I got had. My car is salvaged.

[KaptKaos]

Call your insurance agent and ask what a salvage title means. I am not an insurance agent, but iirc it means that your coverage for the car is limited. I.e the car has been a total loss at some point. The insurance company will not "total" it again.

If that is in fact the case, and you plan to drive this as a DD, I would definitely go back to the seller. If you have an advertisement for sale of the car that says its a clean title, then you will need a copy of that. Print it now and make sure it shows the date. If you get no redress, you may need to go to small claims for the difference.

[RayC911]

Your heart may be in the right place, but you are confused.

The seller evidently did have a clear or clean title. A clear title does not mean the vehicle has a perfect pedigree or that it was never salvaged.

- It means the seller has the legal right to sell the vehicle.

- It means there are no outstanding liens on the vehicle. Anyone can have a CLEAR title to a salvaged car. If the vehicle has a salvaged title, of course it MAY diminish the saleability of the vehicle but it does NOT make the vehicle unsalable or even conditionally saleable.

- It usually means the particular State has issued a new "salvage" title because under the laws of that state someone/thing determined the vehicle to be a total loss. (A total loss may be a legal fiction.)

hth

M.

I'm going to have to disagree with Mr. Murphy on the meaning of "clean" when it comes to the title. Clean means not salvage to me and if I was asking or ask to me. Clear means no lien or acutally having title in hand. At least in the state where I live. I can gurantee that if someone bought a car from a dealership claiming a salvage title was clean, the court and DMV would drop the hammer on them....

Call your insurance agent and ask what a salvage title means. I am not an insurance agent, but iirc it means that your coverage for the car is limited. I.e the car has been a total loss at some point. The insurance company will not "total" it again.

If that is in fact the case, and you plan to drive this as a DD, I would definitely go back to the seller. If you have an advertisement for sale of the car that says its a clean title, then you will need a copy of that. Print it now and make sure it shows the date. If you get no redress, you may need to go to small claims for the difference.

+1. Everyone says just enjoy it but it'll be harder to sell if the time comes. So do whatever you can now.

[Guest Anonymous]

As a professional used car inspector, I feel that anyone who buys a car without a PPI is taking a huge gamble regardless of the seller's intentions......However, the greater issue is whether or not you made a fiscally sound decision. Assuming the car has been repaired properly, rest assured that a salvage title is not that big of a deal. In most cases (probably between 1980-1995) the insurance company has "totaled" a 2002 because the value it used as a basis for that decision is based on the 2002 being just a used car with nominal value...not the cult collector car we all know and love. Think about it, in 1987, it probably took just a $2500 claim to "total" a decent 02. In fact, my beloved Inka 74 2002 was totaled in 1991 and, once re-restored, was issued a salvage title by the State of Ohio and has subsequently been issued multiple concours awards to boot. Not that I'm ever going to sell it, but I would guess that the salvage title makes no difference at all in its current value.

Now, if you had just bought a 2004 M3 and found out it had been a salvage car...THAT'S another story....

Best,

George Thielen

www.mobileinspections.com

[SteveJ]

The insurance company will not "total" it again.

Does this really make sense? Even if the car is repaired to factory specs?

In house insurance terms that would mean they would not insure my house for its' full value if it was rebuilt after a house fire. And you can't use the wear-and-tear devaluation argument because my 44 year old house has more things wearing out than my 35 year old car does.

Just more logic for the insurance world.

I was going to make some comment about my wife not being a virgin when we married, does that mean she has a salvage title?, but I'll not do that. I like sleeping INSIDE the house.

[citizenchan]

My insurance company said they will only cover damages up to the value of the car. As a salvage title that's going to be very low. So, now I need to consider whether or not to keep full coverage.

Is NADA a good source for values of the 02? Anything else I should/could use? Kbb only goes back to 88

Thanks.

[Guest Anonymous]

but...you fell in love with her or who you believed she was ...didn't you...if all the things you said come true in the future...will not love her any longer...? would she not love you? surprises in relationships are seldom "pleasant"...we tend to show our best sides when courting...the car salesman is no different

Ok, now that you mention it. I got side tracked.

There is truth to your words, but some of us have a lower threshold for tolerating some surprises than others.

My focus was on fidelity and support and not on the dubious notion of virginity. Sure there may be a multitude of reasons for a spouse's infidelity. It may even be justified. But, as you know, it is hard to unring the bell. We all likely fall in love with a dream, but there may be times when even the dream turns into a nightmare and under those circumstances, divorce may be the healthiest course.

I picked an extreme for an example. I do not like equating my marriage with buying a car, but I will agree that when you get married or make a big purchase, it doesn't hurt to have one or a combination of love, luck or extreme care. On the other hand, if I buy a car and check it out and fall in love with it, I do not know how I might react if a completely different car is delivered to my driveway and when I check under the hood, I find no engine or a pile of bolts! If I believe I am marrying a Ferrari and the spouse turns out to be a red dump truck, that is one thing. If the Ferrari is a push mower with rusty unbalanced blades, that may not be comparable!

Oh, and by the way, in terms of surprises, I wonder how you would react if, after you were married, your spouse entered the car interior business and you found his business practices to be, er . . um . . ah . . not compatible with your own. LOL

P.S. I get along fine with my new bride. I guess I should have asked her first if she had any experience cutting the lawn! (Just kidding honey!!)

[gregp553]

Maybe the guy didn't lie, but he wasn't truthful either. That's unfortunate. Check with your insurance company to find out how a salvage title impacts your coverage. Maybe it has no impact. If the salvage title hurts you at the time of sale, that's probably the only other possible downside. I'd still write the guy and tell him you don't appreciate his not being up front. Is his name Alonzo?

[citizenchan]

No, his name is not Alonzo. Haha.

