I need to find out how to price a car with a Salvage title. I've seen pictures of the car, it was side swipped. No frame damage or engine; didn't hit any part of engine. The car is repaired and is in excellent condition. Is there any site or official means of pricing the vehicle?

 

All I could say is to look online (autotrader, ebay motors?) to see what other cars in similar condition are going for.

 

If the car was in an accident and a salvage title was issued...then its not as simple as the car was just side swiped. There has to be some kind of frame damage to the car. Bodywork alone will not cause the car to have a salvage title. Rule of thumb cars with salvage title are usually half of market value. Example...market vaule $10,000 then car is worth $5,000.

 

The VIN was checked and it said no frame damage. It sat at a body shop for over a year.

 

Ok so no frame damage to the car. Then there is only one other way a salvage title can be issued. Body damage of over 60% to vehicle. Ins company checks the car after accident decides to report to the State as a total loss. State then issues a salvage title for the car. Ins company will not report it as a loss if the car can be repair. But if the repairs will cost more than 60% of its value in most cases its reported as a total loss. Some ins companies will not report it as a total loss till it reaches 70%.

Example...car rolls on to its roof...the car is report with a salvaged title...vin is checked but no frame damaged is recorded...why...becasue there is no actual frame damage to the car...but enough body damage where the ins company decides its not worth fixing. Again a simple side swiped will not cause an ins company to write off the car as a total loss. By the way what year is the car with what mileage? If we are talking about a really old car with high mileage...then the ins company may have decided its not worth the cost to fix it and its cheaper to just write it off.

 

Wow, thanks Justin. We're talking about a 2001 Toyota Camry with 24,000 miles. The car sat at the body shop for a long time. I've looked at the vehicle and you can see where it was just side swipped; overspray, new doors, bondo, etc. The other side is still new. The carfax stated no frame damage, I saw it black and white. The guy purchased it with 23,000 miles on it and put 1000 miles on it in a month. Not even one problem with the car yet. I don't know, whatever the case, half the value of the KBB or 70 percent of the value would work in my quest to find a price for a salvage title.

Sometimes, I just don't see why people can't be just honest. If a car sales men intentially lies about something to sell a car, I think there should be a law forbidding that person to sell cars. Or maybe just put a red star next to his nametag.

 

I would stay away from any car with salvage title, unless you want it for parts. I just finished a case of a misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter, where a young girl lost control of a car, part of the defense was the fact that this car was bought with salvage title due to significant damage to the front suspension. And before our migration here there was thread about some guy buying M3.
I wouldn't take that car free, much less pay money for it.