Is It Safe To Invest In Salvage Vehicles
When you are interested to buy a car, consider to have it checked by a mechanic, because it is your right as a buyer to have an idea on what you’re paying for. This simple detail will save you a lot of time and trouble in the future. If the dealer is not willing to leave his office and lot coming to your mechanic, than pay the mechanic to come with you and check it in the dealer’s place.
Where as some damages, rusts, dents, are clearly obvious to the average customers, many others are difficult to detect. For example, you get to see an integral frame, body and paint, but this doesn’t mean that the car hasn’t been in an accident.
By saying that I don’t mean that such a car is not safe to buy , my point is to carefully check whether the repairs are correctly done. For such insecurities, better consult a licensed professional. That being said, it is important to find out if the car is repaired or rebuild and that the fixing is done properly and correctly.
If you like the car despite the fact that it might have been involved in accident, then read these simple tips.
The first think to do is to ask for the accident history. The report form will inform you about the damage done and the technicians who fixed it. Make sure the auto body shop that fixed the car is registered and licensed by local authorities.
If you see signs of paint over spray or primer in the trunk, engine, or doors, this means that the car has surely had repairs on its body. Check whether the doors open and shut properly, make sure the car’s panel match, get the keys and open the door and trunk. If you cannot open them with the same key it means that they have come from different cars.
Check the vehicle’s ownership, if it is laid out as salvage than it means that the money spent to fix the vehicle is more than its actual value. This title is issued after the car has been in a major accident. If the car looks in great shape just check with an expert to see if everything is fine mechanically, and the car is safe to drive.
In many countries rebuild vehicles must be labeled as such, and the seller of the car must have the specific work done on the car, sales receipt for parts bought, and VIN numbers of the cars from which the parts were taken. Some countries even ask owners to take photos of the car right after the accident and then vehicle authorities, in Toronto OMVIC, compare those with the ones taken after the ‘restoration process”.
Having said all that, buying a rebuild car can be a safe and sound investment, because you get to pay less and still have a reliable and safe vehicle . However, you must thoroughly investigate the condition of the car before deciding to pay for it.