hi guys,

im looking to purchase my first car so i am a bit new at this. i am currently looking at a 06 acura TL with ~75k miles (w/ navigation, sun roof, etc.). however, it does not have a clean title (asking the owner, she had rear ended some one (no airbags went off though) so i assume the collision was not that severe). i am trying to negotiate the price of currently 12,500 down to something around 11k or 11,500

any thoughts on if this would be a good purchase?

thanks!!

 

if it has a salvage title it needed to be decently severe. In order for the insurance company to salvage it usually the damage needs to be at least 75% the value of the car. Rear ending someone sounds like a story... unless they rear ended someone when they were doing 30+. I would stay far far away from salvage titles. Insurance will cost more, and you never know what was actually done.

 

what he said....Usually salvage car involves frame damage and its not wroth it

 

Salvage titles are fine as long as the work done to the vehicle was good.

The price for it, is stupid. With 12.5k, you can buy a used clear title 06 TL. Drop her to 8-9k and send it to a independent shop to inspect if the job was done right.

 

I got mine on Saturday for $14k. Clean title, navigation, 67k miles, 2005 model year. Look harder. Something will pop up on craigslist eventually.

 

This is not true. There are several reasons why a car can be considered salvage even if it's just cosmetic damage. If the insurance appraiser thinks it looks bad or will cost alot to fix then he/she will mark it as salvage. They can even salvage the car if their too lazy to fully examine all the damage. Insurance appraisers are not mechanics nor structural/bodywork experts so they made that call based on what they "think" the car needs fixed.

My 04 wdp 6MT w/navi was salvage title yet structurally fine, altho it was missing random stuff like bay covers, trunk nets, etc. If you're certain the car is in good, working condition then i'd say its good to go.

 

Where do you live?

 

Bought my salvage 2008 w/ navi and 30,000 miles on the odometer for $15,000 flat.

Here I am 10 months since purchase and car now has 45,000 miles and is still as smooth as can be.

Don't listen to the idiots that say "oh its salvage go somewhere else". If you think the price is good, and you test drove it and everything is up to par than go for it. Most of these fools never even owned a salvage title vehicle before and are talking out the ass.

Yes some salvage title vehicles are bad, but NOT ALL SALVAGE TITLES ARE BAD. Take the car to a reputable shop to have it fully inspected.

 

I'm from Toronto

 

It also depends on the state you live in. My brothers 2003 civic hybrid was totaled because the hood was bent as he drove into another car. Very small bend. this was in PA. Car only had 69,000 miles.

 

viet has good knowledge here and is speaking with experience. He got a car that ended up being good. It does happen. I completely agree that not all vehicles that are salvaged should be. However most of them are salvaged for a reason. Where i live (NJ) a salvage title means insurance is going to be more money. ( i looked into this with previous cars) I would look into that in your state as the insurance might run the price up. Good luck.

 

if you were to total a salvaged car I'd imagine it'd be pretty hard getting the money you think your car is worth from insurance. They can pretty much low ball you.

 

My car has a salvaged title and I haven't had any problems with it. I was somewhat apprehensive about purchasing it, but glad I did.

 

i bought my car salvage.. for 10k and it had 60k miles on it. its a 05... i never had any problems with it and don't mind salvage as long as its fixed right. check if the alignment is correct of not..like the door,bumper,trunk,fender gaps. also if your buying salvage, you will probably drive it til it brakes on you cuz it loses it value. im keeping my car forever

 

It is a crap shoot. For every shit one you will fine a good one. I would recommend against getting one unless you or someone you know can go over it with a fine tooth comb.

Good luck.

 

I would keep your eyes peeled elsewhere.

Ask yourself this....cars are barely worth shit after a while anymore and with that being said, how much is this salvaged vehicle going to worth when it comes time to let go by either privately selling or trading? IMO Our cars, clean titled still have decent value.

There's plenty of TL's for sale...you'll find one.

This is in no way meant offensively to those who have salvage titles, just a personal thought.

 

For those who purchases cars and sells them for another vehicle within 3-5 years than your point is valid.

But not everyone who purchases cars buy it for future resale value. Some people buy cars to drive it til it dies.

That being said, I don't ever plan on selling my TL.

$15,000 for a 2008 w/ navi and 30,000 miles on the odometer is a steal for a luxury sports sedan. I can't think of any other car that qualifies as a luxury sedan that looks as good as the TL does on both exterior and interior, has navi, and can get 35MPG highway for $15,000.

