would you ever buy a rebuilt car?

TomC

TomC

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opinions on this? Looking for a winter beater/trackday car. I don't have plans on reselling the vehicle down the road. I've no issues buying salvaged bikes, but I'm totally clueless when it comes to cars, how do you go about mitigating risks (with respect to buying a lemon)?
 
Don't buy something that has been drowned, there is no recovery from that. Look at the quality of the repair work. If they can't be bothered to finish the repair properly, chances are they did a poor job underneath too.
 
Too many variables to consider. Really have to look at the car, what has been done, what was wrong, and WHO did the work. I have seen rebuilds "built" from two cars - front from one car welded to rear of another car, etc etc. Ultimately, I'd buy one if it was a really great deal and, like you said, I didn't have to worry about reselling it later.
 
GreyGhost said:
Don't buy something that has been drowned, there is no recovery from that. Look at the quality of the repair work. If they can't be bothered to finish the repair properly, chances are they did a poor job underneath too.
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Great advice .A flood car is garbage .A rebuilt car can be great if done by a reputable shop.I`ve seen fantastic rebuilds that are just as good as new .But I have also seen stuff that I can`t believe they let on the road .
 
November 2012. I bought a 2012 Accord that had been written off by ins co.
Branded "salvage".
Repaired & rebuilt.
Had to pass inspection to get from "salvage" status, to "rebuilt" status.
Then, it had to pass a regular safety & e-test (had very, very low km's when I bought it).
I've since put over 12,000kms on it.
Only one issue. While repairing it, they had to re-install a new a/c line. The repairs (I saw the crash pics) have been flawless, but I think they missed the mark while recharging the a/c. (it was extremely over charged)
I had it evacuated, and recharged. Works perfect.
Would buy one again.
 
only if the price is perfect remember a salvage vehicle is worth a lot less then a vehicle that was not in an accident so make sure the price you pay reflects the fact that its salvaged and your not paying full price for a car without a brand on it
 
would really depend on why it was written off in the first place, some can get written off for simple reasons
 
The car will be yours forever. When you buy a branded car, don't look for future resale unless you want to unload it for cheap.

Most new cars won't take much to write off. If a new BMW had a accident, and the door fender and hood is replaced (no structural damage) it will be written off.

I almost bought a branded golf TDi. The owner had before and after pictures of the car. It had 2200KM when it was 'branded' and it didn't look like it was that bad. I have seen a lot more cars that get fixed that had a lot more damage. (older cars)

Also if it is a newer car that is branded, all warranties are off the table. I would be worried about rust. The factory dips the car in e-coat that gets into most areas human tools can't reach. I work in a toyota factory, and certain parts of the car we can't repair because of the risk of damaging the e coat, and we just scrap the car
 
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True my car that is branded is starting to rust. Right where it was"repaired".

Oh well I drive it to the ground
 
My opinion is "it depends"... If you can find a newer car that has been salvaged from an accident where all of the information related to the rebuild job is disclosed from a reputable seller (good luck here!) it may be worth the risk if the price is REALLY right and the quality of the repair is good. Just have it inspected by somebody you can trust.

If its an older beater thats been rebuild, I would say don't even bother because you are likely going to find a repair job that matches the value of the car - CHEAP. I once bought a rebuilt Chevy Malibu as a beater for a couple grand and it ran well for about a year until it started falling apart. Mechanically the car wasnt that bad but what was clear to me after owning it and pulling stuff apart is that I could see a lot of the shortcuts and problems that were not obvious at time of purchase.

Panels didn't quite line up, were not fastened correctly which led to leaks and pockets of water sandwiched between the interior trim and body panels. Some of the paint on the car literally washed off with soapy water after being exposed to the elements for a few months. I found lots of quick fix cover up work dont poorly. Needless to say, the car was worth ZERO dollars when I wanted to get rid of it. I just donated to that kidneycar charity.
 
Unless you know the shop that rebuilt it, and trust them I would stay away.
I bought a rebuilt Jetta years ago.........never again.
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