The scoop on Salvage titles...

Agreed. I’d only buy one if I could repair it myself and planned on driving it into the ground. I’d never buy one that someone else “fixed”
I owned a tow truck company for years and was always surprised at how many almost-brand-new vehicles were written off because of minor, totally fixable front end damage and airbags deployed. Expensive new parts and insurance-company-math I guess...

 

So there is an edge-case to salvaged titles, a recovered theft. If the insurance pays out on the vehicle, it becomes a salvaged title. If it's then recovered, it will still be a salvaged title. I once bought a Jeep that this was the case. It had seats removed but that was it. I bought it in that condition from the insurance company. I put some Corbeau seats in and had a great Jeep. However, even with not having had any damage, when I went to sell it, the market was still quite limited and ended up taking far less than I should have. I swore never to buy another salvage.

As others have said, vehicles aren't salvaged because of a few dents and scratches. It's also not a set % of value they get totaled at. My wife rear-ended a lifted truck in her Range Rover. At the time, the headlights were stupid expensive. The total damage was about 75%-80% of the value of the vehicle, but that was because all the parts were so damn expensive. They fixed it and didn't total it. Again, for a vehicle to be total due to damage, it's real damage.

 

The amount to fix it is not worth the value of the vehicle

If it is a newish vehicle with a salvage stay the hell away

 

Recently it seems that it doesn't take much damage to total a vehicle. The few accidents I've been privy too in the last few years (mine and other family members) it seems that the insurance companies involved were rather keen on totalling out a vehicle, with a meager offer given. Encouraging it even, with an attitude that left me to believe that they (ins co) believed most people wanted their car totalled (never mind the numbers, "i" get a new car). Enough so that i began to wonder why that is, what is the insurance company's eagerness to total them out, how are they making money on it, because it's gotta be the reason, well at least part of the reason. Repairs have gotten stupid expensive, but yet there again, so has used car prices gone through the roof in the last five years. I figure the insurance companies are making a killing selling at the salvage auction (and cheating the owners on low KBB/residual values) because the rebuilders are buying high and are making a killing sellling off the rebuilds.

My 2009 Tahoe, ins co. wanted to total out for a sideswipe fender and bumper repaint. I told them to eff off and they paid me 2K. (Tahoe worth 5-10 $K) Why? because I found a body shop willing to do the work for less than totalling out the vehicle. Didn't want to hafta find a new vehicle.

Daughters 2002 Camaro, backed into at parking lot.. Insurance tried to total it, said no, they paid me 1500$.

FIL's 4-5 year old Mercedes, struck a deer, $25K worth of damage, his insurance totaled him out and he wanted it fixed, but he gave up fighting for it. Was worth more.

Also, beware that the salvage and rebuilt standards vary between states. In some states washing a title from salvage to rebuilt is much easier than others. I got burned on this deal almost 20 years ago, buying salvage Toy PU from another state, assuming that the state rules i lived in were similar to my home state. Nope! Many states, in order to return a vehicle to a rebuilt status, the car must be returned to like new condition. Not a good plan for a Toy PU that was meant to be a hunting rig...

So i'd say, yeah, door ding rebuilds are possible. So are major wreck rebuilds with a rebuilt title. But you know what is possible and almost frequent??? Clean title cars that have been wrecked or especially FLOODED. Especially from the east coast as of late. Take a look at the cars offered that seem too cheap to be true, clean CarFax, but show rusty fasteners in the engine compartment. Stained interior panel/upholstery like they've had a frat party. Paid off vehicles that didn't get turned in to Insurance so that they were easier to sell off. Insurance would have raped them on residual value.

 

I have seen issues with airbags reported as well. Anytime they are triggered it is generally big bucks to replace them occasionally you see a case where airbags were not reinstalled and the sensors just disabled. Not a problem till you get in wreck. Then big potential problem

 

Lots of good information in this thread. My son almost pulled the trigger on a salvaged 2017 Tacoma but had reservations about the title. Someone else wound up with that problem.

 

It's still being done. My father-in-law (cheap bastard) bought one a couple years ago. Insurance company would NOT sell him collision coverage, only liability. He's still driving it, so guess it was a good deal for him.

 

I guess it depends on the rebuild.. Bought my first Toyota as a salvage job, rebuilt by a mechanic I knew. Came with detailed photos of the rebuild and all receipts for the parts.
I drove the heck out of it all over Colorado, never had any problems (still miss that truck).

*Edit* IIRC, this photo was taken on the downside of RedCone, roughly Here!