Word on the Street: Salvaged Vehicles and How to Protect Yourself

(MoneyNewsWire.Net, February 13, 2015 ) Salt Lake City, UT --

Even though in the state of Utah is a “Buyer Beware” state, it’s up to the buyer to determine if the vehicle they are purchasing was should be deemed safe or not, particularly if it has previously been in a wreck.

A salvage car/truck is one damaged by collision, flood, or another reason that it would cost more to repair it to safe operation than it is worth at fair market value. A salvaged vehicle that has been repaired or restored to operation is called a rebuilt/restored vehicle.

Utah’s laws are strict about when a salvaged vehicle can be repaired and have its brand removed. However, someone from another state can ship a totaled car to a state with more relaxed laws, repair it and sell it to a dealer. They will sell the car as if it has never been wrecked.

To be protected against this, doing the homework on the vehicle is a must. By checking for things like mismatched paint, door gaps that shouldn’t be, and chips on/in the dashboard could avoid this unwanted issue. Running the history of the vehicle through the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System is also a way of making sure the vehicle is legit.

Utah will not issue an unbranded title to a car that has been salvaged in another state, even if the out-of-state title given to the buyer is unbranded. The dealers are required to disclose to you before you even begin negotiating that a vehicle is branded as salvage or restored/rebuilt.

To launch an investigation on a vehicle that you have a concern about you can contact Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division (MVED) and its officers can assist.

If you’ve been harmed due to an unsafe vehicle, consult with a car accident lawyer from Craig Swapp & Associates at www.craigswapp.com/car-accident-lawyer

Craig Swapp & Associate

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Source: EmailWire.Com