I'm in the market for a newer used truck than the 99 XL I have now. I've run across some good prices on trucks with salvage/rebuilt titles. Should one always avoid these, or are there things one can do to check the truck out and make sure it's not going to fall apart in a week? Do salvage vehicles always have frame damage, for example?

Thanks!

 

Salvage vehicles can have any damage that the insurance company has deemed to costly to repair. I ran across a thread on this site recently where one of our members had purchased a salvage title truck for about $4500 I think and was putting lots of mods on it. Here is the thread https://www.f150online.com/forums/20...ime-money.html It might help.

 

Buying a salvage vehicle is like gambling in Vegas. You could get lucky and be problem free or you could be taking on a nightmare. It all depends why it was deemed a salvage. If it were a flooded truck, I would run as you will likely be plagued with electrical issues as water will corrode everything. If it were hit hard then I would have a body shop look it over to see if it was done well or just slapped together...like lipstick on a pig. It could be a winner if it was a theft recovery. Keep in mind your resale value on this will be nearly zero and most lenders will not want to touch this truck. Also you may find it hard to get collision or comprehensive insurance as well. If you were to have a loss you can figure to get about 50 to 60 percent of normal value at most. It would have to be one heck of a deal to interest me and then I would only do it if I planned to run it to death. Proceed with caution!!

 

You can get a great vehicle for a lesser price. Just make sure to check out the vehicle well. I've dealt with and had a few vehicles with salvage titles before, both wrecked and flooded and never had one single problem out of them. More than I can say for the new vehicles I've purchased. There are basket cases out there, so be aware.

 

Just do your homework first, which is the same advice I'd give any vehicle buyer.

 

I got my 05 from an auction, it was a theft recovery. All I did was put in the carpet.