First of all, when you hear someone talk about “salvage title”, what does that mean, exactly? Why are repairable salvage cars for sale deemed salvage?
The vehicle is branded “salvage” because it has been damaged and/or deemed a total loss by an insurance company. There’s a lot of wrecked cars for sale out there! If you are lucky enough, you can find repairable salvage cars with very little damage and in great mechanical condition.
is one that has been written off by the insurance company because the cost to repair the salvage car exceeds its estimated value. This will vary from state to state, but for the most part, that number is over 60% of the value of the salvage car. At that point, the insurance company will write-off the car, pay the claim and request a salvage title for the car.
When shopping for salvage cars for sale there is a very important distinction. Some salvage cars are repairable, but others are not. In general, a car that has been written off is deemed salvage, and the title is issued or marked as such for any future buyers.
Some of the reasons that may give a vehicle a salvage title include collision damage, flooding, theft, hail, etc. For example, Oregon defines an Oregon Salvage Title Certificate as a “legal document that indicates the vehicle was totaled, wrecked, dismantled, stolen, or abandoned. It also indicates ownership of the vehicle.”.
Some salvage cars are titled ”non-repairable”. The State of California DMV defines it as “a vehicle that has no resale value except as a source of parts or scrap metal, and which the owner irreversibly designates solely as a source of parts or scrap metal.” You are basically buying a bunch of parts and junk metal.
There are some limited exceptions (classic cars, for example) but that’s for another article. For the most part, this classification means that the nonrepairable titled salvage car cannot be titled as anything but destined for dismantling and junking.
Once a car or truck is declared nonrepairable, the general rule is that no other state will grant it a rebuilt title. Oregon, for example, will not issue a salvage repairable title to any vehicle that has the following designations in the out-of-state title :
• Destroyed
• Dismantled
• Hulk
• Junk
• Non-rebuildable
• Nonrepairable
• Parts only
• Scrap
• Wreck, Dismantler, or Wrecker only
There are salvage title autos that are repairable. That is, with proper repair work and inspection, state authorities will title it as a “rebuilt”, “reconstructed” or “
operable salvage
Once the owner of the salvage title car or truck has repaired the car and taken the photographs, it is time to assemble the documents, showing where each major component used in the repair was sourced from, and go to the actual inspection. Depending on the jurisdiction that can mean going to a repair shop that is authorized by the state to do the inspections, or it can mean some sort of governmental entity or officials. For example, in the case of Michigan, inspectors are law enforcement officers from the county the owner resides, as is the case with Wisconsin, where the certified salvage title inspector is a law enforcement officer.
Every state requires proof of the origin of major components and parts used in the build. That includes the VIN number of any donor vehicle. Major components, as defined by the State of New Jersey, are:
Engine Transmission/Transaxle, Front Bumper, Rear Bumper, Each Quarter Panel Decklid, Tailgate, Hatchback Roof (Including T-Tops) Cowl Nose (fenders, hood, bumper, radiator support) Front clip (cowl, frame section, shock, and apron structure)
You may have heard about salvage cars, but are hesitant to purchase one because you are unsure of its history. With Copart’s easy vehicle VIN check tool, you can quickly get the history of any flood damaged or repo cars for sale that you like. A Vehicle History and Title Report contains the full history of cars sold through Copart as reported by instaVIN. 
In today’s difficult times, it seems like everyone is looking for ways to save, especially when it comes to cars. If you need a vehicle to get back and forth to work or school but do not have a lot of cash, you should consider purchasing a salvage car. There are many benefits to choosing salvage auction cars, and listed below are just a few.
If you are looking for a car for short-term usage, why not consider a flood-damaged vehicle? There is no reason that you should have to spend a lot of money for a car if you are only going to need it for a short period of time, and many flood-damaged cars still run great.
When your child turns 16 and gets his driver’s license, he will more than likely want to get a vehicle of his own. Maybe, he has been saving his money up for a long time and needs help selecting an inexpensive but safe vehicle or maybe you are the one who will be purchasing the vehicle for him. Either way, you can often find suitable cheap cars for sale through online salvage auction sites such as SalvageAutosAuction.com.