Is this R-Title Subaru worth 15k?

NeedHelpRTitle

https://en.bidfax.info/subaru/impreza/23187507-subaru-impreza-sport-2022-blue-20l-4-vin-4s3gkam60n3607177.html

I don't know anything about structural damage, subarus, cars, or anything. I had an r-title in 2007 and the car lasted me 7 years before I sold it, so I felt like it was an ok deal. I would appreciate any guidance you have on this topic.

The guy who bought this car for 6000, is now selling it for 15 after repairing it back to normal looking. If I can get him down to 13-14, do you think it's worth it given the damage in the image? The wheel was bent, any deeper issues I'm blind to.

oldfarmer50

I don’t know what it’s worth but I would have it checked by a body shop with expertise to judge the quality of the repair. It might be perfect but it could also be a cob job which will haunt you.

NeedHelpRTitle

oldfarmer50 said:

I don’t know what it’s worth but I would have it checked by a body shop with expertise to judge the quality of the repair. It might be perfect but it could also be a cob job which will haunt you.

Although the photos don't look too bad, the insurance company wrote it off as 19k in damage. This person found a way to fix it for less than half of that, but I'm not sure how much insurance company markups are on repairs.

Thank you for the advice, yeah I would have to take it to a mechanic to see what they think about it.

qbrozen

NeedHelpRTitle said:

The guy who bought this car for 6000, is now selling it for 15 after repairing it back to normal looking. If I can get him down to 13-14, do you think it's worth it given the damage in the image? The wheel was bent, any deeper issues I'm blind to.

Not quite.

A clean one without that history has a fair retail of $23k-23.5k. IF it checks out and is done right, a branded title cuts the value in half. So not a penny more than $12k, IMHO.

NeedHelpRTitle

qbrozen said:

NeedHelpRTitle said:

Not quite.

A clean one without that history has a fair retail of $23k-23.5k. IF it checks out and is done right, a branded title cuts the value in half. So not a penny more than $12k, IMHO.

Thank you. If the mechanic thinks it looks well enough, I'll try to offer 12k cash and see what happens. This guy says it drove off a trailer, but then the salvage photos shows a rear left impact so it's already more shady than it needs to be.

stickguy

Insurance quotes get real high real quick so no surprise it was written off. As noted, it all comes down to how good the repairs were (along with the price being appropriate of course). I would not touch something like this unless I could get a thorough PPI by an expert (not a quick once over). And see legitimate records from the repairs done.

Keep in mind that even though it is low miles and may still be within the 5 year window the warranty is voided.

but if it checks out and you can get it in the low teens could be a good deal and a solid car if you are willing to roll the dice. Oh, check with your insurance company first to see if there would be any problems with insuring it. And you DMV about registering it (I think some states need to do an inspection before agreeing to issue a new title).

NeedHelpRTitle

stickguy said:

Insurance quotes get real high real quick so no surprise it was written off. As noted, it all comes down to how good the repairs were (along with the price being appropriate of course). I would not touch something like this unless I could get a thorough PPI by an expert (not a quick once over). And see legitimate records from the repairs done.

Keep in mind that even though it is low miles and may still be within the 5 year window the warranty is voided.

but if it checks out and you can get it in the low teens could be a good deal and a solid car if you are willing to roll the dice. Oh, check with your insurance company first to see if there would be any problems with insuring it. And you DMV about registering it (I think some states need to do an inspection before agreeing to issue a new title).

Thank you, I will get a PPI and ask for whatever documentation this guy has.

I've had a R-title in Pennsylvania before when I was a kid, it was ok to insure with minimal coverage which I should be able to do again. This one was inspected in September after he finished the repairs, but I will ask the PPI person if he thinks it would pass just to be safe.

I would just drive this for as many miles as I can get out of it. My last car was new; people keyed me, hit me at a red light, hit me in a parking lot, and I still had to replace the starter after about 5 years. The R-title car was less stress because I didn't have to watch it de-value.

stickguy

well, that is the exact use case where a salvage title makes sense!