3 ms·
This isn’t a given. It depends on what a repair entails. Often a steel chassis can simply be pulled back into shape. An aluminum chassis is certainly more diff
by dpark 5y ago
This isn’t a given. It depends on what a repair entails. Often a steel chassis can simply be pulled back into shape.
An aluminum chassis is certainly more difficult. A friend of mine had a Lotus and the whole thing was written off for chassis damage that literally couldn’t be seen.
- mrkurt 5y agoDo any states that allow bent frame repair without a salvage title? It's been a while, but back when I was buying cars at wholesale auctions, it was a big deal when one slipped through with a bent frame without a salvage title. They reversed auctions all the time, including one truck we purchased.
- throwawayboise 5y agoIf it's repaired and not totaled, it won't have a salvage title. I have even "bought back" cars that my insurance wanted to write off (insurance paid me market value less their estimated salvage value) and there was no change in title. I think the only time a title gets "branded" is if there is a change in ownership. So if the car is totaled/written off, and sold on to a salvage yard or salvage auction, and then repaired and sold again, it will have a "rebuilt" title.
- alistairSH 5y agoYes, Virginia does. Happened to my Jeep a few years back.
- lostlogin 5y agoHow was it known to be damaged if you couldn’t see it?
- kevin_thibedeau 5y agoA steel frame can be pulled into shape. A steel unibody is another can of worms. It'll never be straight.
- dpark 5y agoI had a WRX pulled back into shape. Maybe we’re talking about different things? Maybe there’s some level of unibody damage that crosses the threshold? Because some damage to the unibody is pretty much guaranteed in any moderate accident. The whole vehicle essentially is the unibody.
- throwawayboise 5y agoYes, bent unibodies can often be straightened by a body shop with the proper equipment. Of course serious damage where the body is really crushed or severely bent or broken might not be economical to repair.
- kingcharles 5y agoAnd as a corollary, I knew someone who had his Porsche sandwiched in a sudden traffic stop and it needed about $90,000 of repairs, including the chassis being unwarped, as I understand it, and the insurance paid for the repairs because it was marginally (~10%) cheaper than replacing the car.