[Guest Anonymous]

If this is a California car, then I stand corrected regarding the distinction between clean and salvage. My point was that any owner who owned the vehicle free and clear of any liens had the right to sell the vehicle. I did not mean that the owner had the right to misrepresent the fact the history of the vehicle or that he could sell a vehicle that was declared salvaged as non-salvaged. Draw your own conclusions:

"What's a Salvaged Vehicle?

"California defines a salvaged vehicle as one that has been either totally destroyed or damaged beyond what the insurance company is willing to pay to fix it, so the owner never gets the vehicle repaired. Depending on its condition, one of several things may happen to the car.

The first of these is that the title is exchanged for a Salvage Certificate issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. This becomes the new ownership document; in other words, a salvage vehicle in California has no title."

Salvaged vehicles are often sold to wrecking yards for scraps and parts. Even cars that have been in bad accidents often have some working components that other people need for their own projects.

Resurrecting a Salvage Vehicle Sometimes, a salvage vehicle can be driven again. Even if an insurer says a car is totaled, it might actually be fixable. Used car dealers purchase totaled vehicles at auction, repair them, and then resell them to the public. When a salvaged vehicle is repaired to street-worthiness, the Salvage Certificate is exchanged for a special title so it can be legally sold. This title says "Revived Salvage." It will never get a clean title again. At this point, the vehicle may be reregistered.

How to Spot a Salvage

In the private market, the easiest way to spot a salvage is to look at the title. It will either say "Revived Salvage" or have a Salvage Certificate instead of a title. By taking away the title, California is protecting consumers against buying a salvage vehicle without knowing it."

http://www.dmv.org/ca-california/salvaged-vehicles.php

______________________________________

http://www.carinsurance.com/kb/content17322.aspx see below:

"Salvaged vehicles in California have their title marked with a "salvaged" brand. In CA this means that the vehicle was involved in an accident or incurred considerable damage from another source, such as a flood or vandalism. This brand includes previously dismantled (junked) vehicles.

A vehicle becomes "salvage" when it has been wrecked or damaged to such an extent that it is considered too expensive to repair. The title, license plates, and a required fee are submitted to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and a Salvage Certificate is issued for the vehicle.

A "revived salvage" vehicle is one that was reported by the owner or insurance company as a total loss and has been restored to operational condition. After being repaired and reregistered with the DMV it is titled as Revived. In other states this may be known as a "rebuilt" vehicle.

To re-register a salvage vehicle you will need to have bills of sale for all the major and minor parts used in the reconstruction of your vehicle. Then an application for registration along with a vehicle construction statement will need to be given to the DMV. Revived salvage vehicles are also required to be inspected by the DMV or the California Highway Patrol (CHP) before DMV can issue title and registration.

So in California while salvaged vehicles may be deemed not road-worthy, a revived salvage vehicle may be registered and be driven on the roadways. It is likely when you hear about "salvage" vehicles being bought and driven by people that it is really a "revived salvage" auto. As you know laws in California require the registered owner to have insurance on their motor vehicle.

While it may be harder to find an insurance company that will insure a revived salvage vehicle, there are CA insurance providers that will do so. Most though will only allow liability and not full coverage (physical damage coverages) to be placed on the vehicle.

California does not legally allow any automobile to be on the roadways without insurance."

HTH

[Guest Anonymous]

I was going to make some comment about my wife not being a virgin when we married, does that mean she has a salvage title?, but I'll not do that. I like sleeping INSIDE the house.

Steve, I like your style. You obviously like to live on the "edge."

Respecting the question you chose not to fully analyze, California issues a salvage certificate. She will never get a clean title again Upon further inspection, if repairs have been made, the title will be listed as "revived salvage." By taking away the title, California is protecting consumers against buying a salvage without knowing it.

[Guest Anonymous]

I would definitely go back to the seller. If you have an advertisement for sale of the car that says its a clean title, then you will need a copy of that. Print it now and make sure it shows the date. If you get no redress, you may need to go to small claims for the difference.

There seems to be a significant ambiguity as to the history of the vehicle. Unless a bill of sale mentioned the salvage history, there are grounds for recission or a partial refund. Since the buyer evidently had good reason to believe he was buying a non-salvaged car, there was no real meeting of the minds.

Regarding insurance, of course you can insure a salvaged vehicle. The issue will likely be what is the fair market value of a salvaged vehicle. Hint: if the vehicle was salvaged but previously owned by celebrity like MikeS, repaired by Jonny with parts from Blunt - the vehicle may be worth more than most cars that were never salvaged! Your mileage may vary with sea foam!

[percy]

I was going to make some comment about my wife not being a virgin when we married, does that mean she has a salvage title?, but I'll not do that. I like sleeping INSIDE the house.

I was actually looking for parts and had no particular reason to post here. Unless Steve has already deleted it, it is somewhat ironic that the newest registered member of the faq is "Meet-Horny-Singles." Maybe this post was Meet's inspiration for joining! LOL!

[esty]

Oh, and by the way, in terms of surprises, I wonder how you would react if, after you were married, your spouse entered the car interior business and you found his business practices to be, er . . um . . ah . . not compatible with your own.

i know your kidding

to answer your question...i'd cut his nuts off while he slept.....

[Kidasters]

to answer your question...i'd cut his nuts off while he slept.....

Cut?

[citizenchan]

There seems to be a significant ambiguity as to the history of the vehicle. Unless a bill of sale mentioned the salvage history, there are grounds for recission or a partial refund. Since the buyer evidently had good reason to believe he was buying a non-salvaged car, there was no real meeting of the minds.

But in California the buyer-beware laws are extremely strict. I'll look into it, but I doubt I have any recourse since the logical argument would be made that a reasonable person would ask to see the title. At this point, I would just have to take a loss on it if I ever decided to sell it.