Looking to buy a 93 ranger 4x4 today and found one that i really liked. so i go to put the money down and notice that the title has salvage on it, talked to the guys at the car lot and they tell me they forgot to tell me about it. so i have them pull up a carfax on this truck and it comes up that a salvage/junk title was issed in pennsylvania in may of 1999 when the truck had 83000 miles on it, then evidently the truck was sold here in south dakota in sept of 1999. the truck has 136000 miles on it but looks and runs very well, i took it to my mechanic today and he gave me the thumbs up(before i found out about the salvage title). my question is should i run like hell away from this vehicle or what? the truck has seen 50000 miles since the salvage title was issued, is it possible to find out what happened to the vehicle in pennsylvania to make it become salvage? there selling this truck for $3400 which is the best price ive found anywhere around here. any ideas???

1.) What is the fastest car they have on the lot?
2.) Get in it and drive away from there as fast as you can!

J/K - well sort of...
Let's see now - were there any big floods or (insert your favorite car distroying event here) in PA in Spring of 1999 ???

We used to get a lot of "Flood Victims" out here on the 'left' coast right after a big "wash-down" in Texas or 'Where-ever', USA - the insurance co.s sell them to wholesalers who send them off somewhere and they then reappear somewhere else. It's like car restoration magic - insurance co style...
I remember looking for an electrical problem (go fiqure) on one and reaching up under the dash and coming up with a handfull of the finest midwestern silt you've ever seen... the pressure washer guy missed a spot.
BTW - that "catfish-under-the-seat-smell" never really goes away completely.

I would try to find out what damage was done that was great enough to warrant the "write-off" by the insurance co. and base my choice on if that's something you don't think will effect it's future performance or value.

JMHO as always

John

i would do as vintage says and get in the fastest car in the lot and run. im sure you can find better deals than that with a clean title. you were willing to buy the car for that price with what you thought was a car with a clean title. now it has a salvaged title, i wouldnt pay more than 1,500 for it. if you ever try to get rid of it, people will also be questioning its title.

angel

I bought a 1994 Honda Accord back in 1996 with a salvage title. It ran great for me for 8 years. It owes me nothing at this point BUT...The value is severly reduced when the title has been branded "salvage" or "previous damage". I sold the car last week for 1/3 of the NADA trade-in price and was delighted to get the cash.

The NADA web site can price vehicles that are in "good", "average", or "poor" condition but they do not price "salvage" vehicles so that should tell you something. It is in the fine print.

You will not be able to sell it for anything close to a blue book value. If that is OK with you and the car checks out fine, you can take a chance on it but it sounds to me like you are rolling the dice for little gain.

-Mark.

Agree with vintage & angelo, forget it! Insurance company totaled it for good reason. Dealer should have been upfront and disclosed salvage title.

If you know a good material damage appraiser, they might be able to run the VIN for history. Knowing which insurance company totaled it would be better.

Good luck.......let it go......

He 'forgot' to tell you? Thats huge.I would have kicked him in the arse for trying to pull a fast one and told him to shove it. Stay away!

Originally posted by shoddy_F-body:
He 'forgot' to tell you? Thats huge.I would have kicked him in the arse for trying to pull a fast one and told him to shove it. Stay away! Forget about the trucks condition! Shoddy got it right, that dealer was selling you the truck without disclosing important information. They had to know you would have found out, it printed on the title!! They may have even planned to tell you just as you are signing the deal but by then it's in your head you want the truck and easier for them to assure you it's a very minor thing...

Lot's of good used trucks out there!!! Lot's of good dealers too!!

Be aware. A salvage title car will be yours forever ever unless you want to give it away. I bought a real nice salvage title car we use for visitors. It was vandalized and had interior replaced but otherwise is a decent car. It is a 96 Buick that I got for 2K. I will own it till the junk yard gets it I suppose.

A couple of people have already mentioned the main thing. Once it has salvage on the title it will never be worth much. Just like are questioning it anyone you try to sell it to will also question it. If the price was great and you planned to keep it until it was used up, then I might think about it (if the dealer didn't lie in the first place).

What are trucks that are in the same condition with a clean title going for? I bet the difference isn't that big, if you have the cash find one from a private seller so you don't have to pay the dealers mark-up, other wise head to the local credit union/bank and get pre approved, that way you can buy from whoever you want.

If he was trying to cover up the salvaged title, which is something that as Dennis said was going to show up anyway, just think what else he might be hiding.

My cousin had a bad experience with a salvaged Ranger (about that same year too). Never was quite right...always had something small going wrong. He lost his butt on it, because it was worth NOTHING due to the salvage title.

STAY AWAY FROM IT.


Gary