What's with all the salvaged titles???

Maybe it's 'because the recent full moon brings out all the crazies?

 

People who sell cars on craigslist generally sell lower end or salvaged cars because the people who look there are looking for that type of junk.

If you look on eBay right now, there are 116 Prii for sale. 101 have clear titles, 8 have salvaged titles, the othes are rebuilds/reconstructed (6) which is like salvage or buybacks which are new but the owner changed their mind.

So 14/116 is 12% salvaged/rebuilt while the other 88% are clear title.

Cars.com has 7198 used Prii for sale, 14 of them are salvaged/rebuilds or 0.2% meaning the other 99.8% are clear title.

 

According to some people, the most important safety feature is not how a car performs in an accident, but how well the car performs in avoiding an accident. A lot of times I really feel like a sitting duck in the Prius.

 

Yea, that's because most people are impatient drivers who'd always drive faster than the speed limit when they can get away with it? And with that kind of regular reckless behavior, you're definitely more likely to be a sitting duck for an unavoidable accident compared to a sitting duck that almost always drives the speed limit and almost always gets much better gas mileage because of it. And seriously how often is a sitting duck defensive driver really gonna get hit compared to your typical impatient in a hurry driver?

Point is, driving way slower may seem dangerous and annoying to some, but it really is safer... Even a poor performer like a Prius almost never pushes its handling limits at that speed anyways. For example, remember how you drove when you were taking your DMV driving test? What if you drove like that all the time? That's the best way to not only annoy the person behind you, but also the best way to not be a sitting duck.

 

While Craigslist may be a place for low life salvage sellers, it's also a place where really smart people buy and sell quality cars without any additional costs that cars.com and other dealers would add to the sale.

With the right attitude and a lot of patience you can sniff out some great deals from some really honest DIY-oriented people on Craigslist. I've always had great experiences with really good people when I've bought or sold vehicles on Craigslist.

So I object to your statement. It's unfair to characterize it as a place that's only for people who look for junk.

As in your perspective was the same perspective that all the major newspapers who used to be funded by classified ads had... Look what Craig's list did to them!

 

I've bought a car on Craigslist and 2 on eBay. But salvage titles appeal to those people who are pinching pennies because they can or because they have to and that is the market Craigslist fills.

The OP was under the impression that most used Prii are salvaged. Well most used Prii on Craigslist are salvaged because to be a cheap Prius, it needs to have had an accident.

 

Well thats what I was thinking of. If your defensive driving manuever requires acceleration, your a sitting duck.

 

I'm not quite clear on what you're saying, but...

Acceleration is far less problematic than deceleration!

Pure and simple: Speed kills!!!

As in, they create speed limits for a reason!

Driving in the slow lane with cars and sometimes big trucks passing may seem unsafe to you but truth is the slower your speed, the more options you'll have at your disposal in order to avoid an accident... All these people who want sports car handling "for safety reasons" are far more likely to do something stupid that ruins their car. If you want proof, just look at insurance rates.

Beyond the speed issue, there's a technique that I recently stumbled upon... It's the one where at freeway speed a couple well positioned slow drivers can hold a whole pack of cars back on a 2 lane highway and while all the "normal" drivers speed ahead at way over the speed limit it creates a giant gap of open space, which is available for driving safely in. It doesn't last forever, but making use of this space significantly decreases the risk of driving. I always tend to drive in these open spaces... It's also a good way to appreciate how out-of-it slow drivers can help save lives for those smart enough to make use of the space they create.

 

There are times when accelerating out of a situation is a better idea then braking or swerving. At that time, more acceleration is best. However even with the anemic acceleration of the Prius, if you have the time to think to do this, you have the power. In a hugely powered non-supercar sports car, the gearbox is where the magic happens. If you are in a situation where you have to slam the accelerator to get out of the way, generally it will take a few hundred milliseconds for the gearbox to change down and rev up before power gets there. In a Prius, you get instant power because there is none of that silly shifting.

