How are lots able to sell cars that have been clearly salvaged at some point as clean title examples? Someone got me a couple years ago on a similar scam but does anyone know how or why it’s become so much more common?
by CompanionDude
How are lots able to sell cars that have been clearly salvaged at some point as clean title examples? Someone got me a couple years ago on a similar scam but does anyone know how or why it’s become so much more common?
by CompanionDude
![Gloriously bright [Lotus Elise Series 2]](https://www.evshift.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/kfti1whrcudg1-770x515.jpeg "Gloriously bright [Lotus Elise Series 2]")
![[Fiat 600] located in the Bay Area, CA](https://www.evshift.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/x13hxb2gytdg1-770x515.jpg "[Fiat 600] located in the Bay Area, CA")
9 Comments
Just checked some more of the cars listed at the lot that currently has this Mazda and pretty much everything there has been totaled and rebuilt but has a clean title.
I don’t see where it says “clean title”
They just might be a used car place that does just that. Repairs smashed cars and can sell them again. Nothing shady about it.
The world is full of degenerates, lowlifes, scammers and thugs. Used stuff is the worst for this. The solution is to buy new stuff.
There are a couple of ways.
Buy and fix wrecked car in a short time frame and flip it before the paperwork moves through the system and the salvage/rebuilt title catches up to the car.
“Wash” the title. https://www.carfax.com/press/resources/what-is-title-washing
so they do this by doing something called title washing.
my basic understanding of it is: they move the car through a couple of different states dmv, and some of those states don’t list salvage or rebuilt on the titles. then they run it through an auction and it re-enters the ecosystem as a clean title.
when i encountered it before, one seller was truly ignorant of the history and one dealer was obviously feigning ignorance.
Seems like Nevada had a fancy loophole where you could title a salvage car there and come back with an unbranded title.
Thankfully, that loophole has been closed
Title washing
they can title wash the car as well swapping between states that dont have systems linked together. been a crap load of flood cars that left texas i to other states and auctioned off several times. then they come to texas with clean titles….super scumbag move for people that do this. should be able to cut off a limb for people that are caught.