Need advice

This may be very much a state-specific matter.

In my state, if the car was made within the last seven model years and an insurance company has deemed it "economically impractical to repair" (or if you self-insure, or you've bought a wrecked vehicle, and its cost to repair exceeds 70% of its pre-damage fair market value), it has to be retitled as salvage. Failure (or "forgetting") to do so is a class A infraction. (Indiana Code 9-22-3.)

Also in my state, once it has a salvage title, that can be changed to a rebuilt title, once you're done making it roadworthy again and you have it inspected. Part of the inspection involves making sure the parts you used in the repairs weren't liberated from other cars, so keep those VINs and receipts.

And once it has a rebuilt title, you can again register it and insure it and drive it around.

 

From what I've heard from others, the process of totaling a car and then registering it is the same in most states.
1. An insurance company total a car and applies for salvage title or keep the original title. In Virginia, the insurance companies do this. Once a salvage title is issued, the current registration is canceled.
2. The owner of the car with a salvage title must repair the car and apply for a salvage inspection.
3. After passing the salvage inspection, you receive a rebuilt or a reconstructed title, depending on what it is called in your state. Having the title, the car can be registered again.

 

North Carolina is similar but once the person that owns the vehicle in their name it's title to them registered to them whatever If they junk the car the only people that can unjunk that title after that are the people that junked it literally so you can buy a car from a towing lot and if the person that gave it to the towing lot said it was junk somehow it gets turned and we're not using the word salvage here they're using the word j u n k the DMV is I have a car right now that's in perfect condition I drive it everyday the people up in Fuquay-Varina junked the car. And I have to go get that person that's on this registration offer to pay them two or $300 to pay the 60 or $70 in fees to unjunk the car and they're not such bright people it'll turn into a real hullabaloo trying to do that. Or else I can take the car to a bill of sale state maybe Virginia or Maryland and just present a bill of sale and the car and they'll issue a title in their state then bring that title back to North Carolina and they have to transfer it even if they say hey this car was junk in North Carolina yeah but it's unjunked in Virginia and here we are. That's how silly this nonsense has gotten. It's easier for me to just take the tag off my other generation too put it on this car that I want to drive another generation too and nobody really gives a hoot if I have a wreck if somebody hits me if it falls out of the sky it's still a generation too and that's that technically it's not the same generation too but who really cares yeah.

 

I have several cars that I dealt with insurance that were totaled and wasn't salvaged. This is based on my real experience and not totally based on speculations or assumptions on state laws.

I have a 2002 Ford Taurus that got side swiped in my work parking lot. Insurance told me to have it inspected in collision shop and get an estimate (they have a list of shops) Estimate is worth $6000 and my car is only worth $3000, they told me it's $800 (salvage) to buy it back since they won't repair it (totaled). I told them I'm going to buy it back and they send me a check for $2200. Title remains the same and car is clear (not salvaged) Drove it for several years and was able to sell it for $2000 with no issues.

I sold my 2004 Mazda Tribute to my friend for $2500, it got into a deer accident. Insurance said that the damage is around $5000 and the car is worth $4000. I told him to buy it back for $1200 and we'll just fix it. We're able to fix it using junkyard parts and $200 in parts from rock auto, he basically made a profit from it. Again totaled but no records of salvage.

I sold my 2002 Ford Explorer sport trac for $2000 to my friend while it wasn't officially transferred to him (I let him drive it for a week) His neighbor backed into car and dented and cracked the bed (it's hard plastic) Shop estimated the repair for $1,800. It got totaled, bought it back and repaired the bed from junkyard parts (have it painted) Since it's still on my name, I was still able to transfer it to him with a clean title.

The below is from my friend's experience
2005 Honda Odessy totaled due to hail, bought back the vehicle from insurance. Was able to get comprehensive insurance. No salvage title or records
1999 Mitsubishi Lancer totaled due to deer collision, bought back the vehicle from insurance. Was able to get comprehensive insurance. No salvage title or records.
2009 Toyota Camry totaled due to collision during icy weather, bought back the vehicle from insurance. Was able to get comprehensive insurance. No salvage title or records. It was rear ended and bought back again from insurance, this time insurance will not do comprehensive since it's been totaled twice. Still no records of salvage.


From the experience above except for the Mazda Tribute, insurance didn't ask for the title. For the Mazda, I told my friend that since we're buying it back we should be not be sending the title. Insurance can't get junk certificate with no title.

