"R" "Rebuilt" "Salvage" Purchase Price

what would it be worth with no accidents?

my concern would be hidden damage. it can be fine now, but things can start to go haywire in the not too distant future.

are you a competent diy'er?

 

The car may have been in an accident and totaled by an insurance company. Someone bought the wreck at auction and fixed it up - that's how you get a rebuilt title. Hard to know what happened to it, whether the frame is damaged, etc. Since the rebuilt title is clearly labeled and advertised, you may have little recourse if there is a problem later.

 

There's no warranty coverage. The car may be "fine" but if the insurance company didn't want to pay to have it properly repaired chances are the shop didn't either. The Prius c isn't a classic and it isn't collectible. A 2012 Four with 41505 miles is offered for $13995 locally. I would walk away but since you asked for a number I would say $7000.

 

Buying a Salvage Title: For the foolish that can't afford to snag a clean titled car with the same options. Don't do it. I used to be that guy having owned one or two in my time....Things you will always hear:

-There is no frame damage.
-It was a theft recovery
-Wasn't a flood car

Translation: OEM parts are seldom used and even then was the rebuild done by an accomplished tech?

Nope. Stay away. A Rebuilt auto is an undiscovered money pit. Become a master negotiator, have cash on hand and know your market.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I have driven fixed salvage cars many times, I knew the issues and did a thourough inspection.

The problems the car had were irrelevant to me and the price was under half what a non salvage car would be.

The only way you can justify salvage is if you get it priced well below what a non salvage high mile out of warranty example would sell for , because even with 5000 miles a salvage car is still worse than one with over a 100k on the clock.

If the car were $5k ish I would say go ahead, $10k no way

 

The seller is obviously fond of recreational pharmaceuticals.

A Priussy 4 with 18K has a street value of about 12K.
Maybe a little more in places where gas is more than $2 a gallon.

This car has a salvage title.
That means as-is, where-is.
NO factory warranty of any kind.
Ever.

No TSBs
Maybe no CARB warrantry...
What Voids Your Vehicle's Warranty? -- Edmunds.com

Would I buy one?
Heck yeah, I would!!!!
But I would BUY it.....and not borrow money on it (presuming one can get a loan for a salvage car) and I would pay one helluva lot less than $1000 off of the street price.
Remember......even if you can get comp and collision on this puppy, some insurance company out there has already paid for it once.
They may be crooks (opinions vary,) but insurance companies don't pay for their big office buildings and fancy TV commercials by being stoopid.
IF you can get somebody to lend you money for a salvage title car you're going to pay more for the loan....more for the insurance.....and if there's a hull-loss incident, the insurance companies MIGHT pay street value for it (again) which is going to be a LOT less than 11K, IMHO.

Is this a good buy?
Probably.
If you fix it right, it's probably good for lunar mileage and it will get great mileage doing it.
The paint might even look OK (for a while) and it may not want to change lanes all by itself if you let go of the steering wheel.

.....Just don't expect it to be worth ANYWHERE NEAR what a non-totaled car would go for.


...Walk.

 

My car is in transition from being wrecked to being a salvage title. The insurance company paid it off and it is soon to be auctioned. It will sell at auction for around 3k. Wholesale repairs will be about 7000 without labor. Labor if expended will be about 5000. If the buyer is the shop then it could be a cost of 10k.

There are many salvage cars for sale that are advertised by the dealers on the internet. I see salvage Prius c's for around 7 to 10k. They are on Craigslist, ebay, and autotrader.

My car had two major accidents a year apart. Due to the rarity of trim 3 it was repairable the first time even though the repair was 16k. Some discussion was had here about the condition of the car. I believed that a master mechanic can fix anything right. After 31 manhours of labor the car was returned to me. It had extensive frame work and passed a four wheel alignment. It was a better car than when I had it previously. I drove it 15k miles until its next accident. This time I realized it was turning into Frankenstein.

Even though a master mechanic can fix anything right, other factors enter. Combining new repairs to an old infrastructure is risky. It will not integrate.

The young car you contemplate should be fine so long as you bring the paperwork and the car to Toyota for a pre-purchase inspection and that must include the alignment. Let them give red or green light and let them advise you about warranty issues.

 

Let them give red or green light and let them advise you about warranty issues]

I don't understand......
Salvage title......
Warranty? What warranty????
Salvage title......
HV cables wrapped with electrical tape on bare spots out of sight....
Everyone is a master mechanic on craigslist....
I'll beat it into place with a BFH to make it fit....
Just gotta find a sucker to buy it, and those are born every minute......
Only has to drive good until I'm out of sight...

yeah babyyyyyy

Just know what you may be getting into...

 

My 2013 c is worth 8600 to trade in....53k miles....I'm driving this baby into the ground.
I've had a lots of rebuild cars. They're all over the place quality-wise, but way cheaper to own. The one in this thread is prob worth 5-7k

 

I for one would NOT pay more than 1/2 the retail value for a car with a rebuilt title. Yes I have purchased a car with one, hail damage that had mostly repaired.

 

I've bought maybe 10 rebuilds over the years, still have one on the d/w. They've all been ok, I always pay less than average wholesale and sell them the same way....

 

I am not fearful of salvage titles because it is a paper designation. I could have turned the car over to the insurance company after the first of the two collisions. But for their repairing it for 16K it was "saved".

 

You are describing a reason why it is advisable to have Toyota (and a reputable certified/authorized body shop) inspect any such vehicle. They would spot cheap jobs that can not endure or that are not safe. If a listing of the work and suppliers (a must-have for air bags) is furnished then the quality is screenable.

 

I agree with your estimated price offer. One of my daughter bought a good looking, low milage "Reconditioned" Prius for aprox half the Book value. I personally wouldn't offer more than about half the current book value for a car that has been totaled.