Tips on Buying Salvage Vehicles

The phrase "salvage vehicle" means several different things, depending on how it is used. When buying a vehicle that has been salvaged, you should find out exactly how the seller is using the phrase, and decide whether you want to buy it with that knowledge in mind. Buying a car that has been in a fender bender and repaired is a different thing than buying a car that was submerged in the ocean for a week.

Title

You should get proof of a valid title before purchasing a salvage vehicle. If the vehicle doesn't have a title, don't buy it unless you plan to use it for parts and are not planning to register it. If there is any question about the title, ask the seller to give you some time to do some research on it. If he is hesitant to let you do this, take this as a warning sign.

Be Aware of Risk

You can often purchase a salvage vehicle at a price that is far below the cost of a conventionally purchased car. The reason for this is that there may be questions about the condition and history of the vehicle. In other words, you get what you pay for, so be prepared to have some problems. This doesn't mean that you will have problems, but chances are certainly higher than if you were to buy a brand new vehicle with a warranty at a dealership.

Parting Out

"Parting out" means buying a vehicle for the purpose of taking it apart and using its components for other vehicles. If you are a car dealer, mechanic or enthusiast, salvage vehicles can be gold mines of parts that you can buy for a fraction of what it would cost to buy all the parts new. Particularly in the case of older, rare or unusual foreign cars, it can be well worth the trouble to buy salvage vehicles for their parts.

Vehicle Identification Number

The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is located on a plate that can be seen through the windshield, attached to the driver's side dashboard. If you have time before the sale occurs, write down the VIN of the salvage vehicle you're thinking about buying and research its history. You can do this through the Department of Motor Vehicles. There are also websites that offer VIN searches, usually at a cost. By researching the VIN, you can find out a lot of information about the vehicle, including who has owned it and sometimes its service history.