Coming back to RAM... though with a rebuilt title.... thoughts?

[Willwork4truck]

My insurance company is fine with it as long as all the repairs are made. I am having a reputable Authorized RAM dealer look at it first and the seller was quick to accommodate me wherever I wanted to take it. I feel like its certainly a bit of a gamble, but seeing the damage and knowing it wasn't a catastrophic roll over or frame damaged truck or a flood, having an independent third party say it started and ran and even drove with that bad front end only damage.... that if I have a licensed RAM tech crawl all over it for a half hour, check codes, test everything testable and there are no red flags... its worth it. Its absolutely my dream truck... about the only two options it DIDNT come with that I care about would be the E-torque engine and the bed package (which I can do aftermarket). Still have to clear the hurdle of the dealership inspection, but if I see nothing and they cant find anything wrong, I'll be happy and hope I am lucky.

Well sounds like you are covering the bases. As long as you are happy it's your $$ and your choice.
Good reads below:

What Is a Salvage Title?

A salvage title refers to a vehicle that has been deemed a “total loss” by an insurance company. Learn the pros and cons of buying a salvage title.

www.thebalance.com

Why Is Buying a Car with a Salvage Title a Good Idea?

There's a big debate over the merits of buying a car with a salvage title. Critics of salvage title sales point out that buyers can't

www.carsdirect.com

 

[Amazing93]

My advice is to stop looking at it like it's a 61k truck, because its not really. Nobody paid 61 for it. That just what the sticker said. My 19 laramie offroad sport had a sticker price of 59,500. I paid 45 brand new so in reality that 61k truck was probably more like 48ish. Now ask yourself is what I'm paying enough off a 48,000 truck, not a 61k truck. It's a better comparison.

 

[BugGuy]

My advice is to stop looking at it like it's a 61k truck, because its not really. Nobody paid 61 for it. That just what the sticker said. My 19 laramie offroad sport had a sticker price of 59,500. I paid 45 brand new so in reality that 61k truck was probably more like 48ish. Now ask yourself is what I'm paying enough off a 48,000 truck, not a 61k truck. It's a better comparison.

And not to rain on your parade, but a truck with 8k miles isn't a new truck. And if you look, you'll see the issues a lot of people have with their perfectly brand new truck fresh off the assembly line. Now factor in a severe accident, and there's no idea what may be wrong with that truck in the future.

 

[maddog49]

Will a rebuilt truck still have a factory warranty? That is a good chunk of value too compared to a new one. Plus you can't get a extended warranty on a rebuilt title either right?

 

[Jako]

Will a rebuilt truck still have a factory warranty? That is a good chunk of value too compared to a new one. Plus you can't get a extended warranty on a rebuilt title either right?

With a BMW motorcycle the warranty is gone.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Good point on the warranty though I read somewhere that a rebuilt title doesnt automatically exclude the factory 36 month. Hmm, on further reading 6/7 articles or questions posted on other sites (Non FCA) all said there was no factory warranty available now. Though he was saying he’d buy the Carmax warranty.

Rebuilt titles are roadworthy. Salvage titles have not gone through the paperwork and inspections to get a rebuilt title.

 

[Barty88]

Well, I did it. I was very wary given most of the feedback, but I also agreed with the points of having this to drive for a long time (not worried about resale value at this point). I met the guy at very reputable dealer at a neutral site far from either one of our hometowns and they did a multi-point inspection as well as showing them before pictures so they could get under and look all around. They saw nothing and said it looked great. I then drove it over to the same dealer chain (different brand store) to their collision department and had their guy (big shout out to Ben at Goldsteins collision in Alabany, NY!) who was super nice, donated some time and pointed out a couple minor things he could pick up on in some very small spots on the hood that he said were just aesthetic (from 8 inches away) and that overall all the gaps looked good, paint was a good job (not great by his standards) and didn't see anything to be concerned about. I also looked more closely at some before pictures and talking to the guy and reading the independent report prior to insurance auction that it ran and drove and nothing past the AC compressor in the front was damaged, nothing got pushed too far in. Most importantly it drives amazing, the tires are wearing exactly as they should for almost 10,000 miles, even, truck doesn't pull or edge sideways or anything like that at all. I spent a few more hours on the train researching other rebuilt title truck at the similar price point and found none as nice and none priced as low save one much lesser trimmed flood truck for the same money. I know its a gamble but I did the best I could due diligence wise and felt comfortable. At the end of the day I could not afford nearly as nice of a truck even with a lot of miles on it so my trade was a carefully inspected rebuild fully loaded vs a basic Big Horn with some factory warranty left and a clean title for roughly the same price.... Hope I wasnt wrong but it felt right. Thanks for everyone's input and honesty.... dont hammer me too hard now, I own it!....

