Learn me Florida washed titles

So, I'm looking at a car to maybe buy, and it's in Florida. IIRC, Florida is one of the title washing hot spots. I've pulled a carfax, and it shows that the vehicle was purchased and owned in Florida, so it's not like the car was sent to Florida specifically for washing. It also shows a clean title, with the last entry at 84k miles. From the carfax, everything appears clean.

My radar pirks up though, because when I googled the VIN along with the word Salvage, it pinged a result from salvagedb.com. It says "VEHICLE WAS SOLD AS SALVAGE. AUCTION: Manheim OVExchange". The mileage on that result matches the current 128k miles. On the other hand, this same site lists the vehicle as black when it is blue, so it isn't flawless information.

I haven't yet gotten a copy of the title from the seller, but that is my next step. Though, if Florida is a title washing state, I'm not even sure if a copy of the title tells me anything.

Anyone have any wisdom to share? The pricing on the car is pretty good for a clean car, but more than I'd want to pay for a salvage title.

Years ago, I read a nightmare story about a guy who bought a stolen, VIN swapped & title washed E30 M3 from Florida through an online transaction. While I'm sure there are plenty of legit cars being sold, I personally wouldn't buy a FL car without going over it with a fine-tooth comb in person before handing over the cash. In my mind - logical or not, I don't care - any FL car is worth less due to these risks.

If you have evidence it is a repaired salvage car, adjust your offer accordingly or walk away.

Having purchased a misrepresented car (truck), I'll just say buyer beware.

I wouldn't really trust that site. I typed in my 944's VIN and my Mazda5 VIN's (both cars I am the second owner of and have complete histories and know they were never totaled), and it told me the Porsche was Gray (It's Zermatt Silver, which is a gold if anything) and the 5 was Blue (it's also Silver).

Not sure where the database is getting its' info. All datatbases like Carfax, Autocheck, etc...get most of their data by purchasing it from a large insurance company database. Though unlikely, it is possible that the car was totalled by an insurance company that doesn't subscribe to that large database and therefore Carfax didn't pick it up. Perhaps salvagedb uses a different data source.

Not sure if you can check with the Florida DMV to get a title history for the state.

Is the car in question the type of car that has VIN tags on all the body panels? If yes, ask the seller to provide picture of these tags proving they are present and original body panels.

Re: Florida titles. About ten years ago, I kept seeing an interesting red 240Z beside a house in my area. After a couple of months, I stopped by and talked to the owner. It was in-op, set of webers, Supertrapp exhaust, good interior. Uh Oh, no VIN plate. He said "Huh?" I got the VIN off the door jamb and went to the Dade County Sheriff to run the VIN. Came back clean. So we made a deal and I towed it to my house. Shortly afterwards, I was working at a guy's house and he had a beautiful slant nose Porsche in his garage, and we started talking cars. I mentioned that I had recently bought a project 240Z. He told me that he had had one, but it was stolen several years before. Then he described my car, down to the holes in the rear deck where a wing had been mounted!! I had his car!! No, I did not man up and tell him, as he had been paid off by his insurance company, but I certainly get rid of it quickly. Title wash? Hell, it was a VIN wash!!

In reply to cwh:

You may not want to admit passing known stolen goods on in a public forum. There's no statute of limitations on trafficking stolen cars.

this brings up a different matter. My new 318ti never came to me with a title. The guy I bought it from kept promising he would find it and get it to me.. but never did and now I can't get in touch with him.

Carfax comes back clean, so I know it was not stolen.. but am I boned?

In reply to mad_machine:

No title = you don't own the car, period. Likely the guy you bought it from didn't, either.

Javelin wrote: In reply to mad_machine: No title = you don't own the car, period. Likely the guy you bought it from didn't, either.

Not always true. It depends on the state. In AL, any pre-75 only requires a bill of sale.

Stories like these keep me away from no title cars . . .

I have been looking for a miata recently and I found one nearby so I got the guys address to go look at the car. when i searched his address the street view showed the miata in question sitting in the driveway. doesn't really help with all of this other stuff but at least proves they person has had it long enough to get on google map, just something interesting i though i would pass along.

I found the dealer the car was bought from a year ago.. I sent them off an email for info to see if I can get the car's legit owner

I wasn't aware that title washing was that easy in Florida, especially considering I'd have a couple of other cars with titles that I scrapped because they didn't.

^^^ I was thinking the same thing. I thought that GA was the center of the title washing universe.

I'm glad that the SEMA bill was passed here in FL. It is supposed to make titling replicas, old cars and ones assembled from parts much easier than in states that don't have the law. (I'll let you guys know after I try getting the datsun replica on the road.). This should remove the temptation to wash titles.

Ian F wrote: Years ago, I read a nightmare story about a guy who bought a stolen, VIN swapped & title washed E30 M3 from Florida through an online transaction.

I remember reading that. The buyer was stupid and ignored so many warnings along the way. If I recall it had a valid title but the car was a cut and shut job where things like the emissions sticker was the wrong year, evidence of paint etc.

caveat emptor and that buyer didn't emptor!

mad_machine wrote: this brings up a different matter. My new 318ti never came to me with a title. The guy I bought it from kept promising he would find it and get it to me.. but never did and now I can't get in touch with him. Carfax comes back clean, so I know it was not stolen.. but am I boned?

How did you register it in NJ without a title?

I didn't.. it's a non-runner at the moment

DILYSI Dave wrote: My radar pirks up though, because when I googled the VIN along with the word Salvage, it pinged a result from salvagedb.com. It says "VEHICLE WAS SOLD AS SALVAGE. AUCTION: Manheim OVExchange". The mileage on that result matches the current 128k miles. On the other hand, this same site lists the vehicle as black when it is blue, so it isn't flawless information.

You may want to get in touch with Manheim - they should be able to tell you if that car actually ran through OVE, and who the auctioning party was, if in fact that car did run at Manheim.

Pretty sure TN and KY are the most notorious title-washing states remaining.

We buy cars from ALL over the country, and as far as I know there really are no "title washing" states anymore. About the closest I know of is in Kentucky, with the proper paperwork (including repair estimates) you can get a car with a certificate of destruction or unrepairable salvage title from another state titled with a Kentucky salvage title, which then you can get a rebuilt title once it's fixed and inspected, but it will never be able to be licensed in the state that issued the CD or non-repairable title.

16vCorey wrote: We buy cars from ALL over the country, and as far as I know there really are no "title washing" states anymore. About the closest I know of is in Kentucky, with the proper paperwork (including repair estimates) you can get a car with a certificate of destruction or unrepairable salvage title from another state titled with a Kentucky salvage title, which then you can get a rebuilt title once it's fixed and inspected, but it will never be able to be licensed in the state that issued the CD or non-repairable title.

Speaking of which, how much are 07-09 Mustangs going for at insurance auctions these days? Preferably flood, but repairable front end damage also acceptable.