Found one, but salvaged title, bad or what?

synergy_58

2009 Navion and 2015 Crew
So I've been searching for an 05 or 06 Sprinter Passenger and I've found one...BUT it has a salvaged title. Is this bad?

The van is an 06, High Roof, 144" with 120k miles. It's a passenger van, in really nice shape. The second owner (it's on it's third) had a fender bender, he ran into the back of another car. It damaged the bumper, radiator and a few other things but got totally rebuilt (good thing for insurance). It now has a salvaged title. This happened 3-4 years ago, and the current owner has been using it since then. The frame was unaffected. Any and all damaged items were replaced.

It is clean, with no other major issues. It has no rust at all. No dents, dings, etc... it does have a cracked passenger side rear view mirror, but minor. The interior is clean and the front and rear AC/heat works well. Non smoker, no pets. Used by a family to go on vacation to Seattle twice, once to Florida, about 2500 miles in each direction.
Tires and brakes were done a year ago and have about 10k on them. Their are some spare parts that will come with the van that they don't need or want, like new rotors and brake pads and a few other things. It needs nothing but a new owner.

What are the pro's and con's to a salvage title?
What should I check and be aware of?
Is this something to absolutely stay clear of?
Is there a way for me to access somewhere the details of the accident, to see what exactly was damaged and replaced?

Comments and opinions...

I can get it for between $10-11k.

Thanks!
 

showkey

Well-known member
Any vehicle with a salvaged title will be worth far less on the open market?
Is there any more to the story of how it was a total loss with a bumper radiator and few other things ????? That does not sound right...........
 

synergy_58

2009 Navion and 2015 Crew
Any vehicle with a salvaged title will be worth far less on the open market?
Is there any more to the story of how it was a total loss with a bumper radiator and few other things ????? That does not sound right...........
I know, I know, there's always a story and it's always embellished in favor of the seller. So, I'm walking away. Thank you.
 

lindenengineering

Well-known member
Cars with salvage titles shouldn't scare you if you have both feet on the ground and KNOW what you are getting into.
Fact #1 a salvage vehicle is always worth 50% of blue book.
Fact #2 Salvage vehicles can be auctioned at salvage due to other circumstances other than collisional circumstances like flood and bio hazard.
Fact #3 You can get info on the reasons for salvage from many sources not only from Carfax but auction/insurance sellers.
Fact #4 Don't expect to buy a salvage titled fixer upper AND hope to make a profit, but such vehicles can be a cheap way to get into a vehicle which you otherwise couldn't afford.

Here are a few examples which have done well with and I still use today.

2003 Gen I Prius with a tree stump sitting inside the passenger compartment, took out the corner. Purchased for $250 with 36K on it and cost me about $2000 in parts and labor to fix .
Car is still in use and has 164K on it (used as a daily driver)

2010 Rolls Royce Ghost 2.
Value non salvage about $350,000 with 8K on it Black over Silver grey
Salvage value say about $150,000 fixed up.
Reason collision damage in the rear .
Car owed me at point of purchase about $15,000! I swapped it for a running Peterbilt and dry goods trailer which I fixed up . Horse trader me!:smilewink:

I suppose in shop labor and parts including paint the fix up is around $12,000.
Car is indistinguishable from the non bashed up version, and is a pleasure to drive; 'cept I have to put plastic detail covers on the cream leather seats in it if I am doing a parts run with overalls on!
Best part of this motoring experience is driving it to get Sprinter parts at the MB dealers. Sitting next to an S Class it has a certain aplomb against these lower priced unwashed masses.:lol:

Driving a good salvage has its benes.
So don't pass up a deal if you intend to keep it and you can make the numbers work.
Dennis
 

lindenengineering

Well-known member
Cole
In the trade a salvage vehicle is always judged to be 50% of blue book value. Its the starting benchmark used. After all you have to start somewhere!
Like any vehicle the actual judged value is what is the condition today and what is someone prepared to pay for it. Remember the trade maxim "there is a butt for every seat!:thinking:

Due to unscrupulous activities I might add you can inadvertently buy a vehicle which has been deemed salvage but offered as "good", Caveat Emptor applies here .

Here in Colorado any vehicle which falls into this category has to be stamped on the driver's door pillar waist area the words "Built from Salvage".
Since my shop is about half a mile up from the State Patrol inspection center in Golden, I get a steady trickle from time to time of people referred by the patrol for that service activity.
As a side bar I have even had a Ford F350 Tioga motor home (nice specimen) apparently go through the auctions at Klode in Littleton and sold to a Wyoming shop.
The shop did a first class fix on the body which had got torn up and was sold to a Laramie judge. He apparently use it on Wyoming plates/registration until someone from Denver bought it as "good" Its history showed up in Colorado State records as having been a salvage vehicle. New owner was less than happy about having his new ride devalued by 50%, and my guys whacking the stamped words rebuilt from salvage on the vehicle to get it registered.

