Salvage Titles

[dvlnblkdrs]

Originally Posted by yarisitis

I'm insured by AAA under my parent's policy. My car doesn't have full coverage but I have gotten a quote for it, ridiculously high since I'm only 23 and haven't been driving too long.

Anyway, they told me in order to get full coverage on it it needs to be inspected by them first. In California, salvaged cars are required to be inspected by the California High Patrol in order to be deemed safe before being registered with the DMV. My car obviously passed the inspection so I'm pretty sure it would pass inspection by the insurance company for full coverage.

i work for AAA.. total loss department, so i deal in salvage cars constantly. i will tell you that AAA will give u full coverage for a salvage car. but i will also tell you that when you insure the car it is for the acv(actual cash value). in having a salvage titled vehicle, the car is worth 20-40% less than a clean titled car, so having full coverage may not be in the interest for you, but that is a choice you would want to make after researching such.

also, there are multiple reasons an insurance company would deem a vehicle to be a total loss. typically it is either a structual total loss(safety issue) or an economic total loss(simply costs too damn much to fix it!), also if the vehicle was stolen & recovered after the insured was paid out for it & did not wish to buy it back.

if you plan to buy a salvaged vehicle, do your research, ask questions! why was it totalled & if they have receipts/photos/info on the repairs. if theres anything to do with safety(airbags, frame, etc), i wouldnt even think of buyin it...

[chrisj]

^ Thanks for that info dvlnblkdrs! Nothing like getting good information from an expert! :)

[dvlnblkdrs]

absolutely... im such an insurance dork, i love talking shop & sharing stories :)

[silver_echo]

Originally Posted by dvlnblkdrs

absolutely... im such an insurance dork, i love talking shop & sharing stories :)

i kinda wanna get a job helping people with insurance...

[chrisj]

Originally Posted by silver_echo

i kinda wanna get a job helping people with insurance...

Me too. My first customer? Me!

[dvlnblkdrs]

lol theres a few jobs i think everyone should have in their lifetime.. retail & customer service... i learned so much more respect for people in working in the mall when i was young.. and now now that im at AAA, i have learned a lot of resourceful and useful info.. i made so many changes to my policy to improve my coverage. it is difficult to know when you are sufficiently insured. state minimum in CA is only 5k property damage, which hasnt been changed since 1964.. the scary thing is.. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THAT! people want cheap, then complain when something isnt covered... age old tale of ya get what ya pay for, right? i worked in our call center for 3 years making changes to people's policies and taking first notice claim calls.. the #1 thing i will tell everyone.. read your policy.. not just your dec page, but there is usually a policy brochure with an ton on legalese cuz they know you wont read it.. trust me, the secrets to your policy lie within!

i only dealt in CA policies, so i can really only provide info on california policy/procedure, but if anyone has questions.. u can always feel free to pm me or chat with me at a meet.. i love talking shop