How to Check a Car for Salvage Damage

A salvaged vehicle is one that has been damaged to the point that it is not financially worth repairing. This may be the result of an accident, flood or dismantling. Although a salvaged vehicle may seem like a bargain, some salvages are not properly repaired or tested and may be unsafe. When purchasing a vehicle with a salvaged title, it is important to check for existing damage and to verify that all repairs have been completed correctly.

Instructions

How to Check a Car for Salvage Damage

1

Ask to see the car's title and verify that the car has a salvaged or revived salvaged title. A revived salvage title means the car has been repaired and re-registered.

2

Make an appointment to take the vehicle to a local Department of Motor Vehicles branch or, in California, to a California Highway Patrol station, for a salvaged-vehicle inspection. Experts in salvaged automobiles at these locations can check the vehicles to verify that all necessary repairs have been made using the correct parts.

3

Request an independent vehicle history report such as a Carfax report. These reports will not only tell when and why a title was salvaged, but will give specific details of how and what damage was incurred. This can make it easier to pinpoint and examine specific repairs made to the car.

4

Do an inspection of the vehicle yourself and look for signs of the following: signs of repair on the inner fenders, mold or rust under the truck carpet, an original Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), working lights and gages, sealed airbag covers, and appropriate National Highway Traffic Safety Administration labels on doors and inside the hood. The appearance-or in the case of the VIN and labels, lack of-these items may mean that a vehicle has not been completely or properly repaired.

5

Take the vehicle to your own mechanic for a private, independent inspection. Providing a vehicle history report will allow the mechanic to verify that previous damages have been repaired correctly.