youngd425

So I found this car on Craiglist, and when I went to see it I was pretty impressed. I've never owned a Lexus, or a car with a rebuilt title. I've done lots of work on cars in the past, and am pretty mechanically inclined. I've heard so many things about rebuilt titles, I've come to the conclusion its a case-by-case basis. I'm going to look at it again tonight with one of my friends who's a mechanic, so that should be pretty helpful as well. If I could get any opinions that would be awesome, I'll take any advice I can get. The car is listed for $14,500, but I don't think I would pay more than $11,000. Here is the link to the original auction when the car was salvaged.

http://www.autobidmaster.com/carfind...ANTA_SOUTH_GA/

Here is the link to the Craigslist ad

http://bellingham.craigslist.org/cto/4381176010.html

aburnett2

Minor damage to the rear but a salvage title on an IS250? I wonder what their definition of "minor" is. Did you get any info on what the damage was from the accident other than the door being smashed?

Kappy550

iTrader: (4)

Salvage title means it was considered totaled at one point. You better have it checked out and make sure it was repaired correctly. It wouldn't be a salvage car if it was just "minor" damage.

JdSwiper

iTrader: (4)

Good point!!!!!^^^^

youngd425

True, but an insurance company will typically give a car a salvage title at damage that exceeds 60% of the vehicles value. In 2012, the cars value would be around $18-$22k. When you're going to Lexus to get work done with OEM parts, that 60% adds up quickly.

Sffd103

iTrader: (16)

So here's my take on all of this. I have had and have 4 salvaged vehicles. My current daily, a 4 door Honda Civic was hit just where this Lexus was. It was totaled and I bought it back from the insurance and put a new door on it. Still drives fine and left the minor rear quarter panel damage. This car looks to have been repaired. See if it's a new door ( check vin number sticker on door to see if it matches the rest). The rear quarter panel had to be repaired and repainted. Other than that, the car looks fair in the pics. It's truly up to you and what you're comfortable with owning. It doesn't seem like a huge deal to me and you're getting it at a good price with low miles. Hope this helps.

LexusGuyyy

81k salvaged title? for 14k? Im going to be honest I had a clean title 06 Lexus IS250 with 180K miles, not nearly as mint but pretty decent, the most i got in a trade in was $5.7K TOPS towards my IS350, I could've sold it for 11K but i owed 11.5, so i took a hit, In conclusion I would NOT buy a salvage title IS250 for 14k If you know in fact you could get an IS350 for 6-8K more with clean title in WA

tex2670

Maybe true, but it's unlikely that an insurance company is going to pony up for OEM parts for an '07 MY.

Is the frame bent? It looks like the hood doesn't line up properly, which I would not expect with body damage to the rear passenger door.

NickTomsyc

FWIW - my wife just hit a deer with our IS350.

2006 with 80k miles.... repair tab is currently at $10,500 ... not totaled yet.

Sportskid1

iTrader: (1)

I don't have anything against salvaged cars. I bought a few motorcycles that way and had good luck. Some can be a great deal if the repairs are done correctly. Others can be a never ending nightmare. It is all a gamble. You are smart in bringing a qualified mechanic to inspect the car. Also ask for pre-repair pictures to see how bad the damage really was. Also check all the gaps between the panels. If there are uneven gaps walk away. Likely there is something wrong with the structure.

Also talk to your insurance agent. Many will only cover liability on a salvage car. The ones that will cover you fully will only cover the car up to a small percentage of the blue book value. Not sure if this is important to you or not but something else to look into.

tboo72

Ive bought salvage title cars before. Two things I try to avoid though with a car with a rebuilt title is one that shows a mileage discrepancy or those that were flood cars.

WylieKylie

iTrader: (2)

Just a couple of additional notes:

The old rule of 60% of the value of the car in damage doesn't hold true a-lot of the time. Whether or not a car is given a salvage title depends on the insurance company, the owner, local laws, etc. There are cars given a salvage title with very little damage, and conversly there are cars with over 60% damage that don't have salvage titles.

Although this may not apply in the OPs case, even if you think you know the history of a salvaged car, pull the title history and go over it with a fine toothed comb. Make sure what you are being told matches the title history. Look and see how long the car has been repaired, and how many owners it has gone through since the title was changed. I was considering a salvage title car that was described as having hail damage, the title history showed a major accident with structural damage and airbags deployed. It also also showed 3 owners within the 2 year period of the accident. I ran away from that car. (And yes I know all about title histories not being 100% accurate, but it is still an informational tool to work with.)

From what I can see of the car at hand, if the mechanic gives it an ok, and the price is right I wouldn't hesitate to buy it.

youngd425

Thanks to everyone for their input, it's greatly appreciated. So the lowest he will go is $13,000. I feel pretty comfortable about the whole situation, especially that it has been driven 30,000 miles since the accident. If it were front end or even rear end damage I would be a lot less likely to be interested, but I've seen pictures of after the accident, during the repair, and then the final product.

youngd425

I also ran a carfax on it. Everything lined up, accident was reported, no airbags deployed, auctioned off by insurance company.

Gville350

iTrader: (10)

I'd find out where on the 2IS are the crumple zones and see how they look. I'd definitley get that thing up on a rack for a MUCH closer inspection before purchasing. If the current won't allow such examination, I'd pass on it.

GL!