How To Get a Salvage Title Cleared on a Vehicle
How To Get a Salvage Title Cleared on a Vehicle. A salvaged car is one an insurance company has determined is a total loss, and in most states, you can’t drive or obtain insurance for it. So to remove a salvage title, you will need to purchase the car, have it repaired, get it inspected, and file the correct paperwork.
Once an insurance company has deemed a vehicle a total loss, its title will be “branded” as salvage. Each US state has its own unique regulations that dictate the process of how to turn a salvage title clean. Also, please note that even when your title is designated as “rebuilt salvage” or as a “clean title,” it remains branded nonetheless.
What Are Salvage Titles?
People insure their vehicles to claim damages, and there are over 215 million vehicles in the U.S which carry insurance. But what happens when a car gets damaged beyond repair? It starts to carry a salvage title, which indicates the insurance company is deeming it unfit to be driven or a total loss. In the U.S, vehicles become salvaged by either being involved in an accident or getting damaged during natural disasters.
Note: A Car’s Title History Will Never Change
The title history maintained by state government is tied to a specific VIN number, so it won’t change even if someone produces an illegal title for that vehicle. But the physical paper title could appear to be clean while the title history says otherwise; this deception is far too common, but as a buyer you have ways to protect yourself.
What happens to your car after it goes through a major accident? You get a salvage title. This indicates the vehicle’s current condition and affects the price. You can’t drive a salvage title car on the road In most states or obtain insurance for it, and it is hard to find a company willing to insure or obtain financing to purchase even a previously salvage-titled car. Most reputable dealerships also shy away from accepting a salvage car as a trade-in.
In a sense, the salvage title could be removed and changed to a rebuilt title, but only technically. Anyone who knows anything about vehicle titles (and car-history reporting services) will know from the word “rebuilt,” it means it was formerly branded as salvage.
What Happens During A Salvage Inspection?
During such an inspection, a salvage inspector is assigned to assess the salvaged vehicle. During the partial inspection, the inspector will primarily inspect the Vehicle Identification Number and odometer reading as a part of the application. The inspector also examines the vehicle’s exterior to verify the vehicle model, year, make, and color of the car with the supporting documents. Certain salvaged vehicles which do not have appropriate documents, such as the Vehicle Identification Number, go through the entire inspection process. This process includes a full inspection of the major components that have been repaired or restored as a part of the rebuilding process.
The Steps To Achieve a Rebuilt Salvage Title | How to get a Salvage Title Cleared
If you want to Get a salvage title cleared, use the following steps:
1. Purchase the Vehicle
This may or may not be as simple as it sounds. Some states will only allow licensed rebuilders to purchase or own a salvage title car. If that’s the case in your state, you will only be able to own the vehicle once it has been repaired and gone through the inspection and rebranding process.
2. Repair the Vehicle
Make sure you know what you are doing or have the vehicle repaired by a certified mechanic who does. Hold on to any and all paperwork on the vehicle and take a lot of pictures before and during the repair process.
3. Get the vehicle Inspection Test
Obtain and fill out the necessary forms from the DMV to have the car inspected. This is where all of that paperwork and those photos come into play. The DMV will most likely require you submit your bill of sale, the salvage title, the photos, and other documentation as part of the process. Put everything together and get the vehicle inspected.
4. File the Final Paperwork to apply for rebuilt title
Apply for the rebuilt title, which will require filling out more forms and paying more fees. You should then receive the title with a statement branded on its face, indicating the vehicle has been rebuilt.
What is Clean Vs. Rebuilt Vs. Salvage Vehicle Title : Differences Between Them
- A clean title means that the car is brand new. Every brand-new and previously owned vehicle carries a clean title through which it can be insured and driven safely.
- A salvage title is given to vehicles that can’t be driven and are considered total losses by insurance companies. Insurance companies pay off the vehicle cost and take it to the salvage company. Such rides are illegal to drive across many states.
- Rebuilt titles are exclusively issued to salvage vehicles once they are repaired, inspected, and registered to get such a title. Vehicles with salvage titles can be repaired and restored; they can even be legally driven when the owner gets such a title.
Recommendation
- Selling an Upside Down Car to Carmax.
- Statute Of Limitations On Car Repossession Debt In US
- Get Section 179 Deduction for Buying a Business Vehicle
- How To Get My Car Towed For Free: 7 Cheapest or Free Ways
