Would you buy a car that has a salvage title?

Like you I never buy a brand new vehicle because it is out of my price range as well. I would never consider buying a vehicle that has a junk or salvage title. Normally these vehicles are junked because there is something majorly wrong with them. It could be something that can't be seen with the naked eye such as a bent frame. I will keep purchasing my used vehicles that have a clear title.

I would never consider buying a car that has a salvage title. Mainly because of what happened to my friend. His father thought he was getting a good deal from a friend who sold him a vehicle that had a salvage title. The vehicle in question looked as if it just had some cosmetic damage. As my friend was driving it home he went over some railroad tracks that were a little rough. He heard a loud noise and all of a sudden his father saw the tire come flying off. My friend lost control of the vehicle and hit a pole. Apparently there was more damage then what they saw. My friend now lives in a wheel chair. So for me isn't not worth taking the chance.

If i'm right, salvage means a vehicle that is a writeoff? I do sometimes buy writeoffs for their parts. I think to buy one and then fix it up so it will pass all the safety inspections is a waste of money! A good place to buy used cars is the auctions! Unless you know some important things about cars have a person with you who has some mechanical knowledge. Take care Sacmom.

On the side from his job as a pastor, my dad makes money buying and selling cars (he uses money his friends invest). He has frequently bought and sold cars with salvage titles (the buyers always know about the title, of course). You can get the steal of a lifetime. Sometimes, it doesn't work out, but that has only happened once in my dad's dealings. My car is one he got with a salvage title and I bought it from him. It's the best running car I've ever had. They are hard to get people to buy sometimes, but when someone hears 'salvage title' that doesn't have to be a bad thing. Good luck!

Don't we all wish that we could afford to buy new cars? :) I have looked at a couple of salvage titled vehicles and also a junked title vehicle before, but I always steered more for the undamaged titled cars instead. Can't help it, just never know what damage has been done to the chassis, and that I can't have breaking or twisting on me. I know a couple of years ago, I was in an accident where the guy completely wrecked all the way down the side of my car. Both passenger side doors were completely caved in and useless, plus the front fender and rear fender where mutilated. But that was the only damage that was sustained, replaceable parts. My insurance company still totaled the vehicle and gave me cash instead of replacing the parts, but I still retained the car and replaced the damaged parts and it still runs fine today (I sold it to a family member for really cheap) but I already had gotten another vehicle by the time it was all fixed and back in running order again. So not all junked title cars are going to be a bad deal, you just have to watch and pay attention to where the damage was. :)

The pickup I drive now had a "good" title for it from about 3 owners ago when it caught on fire. It then got passed from person to person. I traded a totaled 2000 Ford pickup for it. After 8 months of waiting for it to get fixed up (new engine) & delivered, I finally got mad enough to go get it. After putting some time & a little money, less than $100, into it, it's now perfectly fine. It's a 26 year old GMC that runs like a champ. I'd also gotten the Ford for nothing, so sometimes a person can end up getting a good deal with junked\wrecked vehicles.