You’ve found it: the perfect used car at an incredibly low price that is almost too good to be true.
Right before you’re about to seal the deal, you notice the word “rebuilt” on its title. If you’re unfamiliar with rebuilt title cars, there are a few things you should be aware of before deciding to buy one. Here’s what to know before purchasing a rebuilt car.
What Is a Rebuilt Title?
Before you purchase a rebuilt title car, you should know that rebuilt title cars are vehicles that were previously issued a salvage title. Since holding a salvage title, the vehicle was then repaired and inspected to ensure that it is roadworthy. Upon passing a state inspection, the vehicle is issued a rebuilt title.
Benefits of Purchasing a Rebuilt Title Vehicle
Before purchasing a rebuilt car, you probably want to know about some of the main advantages of doing so. Fortunately, there are many. Some of the main reasons why you should consider purchasing a rebuilt car include:
- The cost: perhaps the main benefit of purchasing a rebuilt car is the low cost. Because of their less-than-perfect vehicle history, rebuilt title cars are often sold for a fraction of the price of their clean title counterparts.
- Necessary repairs are completed: rebuilt title cars give buyers the opportunity to purchase a road-ready vehicle at a substantially lower price than most clean models. Because the vehicle had to be inspected in order to earn a rebuilt title, all necessary repairs have already been completed, which means the buyer doesn’t have to deal with the hassle of doing the repairs on their own.
Downsides to Purchasing a Rebuilt Car
While there are several benefits of purchasing a rebuilt car, there are also a variety of drawbacks. Some of the main downsides to know of before purchasing a rebuilt car include:
- More risk: because most rebuilt title cars have experienced extensive damage in the past, there is a greater risk that they will end up having mechanical issues in the future. To reduce the risk of purchasing a rebuilt title car, always make sure to get a thorough vehicle inspection done by a professional independent mechanic before signing on the dotted line.
- Harder to insure: because rebuilt title cars have a greater potential to experience issues from the previous damage they experienced, insurance companies may be less likely to offer full-coverage for rebuilt title vehicles. As such, it is important to check to make sure that your auto insurance provider will cover a rebuilt title vehicle before purchasing one.