Written off vehicles

jaymasta

Member
Hey,
I am looking at buying a newer truck, I have found a particular truck it is a 2010 toyota tundra, the price is right and has very low mileage, and cosmetically looks to be in great shape and I'm told it drives perfectly, But I found out that it has been written off in an accident and then rebuilt and inspected and brought back up to the safety standards needed to reinsure it. I have always been told to steer clear of written off vehicles but I've never been told why, I'm sure it has gone through a thorough inspection process to get back on the road. Any comments or reasons to stay clear of a written off vehicle?
Thanks
 
Absolutely no warranty from Toyota remaining including recalls
And don't put much into those inspections there is some pretty shady stuff that goes on with a lot of those so called rebuilders
 
There are no yearly inspections. I have a rebuilt 2001 Dodge 2500 diesel and bought it in 2004 with 91000k's. it is true the resale will be much less, but so will the purchase price. If you plan on keeping it long term like myself...then why worry about resale. I was lucky they had a few pictures of the truck before repairs so I could see that the frame wasn't involved...mine looked like a tree or pole right down the centre of the truck
 
Yes well one of the reasons I am even considering it is the current asking price of it is significantly lower then comparable vehicles.
 
After a bad experience with a rebuild, I wouldn't do it again.
Bought a 3 year old Santa Fe in '06 that looked in great shape.
electrical problems started a few months later and persisted as long as we had it.
Turned out the wiring had been damaged and bypassed causing all sorts of issues.
buyer beware !
 
I work in a collision shop, it doesn't take much to right off a vehicle now a days. See if you can find out where the truck was hit and repaired, there is a lot of good shops out there who do a excellent job.
 
Not only will resale value be low, but finding a buyer will be difficult if you need to sell it for some reason. No yearly inspections, just the one to put it back on the road.
Do I have this right? You were considering this truck, and then you found out it was a write off? If the seller was keeping that info from you, that would be a major red flag.....I would walk away. It is illegal to not declare it as a rebuild. Although it does happen..
 
Biggest concern would be with the shop that fixed it. If you plan on keeping it like Rollie mentioned take it to a reputable frame shop and have it inspected prior to purchase (pictures of it when damaged are certainly a bonus). I have had a couple reclaims and they have been good buys.
 
My truck now has over 185,000k's on it and the only repairs I've had were replacing a bearing in the engine's fan and straightening its mount. Apparently it was tweaked in the collision and was out of alignment. Other than that it has just been oil, filters and tires..
 
It all depends on how it is done.

I have seen good ones and bad ones, Some where they have welded 2 cars together, bondo over welds, Rust starting shortly after. Manufacters VOID the warranty when written off...SO NO POWERTRAIN warranty.

Buyer beware on rebuilds. they are cheap but sometimes for a reason
 
It definitely doesn't take much to write off some vehicles, especially with the auction prices they get for the wrecks. The damage to mine was grille, rad, inter-cooler, front bumper, hood, windshield, both air bags, fender and door. They still got $12,000 for it wrecked at auction.
 
ya really depends on what the issue was, might be a steal or might be a nightmare.

Just be sure the price is low enough that you can actually get some money out of it if you decide to sell.
 
Often vehicles caught in floods are written off and they are sent out of province for resale.
As mentioned by others, it is important you find our exactly where and why the vehicle was written off...is that possible?
I wouldn't be surprised if it came from a flood or something similar, if so I would definitely stay away from it!
Hope this weather lets up soon...I wanta get out fishing!
 
Just a bad idea. Metal when it's fatigued in a crash is never the same as when it was new.

Flooded vehicles will generally always have electrical problems, harness corrosion, just a big mess.


Buck up or buy something more modest/used. Don't buy rebuilt, it's never worth it. You may get lucky once, but in the end you always lose with a rebuilt title.
 
Thanks for the responses everyone, the buyer was upfront about it when I asked, and says he has all the receipts showing the repairs and has the inspection papers etc...I might look into it a bit further his price is lower then comparable trucks but not significantly.
 
I have had a bad experience with a rebuild and will never buy another. Make sure it is straight is the most important. If the frame was ever compromised I would walk. I didn't know much about it when I bought it and learned the hard way. It was cheap and that was my budget at the time. Big mistake. Cost me more in tires and resale was poop.
 
Trucks are also a lot different than a uni- body passenger car or van. So long as it is just sheet metal or bolt on parts...those can be replaced and the truck is good to go. A quick check in an alignment shop will tell you if the truck is tracking correctly.
 
Hey,
I am looking at buying a newer truck, I have found a particular truck it is a 2010 toyota tundra, the price is right and has very low mileage, and cosmetically looks to be in great shape and I'm told it drives perfectly, But I found out that it has been written off in an accident and then rebuilt and inspected and brought back up to the safety standards needed to reinsure it. I have always been told to steer clear of written off vehicles but I've never been told why, I'm sure it has gone through a thorough inspection process to get back on the road. Any comments or reasons to stay clear of a written off vehicle?
Thanks


Some valid points on this thread.

take this advice away RUN away

You will not be able to find out fully what is/was wrong with it and no one will pay you the $$$ you paid. Never mind the documentation.

The person who bought it to fix and turn a profit...therefore...I guarantee you they cut corners to fix it...be it simple as you think it is. If it's nuts and bolts, metal, fasteners, body filler alignments, used parts, etc etc etc.

I think it was CBC or CTV did a story on these types of cars in the last 2 years they found that greater than 50% passed a provincial inspection and should not have and had substandard unacceptable repairs done.

Why buy someone else's junk?

Think if it this way...here's a crude example....let's take the ***** at the whorehouse....take her outta there, give her a makeover, dress her up like a princess.......nothing is different...she's still a *****! ;) STDs, low morals and all.
 
Often vehicles caught in floods are written off and they are sent out of province for resale.
As mentioned by others, it is important you find our exactly where and why the vehicle was written off...is that possible?
I wouldn't be surprised if it came from a flood or something similar, if so I would definitely stay away from it!
Hope this weather lets up soon...I wanta get out fishing!

could be a write off from Hurricane Sandy, saw a report to watch out for those. be careful
 
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