Again I have to emphasis you can't always tell something has been in a tangle, been flooded by sewage ( Bio hazard bought a nice Sprinter on a BOS only like that last year) or I suppose worse, been in a big flood like Hurricane Sandy and filled with marine salt water. Fixed up but looking like deck cargo on a submarine underneath this "luverly" Sprinter specimen had been shipped to Denver to launder it, and sold as a "good" vehicle by a Craigs List vender.

Again buyer beware, because there are a lot of people buying junk, tatting it up and flogging it off to unsuspecting folk. Members of this forum included.
Again caveat emptor--get a professional to inspect it before you buy!
But its your money! and down in Venezuela they have a great expression "Es Como nuevo Senor" and the car looks like an old Pepsi can that has been kicked around Caracas for week and tatted up!
Dennis
 
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Cole

OUTLAW SPRINTER!!!
I've bought and sold several branded title (salvage title) vehicles and they have always gone for far more than 50%. So that number is an opinion, not a fact as you stated. If you are talking about commodity cars like Camrys then it's probably accurate. As soon as the car has any special or enthusiast value then any blanket statement of percentage value drops is inaccurate at best.

Huge blanket statements about values are hard to back up. Each vehicle has a story. Unfortunately in our capitalist system the only thing a "salvage title" really means is that the insurance company had to pay out a claim. A claim where they effectively had to buy the car themselves.

Salvage titles don't have anything to *really* do with the condition of the car. Stolen cars are a great example. They may have zero damage to them at all. But, they may have sat undiscovered in a mall parking garage for 3 months and the insurance company pays the claim. When the car is found it gets branded salvage.

I've seen first model year cars get written off by insurance companies for very minor damage because there isn't a supply of repair parts available yet.

40 years of building cars here in Colorado and 10 years as a police officer and I've never Actually seen of this "rebuilt from salvage" door stamp in Colorado. I've owned a dozen "salvage title" vehicles here in Colorado and none of them have ever had such a label. Also, Colorado doesn't even carry over the "salvage title" label on cars over 10yo when brought into Colorado. Colorado only considers a car salvage is it got that label within its first 6 years. Wreck it after its 7yo and it will odten keep a clean title here now.

For these reasons Colorado is a popular state to "wash" titles in.

Bonding for title and getting a new VIN/safety inspection from the State patrol on a pile of parts you rebuilt from a scrap pile is different than just a plain old "salvage title".
 
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Cole

OUTLAW SPRINTER!!!
Colorado revised statutes. But not the Department of Motor vehicle procedures.

C.R.S. 42-6-102


COLORADO REVISED STATUTES

* This document reflects changes current through all laws passed at the
Second Regular Session of the Sixty-Ninth General Assembly
of the State of Colorado (2014)
and changes approved by the electorate at the November 2014 election *

TITLE 42. VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
CERTIFICATES OF TITLE
ARTICLE 6.CERTIFICATES OF TITLE - USED MOTOR VEHICLE SALES
PART 1. CERTIFICATES OF TITLE

C.R.S. 42-6-102 (2014)

42-6-102. Definitions



As used in this part 1, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) "All-terrain vehicle" means a three- or four-wheeled vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires with a seat that is straddled by the rider and with handlebars for steering control.

(1.5) "Authorized agent" means the county clerk and recorder in each of the counties of the state or such other official of a city and county appointed to perform the function of titling of or recording liens on motor vehicles.

(1.7) "Brand" means a permanent designation or marking on a motor vehicle's title, associated with the vehicle identification number, that conveys information about the value of the vehicle or indicates that the vehicle:

(a) Is a salvage vehicle;

(b) Is rebuilt from salvage;

(c) Is nonrepairable;

(d) Is flood damaged;

(e) Has had its odometer tampered with; or

(f) Has a designation placed on the title by another jurisdiction.

(2) "Dealer" means any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or association licensed under the laws of this state to engage in the business of buying, selling, exchanging, or otherwise trading in motor vehicles.

(3) "Department" means the department of revenue.

(4) "Director" means the executive director of the department of revenue.

(5) (a) "Electronic record" means a record generated, created, communicated, received, sent, or stored by electronic means.

(b) A record covered by this article may not be denied legal effect, validity, or enforceability solely because it is in the form of an electronic record. Except as otherwise provided in this article, if a rule of law requires a record to be in writing or provides consequences if it is not, an electronic record satisfies that rule of law.

