In recent years there has been much reporting on the issues of dealerships and other sellers pushing sales of pre-owned cars that are being sold as one thing, but are actually another. Precise laws on the status and roadworthiness of cars do differ from state to state, but a general rule of thumb is that a certified pre-owned car is absolutely not in the same category as one with a rebuilt title. It’s important that buyers are aware of this and have checks done on their target vehicles to be sure they are getting what they want. Below we’ll explain in more detail about rebuilt titles.
What exactly is a “rebuilt title”?
In simple terms, a car with a rebuilt title is one that was significantly damaged at some point probably in the recent past, but has now been repaired and restored to roadworthiness, most often by a private mechanic. You shouldn’t balk entirely at rebuilt titles, since they can offer fantastic savings to buyers confident in their knowledge of quality to buy one. The problem is that in recent years, rebuilt titles have been displayed as regular pre-owned cars, which gives the sellers a much bigger ticket price, but keeps buyers in the dark.
When a wrecked car is taken in by a mechanic, it is given a “salvage title,” after which a mechanic can begin work on it. Once the work is complete, the car can be inspected and certified with a new “rebuilt title” which tells you the car is in working order. That’s all fine, but it’s certainly not legal to display a rebuilt title as a regular pre-owned used car.
How does it impact you, the buyer?
The main impact to you is that you could be in the dark about the car you’re buying. You might think you are buying a Toyota or Mazda made in the respective factory according to that company’s stringent quality standards. If what you are buying is, in fact, a rebuilt title, then you are looking at a machine that has been built by a private mechanic, the standards of which you can’t be 100 percent sure of, even if it is currently deemed roadworthy. Worse still, you are being deceived when it is sold to you under false pretenses.
What is the solution?
The solution, as with many of the dangers of buying pre-owned vehicles, is to hire an impartial, professional inspection service like that at Nspectacar. A proper inspection will include a body check and rebuilt title check to make sure that you are getting what you pay for. The market rate of a rebuilt title should be significantly less than that of a regular used car, so the inspection might be saving you thousands of dollars in the long run. More importantly, a proper inspection is going to help keep you safe and reassured that you’re driving the real deal.
Contact Nspectacar today to learn how our used car inspection services can benefit you.
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