 

People will go to almost unbelievable extremes to rationalize why they need to "to slam the accelerator to get out of the way." It's why the most popular vehicles in the US can barely get 30mpg.

It's also why Toyota won't sell a hybrid Sienna minivan in the US even though they were selling this vehicle in Japan over a decade ago: Toyota Sienna Hybrid - HybridCars.com Is it possible that America's obsession with power and speed is denying all us slow driving happy campers a low horsepower hybrid minivan? I'm sure you can guess my opinion...

Most important thing I can say is that the faster you drive, the more likely you or someone else will die! Don't forget that 1% of all the world's humans die because of a car accident. That's way too many deaths everyday!

What's the body count for people who drive too slow?
What's the body count for people who drive too fast?


Everybody needs to chill the f-out and drive safe and slow and enjoy life in the moment rather than chasing their brain that's always racing ahead of 'em in ways that they'll never have enough time to catch up with.

And of course I say that just as much to myself as I say that to anyone else... I too sometimes make up excuses to drive too fast.

Be well, Prius Camper

 

Going through an intersection when you spot a semi running a red light coming right at you. If you brake, you remain in the path of destruction. What do you do? Accelerate out.
Acceleration out of danger is a valid technique.

The rest of your rant is pointless dribble.

 

I could equally argue that if I cautiously slowed downed at the intersection before I crossed it and saw that a semi was about to run a red light my slower rate of speed would allow me to slam on the brakes and make an emergency stop fast enough to not go more than half way into the intersection, thus avoiding getting hit...

Brakes will always accelerate way faster then your gas pedal can!!!

Of course if you express your repressed aggression with your car's accelerator pedal, no amount of logic or commons sense is going to stop you from driving like a maniac.

 

Blind curve, can't see what is coming.
Building corner blocking view, or a tree, or a hill, or lots of other things.
Gravel on dry road days after snow storm makes your braking distance much larger, you would skid into the path of danger. Accelerating on gravel is easier than braking and skidding because you already have forwards momentum.
Ice/Snow on road even at slow speeds you would skid into danger instead of powering out of it, again accelerating on ice is easier than braking because the ice during panic braking gives no grip.

It is a valid technique and proven. I am not sure why you are so hell bent on this. You are wrong, get over it. Your opinions on speed are valid because they are your opinions even though I disagree with them. But this isn't opinion it is fact, and you are just wrong.

If you take 145ft to decelerate (like the Camry Hybrid from 60-0) if you are less than 145ft from danger you may want to accelerate out. If you are in a Land Rover where the braking distance is closer to 220ft you may want to accelerate out.

Driving can be fun, and different people have fun different ways.

 

When I saw this I also wondered about cars damaged by Sandy. From what I remember there were well over 100k cars damaged by the storm, a big chunk of them were new cars in port waiting for delivery. Given the huge number it would not surprise me if the ones that could be salvaged were spread out across the country. I remember back after Katrina there were local news stories in Boston about storm damaged cars being sold locally. It makes sense that the cars would go to places where demand is high - for the Prius Southern California and San Francisco are the first 2 cities that I would think of.

 

I almost bought a salvage titled Prius before the one I have now!

I contacted the last owner before it was totaled and he emailed me pictures of the accident. Very minor, IMO. He was rear ended at a red light at low speed and pushed into the car in front of him. The insurance company totaled the Prius (08 with 45k miles) and some lot here in Michigan bought it and rebuilt it. The airbags did not deploy, no frame damage, basically the rear bumper and front bumper needed replacement. The guy told me he was confused why the totaled it because the damaged was only $2000 (he got estimates).

Ive seen a surge of salvage titled Prius too. Caveat Emptor.

 

DO NOT buy a salvage title Prius --A dose of reality for anyone looking to buy a Prius.

