How to Save Money by Buying Wrecked or Salvage Vehicles

How much money do you spend buying new cars and trucks? Chances are that it’s a lot more money that you’d like to be spending! If you want to cut costs on your next vehicle purchase it may be well worth it to buy a salvage car or truck.

You might be a bit wary of buying wrecked vehicles. However, there are many great reasons to buy them. One of the most important is that they are a lot less expensive than purchasing something that is new or even used.

You see, the insurance companies write off wrecked salvage vehicles as worthless. They will not pay to fix the vehicle if the damage that was done will cost more than three quarters of its fair market value. When that happens the owner has the choice of rebuilding the vehicle themselves or selling it off.

As a consumer, you have a great advantage here. There are really great salvage vehicles that are fun to rebuild. You’ll have to figure out what repairs the vehicle needs in order to see if the benefits of buying the car outweigh the costs.

Sometimes, the damage is purely cosmetic. Even if the insurance company deems the vehicle as being worthless, it can still hold a lot of value for you. Be careful though, sometimes the opposite is true. A car can look absolutely perfect but it is actually a dangerous mess.

Whenever you buy a salvage vehicle it is a great idea to check its history. It’s not worth it to save money when you’ll end up paying more for it in the long run. You can go to the DMV website at http://www.dmv.org/vehicle-history.php and request a history report using the VIN number of the vehicle.

If you’re hesitant to buy a salvage vehicle because you’re not sure what happened to it in the past you might benefit from shopping at this site online. You will be able to see the reputation of the seller and ask questions. Check the feedback ratings so you can get an idea of the character of the person you are dealing with. A seller who doesn’t have great feedback might neglect to mention severe damage. Always contact the seller and ask questions. Since it’s a big purchase it’s a good idea to get the sellers phone number and call him/her. If they are reluctant to communicate with you then move on to the next auction.

Up for auction is a 2004 salvage title Audi S4 Quattro all wheel drive car for sale. This car has some rear end damage as seen in the picture and can be repaired. The seller is asking $9,900 or you can make an offer. This salvage Audi is available in Rahway, New Jersey but the seller states they will ship the car for free. Click here: Salvage Audi for Sale to see this car.

If this Audi is no longer available for sale you can search for similar cars like it, click here: Salvage Audi for Auction or look at the column to your right for more options.

Rebuilding and registering a salvage title car in Nevada

If the car or truck to be rebuilt is less than 5 years old, it must be brought to a DMV Inspection Station for completion of the Authorization for Vehicle Restoration. Vehicles may not be restored, titled or registered unless this has been completed. This is not necessary for vehicles six years old or older.

Garages, body shops and rebuilders must repair vehicles to the common standards published and applied in the automotive repair industry. Air bags and seat belts must be repaired to the standards set in federal law. The business must keep records of the repair including any identifying information of parts.

When the reconstruction has been completed, the Certificate of Inspection must be completed by a Nevada registered garage, licensed body shop or licensed rebuilder.

The vehicle must then be brought to a DMV inspection station for completion of the Certificate of Inspection. Once this is accomplished and all other registration requirements have been met, the vehicle may be registered and titled. The vehicle may be sold once the new title has been issued.

All future titles will be a normal Nevada Certificate of Title but will be “branded”, which means the title will be labeled with the word “Rebuilt” or other appropriate term. The brand cannot be removed.

Rebuilt Cars – not salvage title:
Vehicles which have had certain repairs must be titled as Rebuilt even if they do not meet the definition of a salvage car. This applies to any vehicle that has had one or more of the following major components replaced:

* Cowl assembly;
* Rear clip assembly;
* Roof assembly;
* Floor pan assembly;
* Conventional frame coupled with one additional major component
* Complete front inner structure for a unibody

These vehicles must be inspected by a licensed garage or body shop and the DMV using the Certificate of Inspection for Rebuilt Vehicles (Not Salvage). The existing title must be surrendered to the DMV, which will issue a title branded “Rebuilt”.

A vehicle for which the only change is the installation of a truck cab assembly is not considered a rebuilt or salvage vehicle.

Need more info? Contact:
Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles
Central Services and Records Division
Salvage Unit
555 Wright Way
Carson City, NV 89711
(775) 684-4785