(6) "File" means the creation of or addition to an electronic record maintained for a certificate of title by the director or an authorized agent of the director, as defined in section 42-6-105.

(6.1) "Flood damaged" means a motor vehicle was submerged in water to the point that rising water has reached over the doorsill and entered the passenger compartment and damaged electrical, computer, or mechanical components.

(6.4) "Junk" means a vehicle that is incapable of operating on roads and is no longer a vehicle because it has been destroyed, dismantled, or changed. These vehicles may not be issued a certificate of title, and any title secured in the purchase of such a vehicle is to be surrendered to the department, which shall cancel the vehicle identification number and remove the vehicle from the motor vehicle system.

(6.5) "Kit vehicle" means a passenger-type motor vehicle assembled, by other than a licensed manufacturer, from a manufactured kit that includes a prefabricated body and chassis and is accompanied by a manufacturer's statement of origin.

(7) "Lien" means a security interest in a motor vehicle under article 9 of title 4, C.R.S., and this article.

(8) "Manufacturer" means a person, firm, partnership, corporation, or association engaged in the manufacture of new motor vehicles, trailers, or semitrailers.

(9) "Mortgage" or "chattel mortgage" means a security agreement as defined in section 4-9-102 (76), C.R.S.

(10) "Motor vehicle" means any self-propelled vehicle that is designed primarily for travel on the public highways and is generally and commonly used to transport persons and property over the public highways, including trailers, semitrailers, and trailer coaches, without motive power. "Motor vehicle" does not include the following:

(a) A low-power scooter, as defined in section 42-1-102;

(b) A vehicle that operates only upon rails or tracks laid in place on the ground or that travels through the air or that derives its motive power from overhead electric lines;

(c) A farm tractor, farm trailer, and any other machines and tools used in the production, harvesting, and care of farm products; or

(d) Special mobile machinery or industrial machinery not designed primarily for highway transportation.

(11) "New vehicle" means a motor vehicle being transferred for the first time from a manufacturer or importer, or dealer or agent of a manufacturer or importer, to the end user or customer. A motor vehicle that has been used by a dealer for the purpose of demonstration to prospective customers shall be considered a "new vehicle" unless such demonstration use has been for more than one thousand five hundred miles. Motor vehicles having a gross vehicle weight rating of sixteen thousand pounds or more shall be exempt from this definition.

(11.2) "Nonrepairable" means a motor vehicle that:

(a) Is incapable of safe operation on the road and that has no resale value except as scrap or as a source of parts; or

(b) The owner has designated as scrap or as a source of parts.

(11.3) "Nonrepairable title" means a title document issued by the director or authorized agent to indicate ownership of a nonrepairable vehicle.

(11.5) (a) "Off-highway vehicle" means a self-propelled vehicle that is:

(I) Designed to travel on wheels or tracks in contact with the ground;

(II) Designed primarily for use off of the public highways; and

(III) Generally and commonly used to transport persons for recreational purposes.

(b) "Off-highway vehicle" includes vehicles commonly known as all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles but does not include:

(I) Toy vehicles;

(II) Vehicles designed and used primarily for travel on, over, or in the water;

(III) Military vehicles;

(IV) Golf carts or golf cars;

(V) Vehicles designed and used to carry persons with disabilities;

(VI) Vehicles designed and used specifically for agricultural, logging, or mining purposes; or

(VII) Motor vehicles.

(12) "Owner" means a person or firm in whose name the title to a motor vehicle is registered.

(13) "Person" means natural persons, associations of persons, firms, limited liability companies, partnerships, or corporations.

(14) "Record" means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in a perceivable form.

(15) "Roadworthy" means a condition in which a motor vehicle has sufficient power and is fit to operate on the roads and highways of this state after visual inspection by appropriate law enforcement authorities. In order to be roadworthy, such vehicle, in accord with its design and use, shall have all major parts and systems permanently attached and functioning and shall not be repaired in such a manner as to make the vehicle unsafe. For purposes of this subsection (15), "major parts and systems" shall include, but not be limited to, the body of a motor vehicle with related component parts, engine, transmission, tires, wheels, seats, exhaust, brakes, and all other equipment required by Colorado law for the particular vehicle.

(15.5) (a) "Rolling chassis" means that:

(I) For a motorcycle, the motorcycle has a frame, a motor, front forks, a transmission, and wheels;

(II) For a motor vehicle that is not a motorcycle, the motor vehicle has a frame, a body, a suspension, an axle, a steering mechanism, and wheels.

(b) Nothing in this subsection (15.5) shall be construed to require any listed parts to be operable, in working order, or roadworthy.

(16) "Salvage certificate of title" means a document issued under the authority of the director to indicate ownership of a salvage vehicle.

