I'm looking into upgrading from my 96 RS to a 2000 SS. The only one I found in my area has a rebuilt title which I know lowers the value, but not sure bye how much. I'm not planning on reselling the car, just looking to get the best deal. The guy was asking $8,000 for it, talked him down to 6500 (That's the cars worth in my area) Basically I'm asking how much does a rebuilt title effect the car?

 

i presume by rebuild title you mean an accident and then fixed? (sorry its called something different in UK)

I would be owrried about the quality of the job done, unless you watched over the rebuild or have done it yourself as there are some poor quality jobs about. Also check that a car under this title doesn't mean the insurance is more!

 

A lot depends on why the car was totaled in the first place. If it was a flood car run away. If it was a huge hit then I would avoid it also. If it was a bunch of cosmedic damage and it looks good now then it could be a good deal. If no one will tell you why it was totaled assume the worst. At auction guys will bring the before pics to show it was cosmedic damage only.

There is/was a pewter SS 02 6 speed with 32K miles on it around me that listed for $6500. It was on craigs list and it said it was low water flood car and just needed a clutch. I think it has had 3 owners in the last three years. Its a hot potato.

 

The car was totaled by the insurance company, and issued a "salvage" title. Then it got sold at an insurance auction (copart.com is a popular one). The buyer "fixed" it back up, got a state inspection, and was then issued a "rebuilt" title. It's a mark against the car that will always be there. Get the VIN and google search it. Chances are good you may find the past online auction listing where it was sold, with the description and pictures of the car. On average, that car would be worth a couple thousand bucks less than one just like it that doesn't have a dark past.
ALSO, check with your insurance company first. Because of so many totaled cars coming back on the market, and the fact that the safety and integrity of a repair can't necessarily be detected by an after the fact inspection, many conservative insurance companies do not insure "rebuilt" cars any more. They don't consider a repaired salvage car as "safe" as one that's been assembled from the factory, and sometimes, that's true. Progressive, for now, still does insure them though.

 

The Keying that my wife's Z28 got technically totaled it. The cost of the repair exceeded 75% of the car's total value. My insurance company could have deemed the car a total even tho the damage was cosmetic only. They decided that the car was going to be worth more if they just repaired it, they also knew that we were going to buy it back and repair it even if they totaled it.

My Sarah was also totaled due to the hit I took in the front end. This hit was not that bad and didnt require any pulling on a frame rack but it was expensive in labor to get all the stuff done. It cost me $1500 in parts and materials. Since the insurance didnt cover the accident, and no shop did the repairs, there is no record of it in CARFAX, and my title is clean. Now I did the repairs properly and followed all ICAR standards for making the repair, and I know all is well, but that is me and the way I work. I have seen too many cars repaired with newspaper, chicken wire and bondo, and at least while the repair was new it looked good. I would research why the car was totaled in the first place, and I would never pay normal going rate for a car that has a salvaged title. Around here going rate for salvaged title is 50% going retail.

Massey

 

another thing, check all body gaps, how the doors close and how everything lines up. A good sign of a bent car is things like doors and hoods not working right.

Massey

 

What's interesting is here in IL, if your car gets totaled by the insurance company, and you buy it back for a fraction and fix it, you're not issued a salvage title since "ownership" never really trades hands. It does leave a black mark on the car's record though, and your insurance company will no longer cover the car for "collision" (one payout per car).

 

As body shop cost rise and value cars drop due to age what cause a total can vary a lot. This why I said you want to know what caused the car to be totaled. I have seen some very nice car totaled because in an ice storm the car bounced of a guard rail two or three time going 15 miles per hour. It is enough damage to total the car but the car could be driven safely that day. These are the “Salvage” cars you want. You should avoid anything that took a structural hit. I know of several shops that “Half” late model cars. They buy one car that was hit in the back and one that was in the front. These guys are just in it to turning the cars around for profit, there will be problems and safety is very questionable. Even when competent body men and mechanic repair a hard hit on a newer car problems can show up after the repairs .
There are a LOT of flood cars on the market right now. They are easy to get re certified because many have no damage. These cars will cause you headaches and money until you unload it on another sucker or junk it.

 

It is similar here in WA, but our insurance laws state that until the car passes WASP inspection it cannot be driven or insured. The car will not show salvaged on the title untill you transfer title then the new title gets the mark, but your registration can say salvaged vehicle. Once the you pass the WASP inspection you can then get full coverage on the vehicle. Some insurance companies will want to also inspect the vehicle and make sure that it was repaired properly and check your recipts as well.

Massey

 

To the OP, this is a classic case where you absolutely want to do some digging before forking out your good money. A simple VIN search online may turn up something, otherwise a $30 carfax investment would be money well spent.
I was recently helping my daughter find a newer car. I found an 09 Pontiac Vibe with a rebuilt title. Seller said it was just hit in the right front corner with only fender, bumper, and headlight damage. They did a pretty good job fixing the car, but I could see where they spliced the inner fender/radiator core support. I called my insurance company (which is something else you can do) and they looked up the car. Told me it was involved in a serious crash with over $11k in damage. And the vehicle it hit had over $13k in damage. Hmmmm....much more than a fender, bumper, and headlight repair would cost. So i looked up the VIN online, and whattaya know, I found the insurance auction listing with pictures of that car, with the entire front end smashed right up to the engine. Always remember...a sellers story is just that, a story. And sometimes, it's a fairy-tale.