Rebuilt Salvage Title Car Insurance

Trying to get rebuilt salvage title car insurance can be more challenging than finding auto insurance coverage for most cars. After a car is considered a , it can only get a salvage title. Most auto insurance companies won't issue policies for a salvage title. To get a salvage title cleared, the car must be rebuilt. Salvage title insurance is available, but generally will not allow the car to be operated legally. After the car is rebuilt, rebuilt salvage title car insurance is available. Often getting a rebuilt salvage title car insured will be more expensive than normal. Companies consider cars that have already been totaled to be more risky and charge more to insure them. Some companies may not insure rebuilt salvage vehicles at all. If you want to insure a car with a rebuilt title you can learn how to do that below.

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Sara Routhier

Sr. Director of Content

Sara Routhier, Managing Editor and Outreach Director, has professional experience as an educator, SEO specialist, and content marketer. She has over five years of experience in the insurance industry. As a researcher, data nerd, writer, and editor she strives to curate educational, enlightening articles that provide you with the must-know facts and best-kept secrets within the overwhelming world o...

Sr. Director of Content

Chris Abrams

Licensed Insurance Agent

Chris is the founder of Abrams Insurance Solutions and Marcan Insurance, which provide personal financial analysis and planning services for families and small businesses across the U.S. His companies represent nearly 100 of the top-rated insurance companies. Chris has been a licensed insurance agent since 2009 and has active insurance licenses in all 50 U.S. states and D.C. Chris works tireles...

Licensed Insurance Agent

UPDATED: Feb 13, 2024

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The vast majority of automobiles out there come with a title which is referred to as a “clean” title — meaning that the car has never been in a serious accident, had its mileage tampered with, or been in any other sort of situation which would make it unsafe to drive.

But not all cars have clean titles. If you’re trying to find your auto insurance coverage options for a vehicle that is lacking a clean title, you may find the process difficult and confusing.

But there is hope. Below, you can find out how to get the best deal on the right auto insurance policy for you.

Use our FREE quote tool to compare insurance rates now!

How can I understand the different types of car titles?

We’ve already discussed clean titles, which are legal titles associated with a car that is still in good, factory-quality condition and safe to drive on the road.

But there are other types of titles that exist based on the condition of the vehicle they’re attached to.

For starters, there’s such a thing known as a salvage title. When a vehicle gets into a total loss accident, its clean title is wiped away and it is reissued a salvage title.

Cars are usually classified as a total loss if the cost to repair them exceeds the value of the vehicle. The repair costs can be as low as 60 percent, or as high as 100 percent, depending on your state laws and the severity of the damage.

If your insurance provides you with comprehensive, collision, or replacement coverage which helps you get a new vehicle after a total loss accident, they will then take possession of the damaged vehicle and its salvage title.

This title legally allows them to sell the destroyed automobile to salvage yards or rebuilders. What happens to the vehicle next determines whether it is scrapped for parts, or restored and issued a rebuilt title.

Typically, automobiles which are declared to be beyond all hope of repair are issued a non-repairable title and scrapped, if there’s anything worth scrapping.

If a professional rebuilder gets ahold of a salvage car and restores it, it may then qualify for a rebuilt title.

These titles indicate that the vehicle is probably drivable, yet at some stage in its lifespan, it incurred such severe damage that it was classified as a total loss under total loss car insurance.

Getting insurance on these vehicles is challenging. Most insurance companies think these vehicles are so risky to insure that you may only be able to find liability only coverage at a fairly expensive rate.

Salvage Vehicle Car Insurance – Liability CoverageLegend: Liability Coverage South CarolinaIowaNew HampshireUtahOhio 1020304050607080$78$57$58$87$52

South Carolina
Iowa
New Hampshire
Utah
Ohio


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$78

$57

$58

$87

$52


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Do you need insurance for salvage and rebuilt titles?

Getting insurance on a salvage title is not possible, because most companies believe that total loss vehicles are too risky to be driven on the road.

It’s only after the car has been rebuilt and successfully issued a rebuilt title that you can hope to drive it around or sell it.

Liability coverage is the easiest to obtain when you’re talking about a vehicle with a rebuilt title. However, you’re more likely to have to pay more for your monthly premium than drivers who own a car with a clean title.

Depending on your insurance company and your state laws, you may also have to purchase higher liability coverage limits in order to drive the vehicle legally. Either way, your monthly premiums for a car with a rebuilt title will be higher than the average driver’s.

While it is relatively easy to purchase liability insurance for a rebuilt title, optional coverage packages (such as collision and comprehensive coverage) are much harder to obtain. This is because your insurance company has almost no way of knowing what damage the rebuilt vehicle has sustained in the past.

Furthermore, the drastic drop in the value of a vehicle with a rebuilt title (up to 40% is some areas) means that if you are lucky enough to find these coverages for your car, your claim payouts will be substantially lower if you ever need repairs.

Salvage Vehicle Car Insurance – Comprehensive CoverageLegend: Liability Coverage Comprehensive Coverage South CarolinaIowaNew HampshireUtahOhio 102030405060708090100$78$95$57$70$58$71$87$106$52$63

South Carolina
Iowa
New Hampshire
Utah
Ohio


10
20
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100




$78
$95


$57
$70


$58
$71


$87
$106


$52
$63

What are some tips & tricks for getting rebuilt salvage title auto insurance?

If you’re determined to drive a vehicle with a rebuilt salvage title, then you may need a little extra help finding the right coverage for it.

Most drivers will have to shop around at least a little bit in order to find the right coverage at the right price.

Motorists who need coverage on a rebuilt salvage title vehicle will have to do even more research, comparing even more providers just to find one that will sell a policy to them in the first place. This makes it much harder for them to be able to compare quotes and get a good price.

Although finding coverage for your unique vehicle is difficult, it is not impossible. But you’re going to have to do a little homework in order to increase your chances of finding a company that will offer you coverage. This prep work can also help you get a better deal on your monthly premium.

  • For starters, you should find a good, reliable mechanic who’s willing to issue you a certified mechanic’s statement. This piece of paper helps support your claim that the vehicle is safe to drive.
  • Take pictures and video of your vehicle. These before images, which show that the body of your vehicle is in good condition, can give you a leg up when you are searching for comprehensive and collision coverage.
  • Find a copy of your car’s original repair estimate. This should come along with the vehicle’s rebuilt title. This proves to your prospective insurance company that all necessary repairs have been made and that the car will be safe on the road. They can also give them an idea of how extensive the damage was in the first place. This can work in your favor if, say, the vehicle was only barely damaged enough to qualify as a total loss. Under such circumstances, it’ll be easier to find a company that will offer you a policy in the first place, and gives you a fair quote on a monthly premium.

We know how difficult it is to find affordable car insurance policies on a normal vehicle much less a special needs one, like a car with a rebuilt title. The task is difficult, but far from impossible.

And you can find prospective insurance companies right now who are willing to do business with you. All it takes is a simple five-minute search, and you can get several quotes from leading auto insurance companies in your area.

Use our FREE quote tool to compare insurance rates now!

Free Auto Insurance Comparison

Enter your ZIP code below to compare auto insurance rates.

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