Discussions

Can someone explain what it means exactly when a vehicle's insurance papers indicates a "rebuilt" status? Does this mean it was written off at some point ? Sounds like something I probably should stay away from when I'm looking for a second hand vehicle to purchase. Is this a question I should be asking..."is this a rebuilt vehicle?" Is the person selling the vehicle obligated to divulge that information or is it buyer beware?

Yes, rebuilt means it was written off a some point, but that in itself shouldn't necessarily be a deterrent. Cars are sometimes written off for things like hail damage, which really is just cosmetic but will still give you a perfectly sound vehicle for a lot less money. My brother had a rebuild and it was fine. It needs to be re-certified etc before it can be insured again.  
 
The information should be right on the transfer of ownership slip you fill out.

That is correct. Rebuilt status means that the vehicle has been written off at one point and then repaired and put back on the road. Written off vehicles must go through a body integrity inspection before they can be re-registered and put back on the road. As long as these inspections are done correctly there is no reason to be scared off from buying a rebuilt vehicle. Personally I have driven several vehicles that have been written off without trouble and it can be a good way to save a bit of money on a used vehicle. But just like anything else, the proper homework has to be done when buying. Ask where exactly the damage was and what was repaired, if possible have someone you trust have a look at the repaired area and see if any problems stand out to them. Ask to see before pictures if they are available. Things like that. Hope that helps a bit and I didn't just drone on forever with no point

We had 2 rebuilt and both had problems will never buy one again. The registration will sayvuf it is rebuilt  
Check before you buy

We have also bought two rebuilds. The first was a Toyota Tundra. It was fantastic. No issues whatsoever. Didn't keep it to long as I've been told that after some time issues can occur  
Second rebuilt purchase was a Hummer H3. WhT a huge mistake and a larger expense. Nothing but problems after the purchase. It was a private sale so I had no recourse.  
I would definately find out who did the repairs and ask around if they are reputable. Typically they sell for a considerably less than a normal vehicle.  
Good luck.

Get the CarProof report, it will tell you what wrote it off and importantly when it happened.  
So generally, a recently rebuilt car of low value would probably have been written off by something petty. Some simple body work damage can equal the value of the car, so it's written off, bought at auction for peanuts and rebuilt by someone who can do autobody for cheap, and sold for a small profit, these cars would be a good buy.  
 
But if it's a high value car that's recently been written off and rebuilt, you can be certain that the damage was extensive, the repair will fix what's visibly damaged, but the vehicle as a whole will probably never be completely "right" ever again, the forces of a major collision effect every single component, right down to the nuts and bolts so to speak.

Bought a used truck with rebuild status. I made the deal before I saw rebuilt. It had been stolen so the only issue was it had been rekeyed and that was an issue.  
 
 
When I came to upgrade I found dealers did not want it. I sold it privately to a relative. He drove it several years. He complained to me that he had several flat tires.

Most are fixed properly but not all, there are unscrupulous repair people, think about it it was written off because the damage was more than the car is worth, so the guy through cheaper labor scrounging for cheaper parts tries to squeeze a profit out of a car that sells for less because it is branded salvage and shit can happen.

My experience with rebuilt vehicles is that they are perfectly fine to purchase provided they are from Manitoba. Since Manitoba requires both a Safety Inspection and a Body Integrity Inspection in order to put the rebuilt vehicle back on the road, repairs are actually being strictly verified. I believe a Wheel Alignment is also required.  
 
You could possibly argue that a rebuilt vehicle is better than one that was repaired through MPI because the work on MPI repairs is not verified with a Safety Inspection or Body Integrity Inspection.  
 
Autobody shops are full of vehicles being repaired by MPI all day long. Frame machines are constantly pulling frames and bodies back into shape, and parts and body panels are constantly getting replaced or repaired. There are countless vehicles on the road every day that have been repaired at one point or another.  
 