Do not get ripped off with the lies, and don't waste your time. There are many Craigslist postings for these cars and every one of them is a potential danger to your health, safety and your wallet. The above photos (not too pretty are they?) are something you don't see when these guys try to sell you a salvage title Prius. They're hiding the truth from you in order to swindle your hard earned money. Please read my posting to illuminate yourself to the danger:

My posting is a public service announcement and helpful to those who are considering purchasing a salvage title Prius. That said, I've done extensive due diligence on the subject. First of all, please note that I am not a dealership or a sales person involved with a dealership, nor do I sell cars for a living. However, I know quite a bit about cars because I have owned at least 9 of them in the past 20 years. I also worked for my uncle's auto shop for several years as a teen, and then hung out with a few friends who taught me how to work on cars mechanically--so I know what to look for and what matters.

Now onto the matter at hand: I have met and seen many of these cars here locally and also in Sacramento where the majority of this 'salvage title Prius' activity takes place. There are many ex-Soviet people namely, Russians and Ukrainians who traffic in salvage title Prius cars because they know there's a huge pent up demand for eco-friendly cars. They purchase them from insurance auto auctions like Copart with their pal's dealer license and do some work repairing the cars. From my field report these people do awful body repair. The paint color rarely matches the car's original color and they use cheaper parts when possible. The work detail to bottom-line it for you is very sloppy, unprofessional as it is unappealing.

The cars are drivable, but not what you are expecting. Especially not for the price you will be paying. Therein lies the problem. Had the car's cost been half of what a clean title Prius is going for, then there is a potential bargain to be had. This is not what is happening. Due to the high demand of Toyota Prius, these people are asking and in many cases getting close to what a clean title Prius is going for. This is very dangerous for a few reasons.

The cars structural identity is compromised from the 'fender bender' which in all honesty is a lie. Take a look at the photos that I have found. They will show the level of intense damage these cars have taken. The frame is clearly damaged and in many cases, the airbags have gone off. These cars have been WORKED over good in tragic accidents. I would not hesitate to think the original owners of these cars may have died in them. This is entirely possible.


I have seen these cars in their various states of repair and I can tell you that they were in severe accidents. Insurance companies will not release a car to salvage title without cause. It had to have been quite severe in order for the insurance company to do this. I have seen entire front ends collapsed and torn off (again, see the photos attached to this posting to serve as evidence). I have also seen the motor pushed back behind the firewall and the radiator destroyed along with all the a/c lines and fuel lines. In one of these Craigslist 'salvage title Prius' ads from the Sacramento area, I witnessed the electric motor in some cases are so damaged that it makes a whirring sound the moment you start the car and accelerate. This sound does not stop because the motor is damaged. Try taking it for a spin. After you buy it the car will stop running. How much do you think that will cost you?

Secondly, the cars are no longer warranty-able. Toyota North America will never allow a salvage title car to purchase additional warranty coverage (have you seen my photos guys???) Third, the possibility for you to spend even more money to fix what these people overlooked or did not is great. These guys are horrible mechanics. I have seen them at work. They are quick and pay no attention to detail.

Lastly, as my posting stated. The registration has not been paid for in many of these cars..for years. Which means you will end up paying when you go to the DMV to register the car. Be ready for that.


There are currently two types of people buying these cars, people who don't know anything about salvage title cars who read only what these people post online and actually believe them (an old wise saying: "A fool and his money are soon parted")..and Taxi Cab companies.

Finally, beware that Car fax is only as good as the owner of the vehicle. Car fax is quite the joke. It can be gamed and most often times it is. If the owner doesn't report an accident, Car fax does not know anything. Car fax is not 100% fool proof. I recently saw an ad for a Toyota Prius on Craigslist that stated it had a "clean car fax". I mean, what the **** does that mean? I got suspicious and asked him what this meant. The owner did not disclose his Prius was in an accident and therefore, this would not be listed in the Car fax. It was only after I asked to see the 'clean title' that he disclosed this accident..and of course, he played it down as if it were a minor fender bender, like every single one of these people who sell salvage title cars do.

Please help others by getting the word out and feel free to repost this message to any message board.