Buying car from salvage auction

[black13]

Looking to buy a car that was previously bought from an insurance salvage auction but the owner says the car isn't written off and title is still active. He's not sure if insurance company is going to deem it salvage in the future or not but it's been more than 2 months since the auction so I'm thinking that they won't do it now. Car only had some front end damage and two airbags went off. Does anyone know if they can write off the vehicle even after I register it?

[ExtraSlow]

I would have thought the title would have been branded before you could purchase it from the auction.....

Interested to hear more about this.

[J-hop]

Did you car proof it?

I would NOT take the seller’s word.

[G-ZUS]

You can take the VIN to any registry office and they will check for you. Sometimes a vehicle will fall through the cracks and not be branded. I have purchased a vehicle many years from Impact, Auction said it was Salvage and it turned to be active. Drove it for 3 years and it never got changed.

[revelations]

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Does anyone know if they can write off the vehicle even after I register it?

Thats a question for MASKED BANDIT. The AB insurance system is a little, weird. So many places for humans to make errors and something like this can slip through.

[GTR_Auto]

Lots of cars sold through the auction can be written off and still have an active title. I have bought several of them myself. I have also bought cars that were sold as active and turns out they were salvage a quick call to my account representative changed it back to active.

I would also not be scared of a rebuilt title as long as it was repaired properly and the damage was not bad. I have personally seen some instances where a car really should have had a NR title

Easiest way is to take the vin to the registry and they can tell you what the title is

[G-ZUS]

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Lots of cars sold through the auction can be written off and still have an active title. I have bought several of them myself. I have also bought cars that were sold as active and turns out they were salvage a quick call to my account representative changed it back to active.

What auction are you going through? I have bought Salvage cars that were labeled as active before, and impact said it can't be changed as it's done through Alberta transportation. They always took the cars back and ran them the next auction as salvage

[black13]

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Lots of cars sold through the auction can be written off and still have an active title. I have bought several of them myself. I have also bought cars that were sold as active and turns out they were salvage a quick call to my account representative changed it back to active.

I would also not be scared of a rebuilt title as long as it was repaired properly and the damage was not bad. I have personally seen some instances where a car really should have had a NR title

Easiest way is to take the vin to the registry and they can tell you what the title is

And those cars that you bought and were still active, you didn't have any trouble with them afterwards? Meaning you didn't get a letter or something saying the car is now salvage?

I'm definitely gonna check the vin today and if I get the car I'm gonna register it for two years right away. Just don't want to get a letter saying the car is now salvage later down the line but that seems unlikely to me. It's a newer camery with some minor damage, I just wanna drive it for myself. Not planning on selling it.

[GTR_Auto]

I have not had that occur yet. I buy from a bunch across canada I believe the one time it happened it was impact I believe. My guess it depends on how valuable your account is

[G-ZUS]

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And those cars that you bought and were still active, you didn't have any trouble with them afterwards? Meaning you didn't get a letter or something saying the car is now salvage?

I'm definitely gonna check the vin today and if I get the car I'm gonna register it for two years right away. Just don't want to get a letter saying the car is now salvage later down the line but that seems unlikely to me. It's a newer camery with some minor damage, I just wanna drive it for myself. Not planning on selling it.

It could be written off ay time by Alberta transportation, registered or not. They will send you a letter saying your car has been branded salvage and you need to get a salvage inspection yada yada

[GTR_Auto]

I have not gotten a letter from anyone

[black13]

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It could be written off ay time by Alberta transportation, registered or not. They will send you a letter saying your car has been branded salvage and you need to get a salvage inspection yada yada

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I have not gotten a letter from anyone

Well this sure clears it up lol. Owner says he had another vehicle that was same as this one and said he's been driving it with no issues so im glad at least gtr_auto has had similar experience.

[Jeeper1986]

sometimes the smallest thing on a car and they deem it salvage, but a rule of thumb any car that has had its front air bags activated are automatically deemed salvage or worse non repairable, my dad once got a 98 jetta only the driver air bag was activated and the car was deemed non repairable