I know this topic is of interest to many of us. There is an excellent article in the latest (January 2002) Consumer Reports, entitled "Wrecks in Disguise", about how this happens, including title cleansing etc. Several specific cars were followed, and horror stories documented.
They also did some research for the article by starting with 393,000 cars involved in fatal accidents during 1993-1999. Of these, they were able to find vehicle history on 58,000 late-model cars; 40 percent of them were subsequently rebuilt and retitled. Granted, some of these were repairable, but 41,800 of them were totaled and given a salvage (or similar) title. Of the salvage titled vehicles, 20 percent were subsequently retitled. Of those salvage titled vehicles that were retitled, one third somehow were given clean titles.
Buyer beware, indeed.
Good reading.
They also did some research for the article by starting with 393,000 cars involved in fatal accidents during 1993-1999. Of these, they were able to find vehicle history on 58,000 late-model cars; 40 percent of them were subsequently rebuilt and retitled. Granted, some of these were repairable, but 41,800 of them were totaled and given a salvage (or similar) title. Of the salvage titled vehicles, 20 percent were subsequently retitled. Of those salvage titled vehicles that were retitled, one third somehow were given clean titles.
Good reading.
