweet. Thanks for the help mike!