Car Shopping Simplified- Buying A Salvage, Rebuilt, or Branded Title in 2018
Buying A Used Salvage, Rebuilt, Or Branded Vehicle
If you have your heart set on buying a certain type of car that you simply cannot find within your price range, chances are you may look into or come across vehicles that have a Salvage, Rebuilt, or Branded title.
Branded Title Defined
Branded titles are simply the overall term for a title that has been marked the by govt with some sort of change from it’s clean/clear status. I’m not certain on every state's brands, so some may be different, but the most popular to my knowledge are salvage or rebuild/salvage. In essence, once an insurance company writes off a car for being too expensive to fix it will be declared salvaged. We could get into these terms and the behind the scenes but why, right? You arn’t rebuilding the car, you just want to buy it. All you need to know is that what you are buying will say Rebuilt (May vary in some states).
Are The Types Of Used Vehicles Safe To Buy?
Many times yes. For example: A vehicle pounded by a hail storm can have damage that’s so extensive the insurance company writes it off. Mechanically and structurally (Frame-wise) the vehicle is perfect. That being said, there are many very shady individuals out there preying on people who have nice taste with small budgets. So, in every instance (Even with something like hail) you NEED to get an independent inspector to survey the vehicle.
Make Sure The Vehicle Has The Proper Inspection
Many people selling rebuilt vehicles like to claim that there has been an inspection done by the State. Sounds good, right? Who do you trust more than the Govt (Topic for another day, I know)? But, the inspection they are referring to isn’t the type where an automotive expert or mechanic puts the vehicle through it’s paces and declares it to be safe. It’s simply a DMV or other Govt employee verifying the vin numbers for the vehicle presented to them against the salvage title.
Is Buying A Salvage Or Rebuilt Vehicle Worth It?
Autohitch Car Buying Advise
Pretty simple one here: Order an independent vehicle inspection. You can order one from a large company, the type that checks lease returns for dealerships, or you can find a local guy who's just as good and far cheaper. Expect around $100-$150 for the local, $150-$350 for a large corporation.