(17) (a) (I) "Salvage vehicle" means:

(A) A flood-damaged vehicle;

(B) A vehicle branded as a salvage vehicle by another state; or

(C) A vehicle that is damaged by collision, fire, flood, accident, trespass, or other occurrence, excluding hail damage, to the extent that the cost of repairing the vehicle to a roadworthy condition and for legal operation on the highways exceeds the vehicle's retail fair market value immediately prior to the damage, as determined by the person who owns the vehicle at the time of the occurrence or by the insurer or other person acting on behalf of the owner.

(II) "Salvage vehicle" does not include an off-highway vehicle.

(b) In assessing whether a vehicle is a "salvage vehicle" under this section, the retail fair market value shall be determined by reference to sources generally accepted within the insurance industry including price guide books, dealer quotations, computerized valuation services, newspaper advertisements, and certified appraisals, taking into account the condition of the vehicle prior to the damage. When assessing the repairs, the assessor shall consider the actual retail cost of the needed parts and the reasonable and customary labor rates for needed labor.

(c) "Salvage vehicle" does not include a vehicle that qualifies as a collector's item, horseless carriage, or street rod vehicle under article 12 of this title at the time of damage.

(18) "Signature" means either a written signature or an electronic signature.

(18.5) "Snowmobile" means a self-propelled vehicle primarily designed or altered for travel on snow or ice off of the public highways and supported by skis, belts, or cleats. "Snowmobile" does not include machinery used for the grooming of snowmobile trails or ski slopes.

(19) "State" includes the territories and the federal districts of the United States.

(20) "Street rod vehicle" means a vehicle manufactured in 1948 or earlier with a body design that has been modified for safe road use, including, but not limited to, modifications of the drive train, suspension, and brake systems, modifications to the body through the use of materials such as steel or fiberglass, and modifications to any other safety or comfort features.

(21) "Transfer by inheritance" means the transfer of ownership after the death of an owner by means of a will, a written statement, a list as described in section 15-11-513, C.R.S., or upon lawful descent and distribution upon the death intestate of the owner of the vehicle.

(22) "Used vehicle" means a motor vehicle that has been sold, bargained, exchanged, or given away, or has had the title transferred from the person who first took title from the manufacturer or importer, dealer, or agent of the manufacturer or importer, or has been so used as to have become what is commonly known as a secondhand motor vehicle. A motor vehicle that has been used by a dealer for the purpose of demonstration to prospective customers shall be considered a "used vehicle" if such demonstration use has been for more than one thousand five hundred miles.

(23) "Vehicle" means any motor vehicle as defined in subsection (10) of this section.

HISTORY: Source: L. 94: Entire title amended with relocations, p. 2448, § 1, effective January 1, 1995.L. 97: (8) and (16) amended, p. 557, § 1, effective August 6.L. 2000: (4.2), (4.4), (10.5), and (13.5) added, p. 1656, § 1, effective July 1, 2001.L. 2001: (1) amended, p. 272, § 25, effective November 15.L. 2003: (1) amended, p. 565, § 11, effective July 1.L. 2004: (13) amended, p. 932, § 2, effective July 1.L. 2005: Entire section amended, p. 806, § 1, effective August 8.L. 2006: (15.5) added, p. 952, § 2, effective August 7; (6.5) added, p. 1412, § 3, effective July 1, 2007.L. 2009: (10) amended, (HB 09-1026), ch. 281, p. 1285, § 65, effective October 1.L. 2010: (10)(d) amended, (HB 10-1172), ch. 320, p. 1493, § 17, effective October 1.L. 2013: (1) and (17)(a) amended and (1.5), (11.5), and (18.5) added, (SB 13-280), ch. 407, p. 2378, § 3, effective June 5.L. 2014: (17)(c) amended, (HB 14-1299), ch. 136, p. 467, § 1, effective April 25, 2014; (1.7), (6.1), (6.4), (11.2), and (11.3) added and (17)(a)(I) amended, (HB 14-1100), ch. 122, p. 432, § 1, effective August 6, 2014.



Editor's note: (1) Section 46 of chapter 407, Session Laws of Colorado 2013, provides that the act amending subsections (1) and (17)(a) and adding subsections (1.5), (11.5), and (18.5) applies to acts committed on or after July 1, 2014.(2) Section 9 of chapter 122 (HB 14-1100), Session Laws of Colorado 2014, provides that changes to this section by the act apply to acts committed on or after January 1, 2015.(3) Section 9 of chapter 122 (HB 14-1100), Session Laws of Colorado 2014, provides that changes to (17)(c) shall not take effect if HB 14-1299 becomes law. HB 14-1299 became law on April 25, 2014.
 

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