This article was co-authored by Jason Shackelford and by How.com.vn staff writer, Dan Hickey. Jason Shackelford is the Owner of Stingray Auto Repair, a family owned and operated auto repair shop with locations in Seattle and Redmond, Washington. He has over 24 years of experience in auto repair and services, and every single technician on Jason’s team has more than 10 years of experience.
There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
This article has been viewed 10,241 times.
You’re in the market for a used vehicle and find a great deal with a supposedly clean title, but how can you make sure it’s not too good to be true? While it’s impossible to legally change a rebuilt or salvage title to a clean one, that doesn’t mean there aren’t scammers out there who know how to trick buyers. In this article, we’ll review the different types of titles and the laws around them, plus show you how to verify a vehicle’s title history and make sure a rebuilt vehicle is safe for the road. Let’s get started!
Things You Should Know
- It’s illegal to turn a rebuilt or salvage title into a clean title in the US. Scammers accomplish this by forging clean titles or moving cars across state lines.
- To confirm a vehicle’s title status, run a VIN check or request a vehicle history report online.
- Before purchasing a rebuilt vehicle, have it inspected by a mechanic and get quotes from multiple insurers to make sure you can find affordable coverage.
Steps
Expert Q&A
- QuestionDoes a rebuilt title affect the value of a car?Jason ShackelfordJason Shackelford is the Owner of Stingray Auto Repair, a family owned and operated auto repair shop with locations in Seattle and Redmond, Washington. He has over 24 years of experience in auto repair and services, and every single technician on Jason’s team has more than 10 years of experience.
Auto TechnicianUsually, it would be 50% less than the usual market price. It will be significantly lower depending on the vehicle type and other types of damage sustained.
Tips
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about car maintenance, check out our in-depth interview with Jason Shackelford.
References
- ↑ https://www.dirtlegal.com/blog/title-washing-is-illegal-dangerous-and-more-common-than-car-theft
- ↑ https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/title-washing-and-types-of-vehicle-titles
- ↑ https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/farmington-hills-man-sentenced-116-months-prison-title-washing-scheme
- ↑ https://www.thebalancemoney.com/what-is-the-title-of-a-car-4049167
- ↑ https://www.state.nj.us/mvc/vehicles/salvage.htm
- ↑ https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/rebuilt-vs-salvage-title/
- ↑ https://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/buying-or-selling-a-vehicle/title-check-look-before-you-buy/junk-title-brands
- ↑ https://www.thebalancemoney.com/what-is-the-title-of-a-car-4049167
- ↑ https://vincheck.info/title-washing-in-america
- ↑ https://dmv.ny.gov/dmv-records/how-order-and-access-motor-vehicle-accident-report
- ↑ https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/loans/auto-loans/buy-used-car
- ↑ https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/loans/auto-loans/buy-used-car
- ↑ https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/insurance/salvage-title
- ↑ https://www.autolist.com/guides/title-washing
- ↑ https://www.dirtlegal.com/blog/title-washing-is-illegal-dangerous-and-more-common-than-car-theft
About This Article
Did this article help you?
⚠️ Disclaimer:
Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.
- - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
- - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
- - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
- - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.