People complaining about their experiences with rebuilt vehicles fail to mention what kind of problems they had. Were their problems actually related to the accident repairs? In most cases, probably not! Such as a previous poster mentioning about multiple flat tires with a rebuilt vehicle.  
 
You can't blame the vehicle for being a lemon just because it was in an accident. There are most likely many other contributing factors.  
 
With regards to the comment about MPI reducing a rebuilt vehicle's value by 15%, I believe that might be incorrect. I have spoken directly with MPI in the past, and the information I was given is that there is no such reduction in value from an insurance perspective. MPI will still cover you for current market value of the make, model and condition of your vehicle regardless of its status.  
 
As a saying I once heard from a Harley Davidson technician, "If it has wheels, you are going to have problems."

I have basically only had rebuilt vehicles, and I have never had a problem with them. Granted I bought them all from one place and I trust them to have done the proper repairs. As long as you buy them from a reputable collision repair place. MPI also has recently changed the rules for body integrity's, making it really hard for anyone but a certified shop to do any structural repairs. Which in my opinion is a good thing, it will stop a lot of backyarders. The only problem is, is that MPI will still allow you to rebuild a vehicle and not install the airbags. The business that I have bought from always replaces the airbags though, so I never have to worry.

And they also show me pictures and go over in detail, what it is that they replaced and why. You have the right to know.

Zero one can you inbox me the address of the company you are talking about pls?  
Thanks

In my case both cars had problems with the computer system and both had problem with the window regulators burning out (most likely related to the computer damage), both cars leaked oil and seal repairs did not last and one car needed significant transmission repair. So yes these problems may very well have been linked to its rebuilt status.

Popgoestheweasel said "In my case both cars had problems with the computer system and both had problem with the window regulators burning out (most likely related to the computer damage), both cars leaked oil and seal repairs did not last and one car needed significant transmission repair. So yes these problems may very well have been linked to its rebuilt status. "

Sorry to hear you had so many problems, but that is a wide variety of problems to blame a collision on. I would like to hear what a qualified mechanic's opinion would be on this post.  
 
Assuming that you purchased these two vehicles in perfect working condition ( Because why would anyone buy them if they had so many problems upfront), how much time elapsed and how many km's were put on these vehicles before your problems appeared?  
 
Not sure that window regulators are linked to your computer. Cars leak oil all the time. Seal repairs may not have been completed correctly. Transmission repair could be required for many different reasons, etc...

It saddens me to see the issues people have had with rebuilt vehicles. If a vehicle that has been written off by a insurance company is fixed properly then you should have no issues other than normal wear and tear.  
I buy vehicles that have been "written off" by insurance companies and sell them for a living. I take great pride in fixing these vehicles properly and with proper parts. I follow all MPI guidelines as well as the vehicles factory repair procedures. I have pictures to show my customers what the vehicle looked like before it was repaired and I also show what parts were replaced and what ones were repaired.  
As a previous post mentioned there are 1000's of vehicles on the road that have had repairs done and have not been written off. Lots of those have claims totalling $20,000+ and have been repaired and are not considered rebuilt. What is different with those other than a status change on a TOD?  
I mostly buy newer vehicles. Why? Because 9 out of 10 times they are written off by insurance because parts are too much money from dealerships and no aftermarket parts are made yet and the vehicle is so new that used parts are extremely rare. So I buy the vehicle and I can let it sit until I source used parts or I just get a deal on new parts from the dealers. See, I can get a deal on parts. MPI does not. MPI pays full blown retail for new parts and they do not bat an eye. Who pays for this? You and I with higher premiums. But this is another debate for another thread, sorry.  
Anyway, rebuilt vehicles are no different than buying a used car off a dealers lot. Just do your research and you should be fine.  
Also, Carfax or Carproof are just money grabs. If you have the VIN of a vehicle you can get accident history for free from MB,SK,AB and Ontario. Why pay money for something you can do on your computer or phone?