Stay Away from Branded Title Cars, and Here’s Why
Natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey happen almost every year. Tornadoes and flooding, accidents and fallen trees, auto thefts and vandalism are a fact of life in the United States. And in all of those situations, there are cars, trucks, and SUVs involved. When a vehicle is badly damaged, the insurance company typically calls it a total loss. It receives a branded title and is eventually auctioned off.
But what does a branded title mean anyway? Essentially, it’s a designation on the car title that indicates the vehicle has been an insurance write-off in the past. The person or company who owned it was paid the car’s value and the insurance company took possession of it.
But that might not mean the end for branded title cars. Many are bought, fixed up, and sold once again for people to drive. Next time you’re driving, look around: there are probably branded title cars driving the same road as you, and you don’t know it.
Stay Away from Branded Title Cars
But when you’re buying a car, you don’t want to be anywhere in the vicinity of a branded title vehicle. They can mean big trouble for you – if not now, then in the not-so-distant future. Here are a few reasons to keep your distance from buying branded title cars.
You Don’t Know the Extent of the Damage
It’s been fixed up, that you know. However, there’s nothing that says you need to be informed how much damage the car experienced. It could’ve been minor hail damage or completely submerged in water. Want to take a chance on it?
You Can’t Tell How Well It Was Repaired
There are minimum standards for repairing a branded title vehicle for resale. That said, there’s no telling if name-brand parts were used, if body work was done correctly, or if something is about to go wrong with one of the repairs. In many cases, repairers employ used parts.
There is No Warranty
Once a vehicle has a branded title, the warranty is voided. The manufacturer is no longer obligated to pay for any repairs on the car because the full value of the vehicle has been paid out already. Â
It Typically Won’t Last as Long
Those used parts and cheap aftermarket components that were used in the repair don’t last like the original. Shoddy body work can rust out sooner than you’d expect. There’s a very good chance the car won’t last as long as a similar model that hasn’t been a write-off.
It’s Not Worth As Much
With all these strikes against it, it stands to reason that a car with a branded title just isn’t worth the same amount of money as one with a clean title.
If you’re looking for a used car, it’s in your best interest to stay away from branded title vehicles. Lucky for you, CarUp KC won’t try to sell you that stuff. Here, you’ll find high-quality used cars at a competitive price…and a clean title.
