I thought about buying an 08 Rubi from a local auto yard that had a salvaged title. State Farm had no issues with insuring it but you would want to check with you auto insurance vendor BEFORE you pull the trigger on a Jeep with a salvaged title. If its been hit hard enough to total it, I would have a shop professionally inspect it to make sure the frame is structurally sound. If its compromised, I would walk away from it regardless of the price. Vehicles with a salvaged title can be difficult to sell, unless you are very flexible with the selling price. Also its my understanding a salvaged title means as is, no warranty. You have to be prepared to pay out of pocket for any needed future repairs.

If you can get a good enough price on a Jeep with a salvaged title, then pull the trigger on it.

 

Run a carfax to get the WHOLE story and the full extent of the damage. NO insurance company is going to total a JK for the little damage you have described. Bottom line. After that and you are okay with what has happened to the Jeep it becomes how long do you plan on owning it. Drive a salvage title rig into the ground... no problem. Have a habit of wanting something new or new to you every 5 years... BAD IDEA.

At this point to me it doesn't seem worth it especially considering it will have NO warranty.

 

Side swipe, fender and hood? If all the airbags deployed, it was probably a pretty hard hit.

I'd make sure that the suspension bits and mounts within the corner of impact is straight. At least inspect it to see if you can see any bent rods, mounts, wrench marks on bolts, etc.

Look under the truck and see if there are any fresh weld marks or stretch marks on the frame.

Another thing you may want to consider is insurance. If youre taking a loan out to cover the $14k, the bank will probably make you take a full coverage insurance policy out on the vehicle. Some insurance companies dont cover reconstructed titles and if they do, they'll charge a premium to do so.

Oh, one more thing. If the title is rebranded in one state, that title may not be transferrable to another without going through a complete re-inspection. This is a PITA especially when you buy it from a rebuilder since you may not have all receipts.


If you can somehow contact the previous owner (either through a buddy at the dealership or perhaps any documents in the glovebox or under the seats), talk to them about the accident. Carfax is sometimes a bit too vague and will copy the 5 word description from the police/insurance report.

 

I think 14k is a lot for it...thats just my opinion though, I only played 20k new for my X. As far as I know a carfax report just says its been in a accident, it does not give information about the accident though.

 

Agreed. $14,000 sounds like too much $$ for a salvaged Jeep that has been hit. When I was looking at a 08 Rubi Unlimited with 3500 miles with a salvaged title the auto yard was asking $25,000 for it which was about $10,000 under what the dealer wanted for a new one at the time with comparable equipment. They were not very flexible on the price so I walked away from it.

 

Take a small magnet with you, run it over the repaired side, including the door opening structures. Anywhere its weak or doesn't stick is an area full of filler. Most rebuild shops will repair items to save total repair cost versus replacing items when repairing a vehicle for an actual owner. $14,000 can buy you a great deal or it can buy you a nightmare. The average total will salvage out around 25% of retail- the JK parts availability for used stuff is very limited, so a fully repaired total loss allowing for labor and parts costs and then selling for 50% of retail doesn't leave any profit margin if replacing ANYTHING.....I would look this one over HARD.

 

That price is too high. The salvage yard probably paid under 5k for the jeep as a salvage vehicle. If you are ok with a salvage title, research them, you can find a better deal.
Steve

 

As many have said. Price is way too high. I wouldn't buy it unless it was a trail toy only. Insurance is going to be a pain and selling it close to impossible.

 

Im in the same boat, looking at a salvage jeep. Looks like id be paying more than the one your looking at too. Maybe i should reconsider.

 

I know this thread is pretty old... but wanted to advise as to what I did:

I bought a 2007 2dr Sahara rebuilt and it's been nothing but perfect. I paid 9500 for it and probably wouldn't have paid much more than that. I feel confident I could turn around tomorrow and sell it for 10k+ without much trouble. All you have to do is drive it and you can tell it's in great condition.

Definitely have a qualified mechanic inspect it top to bottom... if he finds anything beyond the superficial (scratches, etc) then you need to factor those repairs into the price and see if it's still worth it for you.

Honestly, a Jeep is one of the few vehicles I would feel safe buying with a rebuilt title.