I was looking at a 96' Accord EX with 150K on it that has a salvaged title. The price is good at 2500$ and its up to date with all its maintence and runs and drive perfectly. Doesnt have any known problems and is in tip top shape. Should I still stay away because of the title? I mean for 2,500$ the only other cars in my price range are like 90-93 Accords so I would really like to get the 96' instead but the salvaged title worries me. I realize it will effect resale but I figure even with a salvaged title a 96' accord in good shape should always be able to fetch atleast 2,000$ even if I drive it to 200K.

Basically would you guys consider buying it even though its salvaged or should I keep looking?

 

You are certainly more likely to get yourself in over your head by buying a car with a salvaged title... but who knows why it was salvaged. You can get a car with a salveged title and have it be great, or get a one owner with no reported wrecks that turns out to have frame damage... it's just kind of luck. Take a mechanic with you to give it a look over and get his opinion.

 

Ask if it was a theft or was crashed. I work at a body shop and we sell almost only totaled cars. My girlfriends dad buys them from the auto auction and we fix them and then send them up to albany or down to trenton to get inspected by salvage. They do a very thurough inspection. We have done some hard hits too. In the last 3 years ive been there we've done about 4 rear clips, and you would never know these cars was ever touched.

Id go for it if i were you. Theres nothing wrong with totaled cars, as long as the work was done properly. Its all about the quality of the work. As long as it drives straight and doesnt have alighnment problems its should be a nice car. My girlfriends dad has had very few un-satisfied customers with the salvage cars. Few as in none that ive ever seen, ive only been working there for the past 3 years and hes been doin this **** for 29 years..

Good luck!

-Eric

 

Well if its a theft I dont care because that would mean everything was replaced because it looks as good as new. But I worry that is was totalled out in a wreck. Where could I take the car to have the frame and everything checked out? I wouldnt really mind if it was totalled out in a wreck either as long as the frame is straight and everything. It seems to drive pretty straight, only pulls slighty when you let go of the wheel. But I would like to have it inspected to double check. Would just any body shop do this or do I need to find a specific one? I'm in the Seattle area if anyone wants to suggest a good place to go.

 

I would suggest taking it to a Honda dealership and ask for a "Pre Purchase Inspection" it's about 90$ but well worth it, they'll take a good look over everything and give you a report

I've done it for all three of the cars I was looking at buying

 

if the car passes an inspection, go for it. I bought a 94 accord that was salvaged at 60K and now it is 2007 and the car has 159K on it...I only had to do the following

replace driver side outer CV joint
driver side lower ball joint
Front and rear brakes
Rad cap
Exhaust
recharge A/C 2 times (it's about once every 4 years)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I would suggest taking it to a Honda dealership and ask for a "Pre Purchase Inspection" it's about 90$ but well worth it, they'll take a good look over everything and give you a report
I've done it for all three of the cars I was looking at buying </TD></TR></TABLE>

Would they be able to check out theframe and make sure everything is straight and good at the Honda dealership?

 

I'm sure that they would, they do a veary good job of checking all the basics. and hell I got my 97 with 167k on it for 2,000 the only prob it had was the FITV, but I have found out its a comen prob of hondas.

 

Either you got a steal or Accords are just cheaper in your area. I wouldnt even be able to find a nice 90-93 Accord for 2,000$ in my area. Thats why this slavaged 96' for 2500$ is so tempting.

 

Just go to a reputable auto collision shop in your area. Im shure they would know if its good (uni-body/frame wise). Considering that they fix crashed car they would know EXACTLY what to look for. Like I said before, we fix almost only totaled cars from the auto auctions and sell them. We also do alot of inshurance and owner payed work. I strongly belive that if you buy this car you wont even notice anything diffrent from a car with a clean title. Since it passed the salvage inspection it has to be within about 3-5mm from factory dimensions to pass. Some cars have a diffrent margin of error depending on the make or model of the car.


All in all. Have it looked over by a collision specialist at a body shop. Most dealerships wont even touch totaled cars..

-E

 

theres other ways to get a salvage title besides accidents you know? I've worked on cars that were salvaged from a flood, 6 months after the flood all the electronics corrode and need to be replaved. A customer purchased a 2006 accord from the US (we're in canada). One day it wouldent start, I check it over, the PCM harness is all green. $980 PCM, $480 wiring harness $1120 for labour to change the PCM, harness and inspect the rest of the wiring...you tell me if its a good deal.

To answer your question, it CAN be good, however, you dont seem like you have alot of money, so perhaps you should look for a car that could have less dramatic problems in the future. Lets say the car has frame damage, and it wasnt fixed properly, and the rear quarter is soo smacked up, the wheel is extremly toe'd in? your going to burn through tires like theres no tomorrow...just something to keep in mind.

 

I never said those were the only ways to get a salvage title..

If the car has an extremely toed-in wheel on one side or both the body shop you take it to inspect it would be able to tell. Your only allowed a certain margin of error, like a few tenths of a degree or so. Idk if your able to adjust the toe on our rear wheels but on almost all the late model fords and domestics you can adjust the toe. Unfortunately I barely ever see any imports at our shop..

But like JDM_DC4 said.. it could have alignment issues down the road, you could ask them where there was damag. Or you can ask them who did the work and if there local, just go talk to the owner and see if he/she remembers doing the job.

-E

 

No matter how good of a job the shop does... steel that has been damaged and then bent back into shape will certainly and eventually fatigue. Leading to suspension geometry and alignment problems not to mention general rigidity for handling. SALVAGES ARE NOT RECOMMENDED.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Blamm!! &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">No matter how good of a job the shop does... steel that has been damaged and then bent back into shape will certainly and eventually fatigue. Leading to suspension geometry and alignment problems not to mention general rigidity for handling. SALVAGES ARE NOT RECOMMENDED.</TD></TR></TABLE>
I'd also be leery about SAFETY issues along w/ alignment problems and suspension geometry. What happens when you bend a piece of metal back and forth a couple times? It breaks. That could possibly happen to the frame/unibody on a car.

 

Well I passed on the salvaged car and ended up getting a 94' LX coupe with a 140K on it. It has a power sunroof, Ive never seen a LX with a sunroof before! Interior/exterior are clean but it needs some work, the cruise doesnt work, brakes are pulsating a little bit when pressed hard, and it grinds going into 5th gear. But it was only 2600$ and has a clean title. I'll atleast feel better about putting money into this car.

 

Does it have ABS? If you brake fairly hard it's normal for the brakes to pulsate. Also the cruise may have a disconnected wire somewhere or a bad switch. The synchro could be bad from 4th to 5th. I'm having that problem going 2nd to 3rd. Anyway, nice find on the sunroof equipped LX. I miss my '91 EX....blah.

 

I bought it from my friend that I have known for 15 years. they're kbb hear is 4-6k

 

I know that the original poster has already bought a car, but just wanted to add that there are some good salvage vehicles out there but you have to be very careful because there are lots of bad ones.

And always remember that a totaled car, after being rebuilt, has a value of half of a non-totalled car. Do not pay anywhere near retail for a salvaged vehicle.