I currently have an IS350 but want to switch to the F and I found one with low miles and the right price but I found out it's "branded title" I just want to hear everyone's thoughts before I make my decision.

 

how do you feel about paying over 20k for a salvaged title? in the finance world, a salvaged car is basically worth nothing on paper, its only worth as much as a buyer is willing to pay.

 

It would depend on what you mean by "right price".

 

A car with a salvage or any type of branded title is worth 50% of book value. Not Kelley blue book, but MMR which are actual auction transaction prices. This does not even take into account how the car was pieced back together and what damage was actually done. I would stay away at all costs.

 

Ummm..yeah I'd stay away, I have a couple buddies who owns repair shops in the Glendale area, not saying that they are all the same but they buy salvaged cars at the lowest prices and use the most Micky Mouse repair work with random junkyard parts they could find to repair them. That way when it comes time to flip it, they can keep their profit margins high. The car might look "okay" on the outside but if you dig deeper (not what a typical buyer would do), you'll unravel the horror underneath.

You have to keep in mind, when a car is salvaged, the insurance company deems the car not worth or safe it to fix with OE parts, Somebody buys them to fix them with the cheapest available aftermarket/junkyard parts and paint to try and flip for a few grand in profit. Their whole goal is to get the car to a "presentable" condition to you, the buyer, but underneath it's all is junk. Run away. I'd rather rock a clean title IS350 than a salvaged ISF.

 

Pass on it. I believe it's tough getting insurance on a salvage car as well.

 

True story id stay away , I also knew few guys that went to open up their own repair body shops, let's just say they all do the same hack jobs. They'll even use screws and parts from other cars to fix the damn thing . Something you watch on Cuban Chrome lol

STAY AWAY!!!

 

I had one with a rebuilt title and it was great to me. No problem getting insurance and no issues with the car. It was a front end collision marked as totaled. But, I would rather get one without an accident. Like the one that was in Canada for $24K and only 26,000 miles in perfect condition.

 

^^he is right. Unless you know the seller and if he showed you pics before and what he replaced, it better be damn cheap. My nephew bought a salvage is250. It look and drove like new at the time. After 1 week of driving, he wash his car. When he did, the paint started to peel all around. Right after that, his front driver side and rear driver side suspensions started making loud "clunking" noises. It was later determined his upper and lower control arms on both front and rear was totally cracked. The seller used some kind of glue to held it together. I felt so bad for my nephew and help him replaced it. I told him to sell it but he decided to keep it. Soon after that, his car started to shake everytime he accelerate. It was caused from a bent drive shaft. After he replaced it, he sold it dirt cheap and warned the buyer it may still have issues down the road.

 

Be patient & find a clean titled f for the right price.

 

my first car at 20 years old was a salvaged title eclipse. I knew nothing back then
It wont pass smog, it's missing a AC fan, none of the body panels line up where they are supposed to be, the hood cannot be closed properly, the drive belts are on the verge of snapping into pieces, the paint flakes like dandruff. I bought it for $2800 which was 75% off the market price. God was really good to me when 3 months later some guy from Mexico came here and picked it up and drove it away, and yet I still lost $800.
To this day I never considered a salvage title

 

Everyone is going to have different opinions on salvaged titles. I can tell you that I used to work for a body shop. When I first started working at the shop, there was a destroyed BMW convertible that sat in the corner. Slowly parts started getting put on. Each time we pulled off and replaced a structural piece of metal, the car had to be inspected by an outside company. A lot like a house where framing, electrical, plumbing all have to be inspected and signed off on.
Once the car was completely put back together, it had to be inspected one more time to make sure it was road worthy. I tell you it came out great and would have no problem driving that car today.
Sure you are going to have hack shops out there but what you will find most of the time is that a shop isn't going to risk their license over just to cut major corners. I'd get the car inspected before making a decision. But others are right about the worth of the car. Good luck.

 

Yeah those dealers or individuals selling salvaged cars are in the business of flipping these for profit. If you think about it, the cheaper they can get it fixed and running on the road, the more money goes into their pockets. I'd be really concerned what corners were cut when putting these back together if I don't personally know the person responsible for the repairs.

 

^^^this guy gets it.




OP, the problem is you are about to pay over 20k for a salvaged car. two things come to mind even if you keep telling yourself that you will keep it a long time.

1. you really can't afford the car, all you have to do is save less than a year to buy one with higher mileage but clean title. also this one that is non salvaged will also be worth more right off the bat when you purchase it .

2. know that 20k can get you a brand new car but of a lesser caliber.

 

Depends... on a car like this I would pass.. on a winter beater I would not care as much