by Guest » Tue May 12, 2009 10:06 pm
I bought a car with a junk title. Apparently the previous owner ticked off his insurance company when he kept pushing on a flood damage claim (the water only went up to floorboards and the car is in spectacular shape) and they junked it. I guess they can do that. Now I have an almost brand new (14year old) car that needs no work, and needs to be reinstated!! what can I do? I bought it in Iowa and also reside here
Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 10:16 pm Post Subject:
Iowa has pretty lenient salvage title laws...contact your local DMV and see what the critera is..since it was declared salvage, probably the best you can hope for is to have it declared, 'prior' salvage title, but all states are different...that's where you need to start..
Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 06:48 am Post Subject:
Hi Aura, even when the car has suffered little to no damage it has to undergo the road worthiness inspection. And, regarding the title, Lori is right. In Iowa you can't get a clean title on a salvaged vehicle. If the car clears the road inspection test it would get a 'prior salvage' title on it.
However, buying salvage vehicle can give you loads of trouble in the future. There still can be undetected problems with the car when it seems okay. I'd suggest that you get the vehicle thoroughly checked by an experienced mechanic.
Thanks,
Rupert
Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 11:20 am Post Subject:
Hi aura, were you aware that the car comes with the salvage title? These cars can get troublesome. it may appear to be okay on the surface, but there may be engine problems, etc. it would be best to get a professional car technician to check it out for you.
about the salvage title, i'm not so sure about the laws in Iowa, but you can contact your local DMW and they'll tell you the criteria which they declare the car under salvage title. you still need to get your car to clear a road test. i'm not exactly hopeful about this, though. good luck!
Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 11:33 am Post Subject:
guys, all salvaged titles/vehicles are not bad...there are many many many older cars that 'total' for nothing more than bumper cover damage..the trick is to either 'know' the car meaning, that you were aware of the damage that caused it to be totaled, or get the opinion of some one with experience...many times a salvaged title are are a great bargin...personally they wouldn't (and haven't) scared me a bit, once I'm sure of the prior damage...
Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 04:50 am Post Subject:
here are many many many older cars that 'total' for nothing more than bumper cover damage..
Quite so, Lori. Since the value of the vehicle depreciate fast, the ACV of an old car gets low enough to get it declared as totaled even for a dint.
One way to know about the history of the car is by pulling a report from Carfax. It would give details about the title, flood damage history, total loss accident history, information about the previous owners, accident indicators and state emissions inspection results.
Its better to make sure about the purchase beforehand than being sorry later.
Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 05:41 pm Post Subject:
In Iowa, there is a difference between a junk title and a salvage title. The junk title means the vehicle is junk and that can never be reversed in Iowa. The salvage title means that the vehicle has sustained over $5000 damage in an incident and can go back on the road following repair and inspection. It will always show as a salvage title.
Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 09:12 pm Post Subject:
guys, all salvaged titles/vehicles are not bad...there are many many many older cars that 'total' for nothing more than bumper cover damage..the trick is to either 'know' the car meaning, that you were aware of the damage that caused it to be totaled, or get the opinion of some one with experience...many times a salvaged title are are a great bargin...personally they wouldn't (and haven't) scared me a bit, once I'm sure of the prior damage...
Lori,
First. Hello again! i've been away awhile. Work and life in general kinda got in the way of my online activities, but I am hoping I can get into a better routine for 2010. I'm glad to see you are still around and this place looks great.
Second. You are absolutely correct [not that you need me to tell you :)] ... but when dealing with flood units you really need to be cautious. One reason is that you don't really know how long the vehicle has sat, which can cause mildew and mold.
What type of electronic problems could be hiding.
Also, did the flood occur in Iowa, or was it in another state, which many vehicles were flooded in Louisianna, so you are talking about sea or brackish water, sewer water and all of these could be unhealthy for an individual, especially sewer waters.
So some important things to find out when purchasing a flood totaled salvage vehicle, is where did it come from, what kind of flood, and how long did it sit either in the flood waters, or after the flood without cleanup or care.
Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 10:41 pm Post Subject:
Personally I'd run screaming from a flood car, I've rarely repaired one that I didn't have to 'live' with for the rest of my life...as you said, the electrical issues are the ones that just ''keep on coming' seemingly forever...
Other builders, if I've personally seen the damage, and repair...I'd be game..
(p.s. good to see you back Jake! :) )
Add your comment