salvage/totaled

The only tip - if you have to ask, you are better off staying away of them...

Salvage title - Usually means it was sent to the yard, for a non totaled accident or engine failure or even a "retired" vehicle. When the yard sells them unrepaired they get a salvage title. The person buying them can then repair them and get them inspected and sell them. They will still carry a salvage title though.

Rebuilt title - Just what it says. A vehicle that has been put in a salvage yard for the above that has been "rebuilt" and put up for sale. More or less a crap shoot unless you can get the FULL details of what happened and who did the work and what they did.

Totaled Title - Title issued when an insurance company declares a vehicle totaled because it was going to cost them more to repair it than it was worth. (think a flood car from New Orleans)

Before buying one have a mechanic look it over REAL close before you buy it. Even then you can run into major problem. For instance a flood car would have to be stripped down and cleaned then ALL wiring replaced along with any electrical items and all interior replaced as a start.

As well as insurance costs being more for such cars.

On another board I saw where someone had bought one and had two problems...

1. For later models that would seem to be covered by factory warranty, the manufacturer no longer covered the vehicle when they found out it was salvaged.

1. When the vehicle was totaled in an accident, the insurance company gave the owner significantly lees than the blue book value of the vehicle because it had a salvage title.

I would check on both of these before buying one!