Hell, a brand new 2012 scion tC off the dealership floor still costs more and looks like shit on both exterior and interior. Not to mention a wimpy I4

 

i also agree,, theres nothing wrong with salvage title cars, as long as they are fixed correctly. i guy them all the time and sell them all the time.

12500 is a pretty fair asking price for a 06 TL with all the options,
just the story seems fishy, if she had crashd into someone then she wouldnt have the car anymore...sounds like she bought the car salvage and had it repaired..or bought it after it was repaired..

i would ask for pictures if she has any and also take to acura or somehwere reliable for an inspection.

if everything passes and need no repairs, i would offer her around 11k thats a fair price to pay for it.

 

^+1

There are too many cars out there to risk it - Continue your search.

 

If it was repaired correctly it shouldn't be a problem. But if you plan on selling it any time soon it is hard to find a buyer and when you do don't expect to get top dollar.

 

Agreed.

 

my take on salvage cars

Like the others have mentioned they can be good or bad.... I had a 1994 accord that was totalled at 60K and it was rebuilt and 12 years and 190K later it is still running. The only problem I see with salvage cars or any cars that have been repaired and repainted is that the long term durability of the paint is not nearly as good as OEM. Also insurance companys tend to be very stingy on payouts if the car is totalled due to salvage title. my agent state 50% is typical payout....

the 94 Accord looks like crap where the rear doghouse was repaired on both sides

The following 2 cars were not salvage but were repainted in damaged areas and here are the results

my 98 accord was repaird due to rear end collision and it was starting to peel by 2005

My 02 CLS was repaired on the driver's side rear and 6 years later it has rust in the repair spot dispite being properly repaired. Reason being is that most body shops typically do not use electrostating painting......something that OEMS do to help bond the primer/paint/clear coat to the metal....

 

I've never understood the allure of salvage title vehicles. I think it's more of a short term gain with a good chance of long term pain. Save up some more money and buy a clean title TL.

 

Im a dealer for a reputable insurance auction company and contrary to popular beliefs (which is usually based on inexperience by the average consumers) salvage isnt necessarily bad.

There are various categories of salvage and dont always have to be collision related. If you do decide to go salvage then have the car inspected by a reputable shop and also ask for pictures and receipts. Certain states (NY907A for example) have laws in place to protect consumers when buying salvage. These cars are repaired and inspected before issued a title by the state.

As far as insurance is concerned, they will give you a little less than its actual value which makes sense since you should be getting it considerably less than market value in the first place.

Anyhow, I would offer no more than 11k!
Good Luck!

 

I have just purchased a 98 acura. The guy i bought it from says only problems were exhaust leak o2 sensor n cracked windshield. It has a salvage title and obsolete reads 208xxx miles. On the title miles are exempt. I had car a week and it died driving down side street. It had oil inside distributor cap so changed seal got new cap n motor. Car running fine again but it does need crankshaft sensor. Anyone know what the value of this car would be? Body and interior ment condition sunrise works. Radio reads code sense i took battery out does anyone know how to reset factory radio?

 

Besides the obvious points like some insurance companies won't insure salvage titles, you arent sure exactly how/what has been fixed, a big problem is Salvage title cars are extremely hard to get rid of. Nobody wants them, for a reason. Not to say there aren't some exceptions, but generally I would steer far away from a salvage title.

 

"SALVAGE" has a bad reputation

also keep in mind the if you were to re-sell it later, the value (perceived or actual) would be towards the lower end of the range

unless you have the reasoning, paperwork (police report or repair invoice), and do a PPI (pre-purchase inspection), i'd probably wait for another TL

salvage would require extra EXTRA scrutiny

 

Most people don't go out and just buy a 17 year old car and then wonder its value. 17 year old cars with a salvage title and 208k miles are beaters and are meant to get you from Point a to Point b when you're in a tough economic situation.

What do you want to know exactly? You've already bought it so wanting to know "if it's a good deal" is already a moot point. But to answer the value question: not much. If I had to wager, I'd say maybe $2-3k?

If the radio reads CODE, you'll need to input the code that's usually on a little sticker with the factory manual. if you don't have said sticker, you'll have to take apart the dash, to find the serial number and then go to a dealership and ask them to get the code for you. Be prepared to provide documentation that the car is yours (registration, pink slip, etc..)


Also, you're in the wrong subsection, this subforum is usually for the 3rd gen TL's (2004-2008), if you have specific questions, go ahead and go to the 1st gen TL subforum to ask them there as you'll have a better chance of getting the proper answers you need.