Salvage vehicles tend to fall into one or more of three categories. There are some vehicles that are non-repairable, which can only be used for parts or scrap. Others may have flood damage, and others may have been declared a total loss by the insurance company, meaning that the repairs would cost more than 65% of the vehicle’s value. Many of these vehicles make their way to salvage car auctions, and residents of Nevada may consider buying them.
Getting the Car on the Road
Buying cars from a salvage car auction can be a good way to get a vehicle, but if you want to get it on the road in Nevada, you need to do several things first. You will need to restore the vehicle to get it back in shape. However, it you are going to do the repairs or have a garage take care of the repairs for you, the car may need to have a DMV inspection before any of the work begins. The law in Nevada states that you will need to have the inspection if the car is five years old or less.
Take the vehicle you bought from the salvage car auction to a DMV office in your area that has an inspection station. They will then provide you with an Authorization for Vehicle Restoration when the inspection is complete. You may then start to rebuild the vehicle.
After the restoration is complete, the garage needs to complete a Certificate of Inspection/Affidavit of Vehicle Construction that ensures the repairs were done properly according to the state and federal requirements. At this point, the vehicle will have to go in for another inspection. The DMV will finish filling out the form from the mechanic if the vehicle passes muster.
Now, you can apply to register the vehicle and get your title. It’s important to note that even if the vehicle is in better shape than when it rolled off the assembly line, it’s not going to get a clean title. It will always be a rebuilt title. This helps to ensure that anyone else who may buy the vehicle in the future realizes that it has been rebuilt.
Getting Insurance for the Vehicle
When you buy from a salvage car auction, you will not be able to get insurance for the vehicle right away. You won’t be able to have insurance until you have your new title, and at that point, you should be able to get liability insurance relatively easily. Insurance companies do not mind offering liability because it isn’t insurance on your vehicle. It’s insurance for any damages that your vehicle might cause.
Where things get more difficult is in those circumstances when you want to have full coverage for the vehicle you bought from the salvage car auction. Many insurance companies will not offer this for vehicles that have rebuilt titles. There are some out there that will though, so if you want the increased coverage, it is a good idea to start looking for an insurance company that offers it even before you buy your vehicle.
The procedure for getting your salvage vehicle a new title and back on the road is not overly complex. If you find a vehicle that you really like at a salvage car auction, and you have it in the budget to repair the vehicle properly, then it could be a perfect opportunity for you.
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