Salvage Vs. Rebuilt Title In Texas: What It Means When You Buy

The three titles

Salvage: the cost to repair the damage was more than the car's value before the damage, or the car came from another state on a salvage title. It cannot be registered or driven yet.

Rebuilt salvage: a salvage car that was repaired, passed a Texas inspection, and was retitled. It can be registered and driven. The title keeps the word rebuilt for good.

Nonrepairable: so damaged its only value is parts or scrap. Texas law says it can never get a regular title or be registered.

Is a rebuilt car a good buy?

It can be, if the price reflects the history. A rebuilt car should cost noticeably less than the same car with a clean title. Ask for repair photos or receipts, have your own mechanic look at it, and call your insurance company before you buy, because some insurers limit coverage on rebuilt cars. Some lenders will not finance them.

How we handle it

At Triple J Auto Investment, the title type is on the listing and on the papers, and a rebuilt title comes with its own written disclosure that you read and sign. If we ever sell a car on a salvage title, it leaves on a tow truck with no plates, and the paperwork says so in plain words.