 

what you're doing is very illegal and could get somebody intro trouble if they get pulled over. State laws vary and what works in your place might not apply to somewhere else. There's a you-tuber in Oklahoma that got into this kind of trouble.. in OK you can basically buy a salvage car from lots and register them without any issues. He then sold those cars, later on his videos got into the Feds and he basically got into trouble with it. He wasn't put into jail or something but he's just not allowed to do it and I think OK become strict on the registration process.

 

The nice thing about Priuschat is just wait and you will hear every possible scenario regardless of how redundant or contradictory. No real moderation or ability for those with wrong ideas to even revise their opinion after a few hours.

Just to add confusion, some states allow salvage titles to be sold, registered, insured and driven. Usually those states have no real safety inspections as well.

Best to believe your insurance agent if he is local. If necessary talk to your state’s title and registration office.

 

Yes you are correct but if you have financial responsibility and you're not making money or selling the vehicle this is where your buddy got in trouble that you're writing about above My vehicles are never for sale they are here on my property for me and my family to use and that is it when we're finished with the vehicle you do not want it so if that's where the difference is somebody who's in business doing this kind of stuff that's a whole different ball game a personal person doing it with his own business and has financial responsibility just some numbers on papers don't add up judge will tell you have a nice day goodbye cost no fines or nothing whatever he says where I live that's what's going to happen that's what does happen then you say oh your insurance company is going to do whatever I have a generation too on my insurance I hit somebody in a generation 2 Prius my insurance company is not going to squabble over a Z where an r was and so on and so forth between the two vehicles You and people like yourself take this to the nth degree not anybody else I've been doing this for over 40 years and has never had a problem I've actually had to go to court before about similar mess The judge looked at me like I was out of my mind why are you here well because some idiot made me come with a thing called a summons and he just like bang the gabble said goodbye see you later please don't come back for these conditions thank you sir I don't know anything about Oklahoma I have lived there but if you're doing stuff for money as a business then you better be on your P's and Q's and the numbers and everything line up or you may find yourself in jail on ice that is a fact.

 

Yes that's a fact I am bending the law that is correct If you're doing this in your own business you are breaking the law and therefore you'll be dealt with accordingly bending the law with financial responsibility generally yields not much of a response these are facts I've been doing this as long as some people have been living and have never had a problem right here in the four state area in the southeast No one really gives a hoot. These are not opinions these are facts but in order to check them you have to show up so there's always that I'm still doing this today there's always that I just bought two cars that don't have titles and have to go get indemnity bonds for both of them and then I can put them on my insurance or not whatever I want to do then that's fine answer responsibility I can drive these cars all around yeah even without a tag on them that's a $30 fine but I have it on my insurance doesn't matter if I don't have a tag well it does but again it doesn't only to the cop that pulls me over and the judge that gives me the $20 fine No big deal these aren't opinions this is happening right now as we speak and you're reading thank you very much.

 

States differ and the title types and conditions can be very confusing even within one state, even directly from the state's own web site describing these very things. Here:

Vehicle Registration - California DMV

The DMV refers specifically to salvage, junk, and revived junk vehicle titles. On the "total loss salvage" page here:

Total Loss Salvage & Non-Repairable Vehicles - California DMV

It describes these cars as stripped, burned out, or mangled beyond all repair. But is that for "total loss salvage" or for "non repairable"? Presumably the latter. It says

Once this certificate is issued, the vehicle cannot be titled or re-registered for use as a Junk/Revived Salvage

which makes sense for "non repairable" but not so much for an insurance "total loss" involving only some sheet metal damage and broken bumper components. Yet going to the revived junk vehicle page:

Register Your Revived Junk or Salvage Vehicle - California DMV

It says:

If you have a vehicle that has been junked or declared a total loss salvage and you want to rebuild and re-register it, DMV can issue a branded title and registration once it has been rebuilt and specific requirements are met.

Nevertheless, "salvage" titles on registered cars, driving around like a normal car, are very common. Presumably these are "revived salvage title" but I don't think I have ever seen a car ad that uses that term, only "salvage title".

There is also this:

19.065 Revived Salvage—California Record - California DMV

Which describes the inspections needed to "revive" the title.

Fun, huh?

 

looks great, all the best!

 

How much did the insurance company give you for it?

 

Yes that's a good question.

 

What a tempest in a teapot, totalled:

 

One thing I’m noticing now: I don’t think they blended the paint into the rear door; looks like a sharp transition there. But hey, that could be achieved down-the-road, or: considering the age/value, good enough.

 

so the insurance agent who told you about the "salvage title" has no idea what he's talking about.

 

The title has no brands but the Carfax has a total loss record.