Do Salvaged Cars Say Salvage on the Pink Slip?
by Tracie Harris
Cars once declared total losses are sometimes repaired to drivable condition. Some of these cars are not noticeably damaged. Laws exist to protect customers from unknowingly purchasing a salvaged vehicle.
Pink Slip
A "pink slip" is a nickname for a car title that has been signed over from the previous owner to the current owner. If the car was at some point salvaged, the pink slip should be a salvage title.
Salvage Title
A salvage title is issued when a car has been declared a total loss. Even after the car is repaired it will still have a salvage title. Sometimes cars that cross state lines are issued regular titles instead of a salvage titles in the new state.
Check the Status of a Car
The federal government maintains a database of cars from all states that have at some time been declared salvage. The database is free to access. The only information you need is the car's vehicle identification number (VIN).
References
Writer Bio
Tracie Harris lives in Atlanta and has been writing lifestyle articles since 2008. W.W. Norton is publishing her work in "The Seagull Guide" due out in 2011. Her writing has also appeared in "The Historian" and The Good Cook. Harris is a former social studies teacher. She holds a B.A. in history and secondary education from Agnes Scott College.