 

[Willwork4truck]

Well, I did it. I was very wary given most of the feedback, but I also agreed with the points of having this to drive for a long time (not worried about resale value at this point). I met the guy at very reputable dealer at a neutral site far from either one of our hometowns and they did a multi-point inspection as well as showing them before pictures so they could get under and look all around. They saw nothing and said it looked great. I then drove it over to the same dealer chain (different brand store) to their collision department and had their guy (big shout out to Ben at Goldsteins collision in Alabany, NY!) who was super nice, donated some time and pointed out a couple minor things he could pick up on in some very small spots on the hood that he said were just aesthetic (from 8 inches away) and that overall all the gaps looked good, paint was a good job (not great by his standards) and didn't see anything to be concerned about. I also looked more closely at some before pictures and talking to the guy and reading the independent report prior to insurance auction that it ran and drove and nothing past the AC compressor in the front was damaged, nothing got pushed too far in. Most importantly it drives amazing, the tires are wearing exactly as they should for almost 10,000 miles, even, truck doesn't pull or edge sideways or anything like that at all. I spent a few more hours on the train researching other rebuilt title truck at the similar price point and found none as nice and none priced as low save one much lesser trimmed flood truck for the same money. I know its a gamble but I did the best I could due diligence wise and felt comfortable. At the end of the day I could not afford nearly as nice of a truck even with a lot of miles on it so my trade was a carefully inspected rebuild fully loaded vs a basic Big Horn with some factory warranty left and a clean title for roughly the same price.... Hope I wasnt wrong but it felt right. Thanks for everyone's input and honesty.... dont hammer me too hard now, I own it!....

Well yes it is yours now. Hoping for the best for your longer term ownership. Please give us a report back after you’ve had it for a while.
Enjoy!

My son’s 2019 had over $9K damage (t-bone low speed) and his is fine.

 

[Patsy1099]

First off congrats and welcome to the forum! It sounds like you did your homework and the MOST important thing is that you’re happy. If you scan the forums (not just Ram) there are plenty of both happy and unhappy buyers of NEW vehicles so there is risk. People have even had nightmares getting things fixed under warranty because of “can not replicate” issues. So there is always risk. As long as you’ve looked at it from every angle and went into it eyes wide open, you’re good. Now enjoy your truck! Wishing you lots of years of trouble free happiness from 5th Gen!

 

[Amazing93]

I wish you Good luck. I hope it works out. Please let us know how it goes and hit us all up with any more questions or concerns.

 

[Jack]

I may be getting a VERY lightly used 2019 4x4 Crew Cab Laramie with all the bells and whistles for a great price.... because it has a rebuild title. Front end damage but no frame damage and nothing mechanical or engine damage. Online sites say to deduct 20%-40% of retail. This is a $61,000 truck with 8,000 miles on it, completely fixed I am getting for lkess than half of the sticker price.... but am nervous about it being a rebuild and value down the road. The repairs were done right and you cant tell a thing, looks fresh off the showroom floor. Thoughts?

You're always taking a chance with with rebuild. I would not do it. $61,000 MSRP doesn't mean much. During Christmas time, you can get close to 9000 off from the factory, and if you add dealer incentives anywhere from 7-15k(if they really need to beat their quota and it's the end of the month), you could easily get a fully loaded Limited for below 50k.

 

[jimk hunt]

Run the vin through this site. They should have pics of the truck from the auction.

autoauctions.io

 

[SColang22]

I may be getting a VERY lightly used 2019 4x4 Crew Cab Laramie with all the bells and whistles for a great price.... because it has a rebuild title. Front end damage but no frame damage and nothing mechanical or engine damage. Online sites say to deduct 20%-40% of retail. This is a $61,000 truck with 8,000 miles on it, completely fixed I am getting for lkess than half of the sticker price.... but am nervous about it being a rebuild and value down the road. The repairs were done right and you cant tell a thing, looks fresh off the showroom floor. Thoughts?

Doesn’t make sense that a rebuilt title has no mechanical problems. If it was just cosmetic it wouldn’t be a rebuilt title

 

[Barty88]

Doesn’t make sense that a rebuilt title has no mechanical problems. If it was just cosmetic it wouldn’t be a rebuilt title

Sure it does. Have you seen what good body shops can charge insurance companies? A friend of mine got a cracked tail light ($40 on ebay) and a dent in the upper corner of his tailgate on a 5 year old truck and got $2500. Take a brand new truck, get in an accident and each part needs to be replaced new with OEM and body work, $60-$100 an hour for dozens and dozens of man hours, if airbags deploy thats thousands right there. My truck I know exactly what happened to it not only because of all the 3rd party after accident and before repair pictures but I also have the repairs guys receipts I bought the truck from. The insurance company (again THEIR adjuster) stated $24400 for repairs but it was a laundry list of all body stuff except for the airbags, AC compressor and radiator (which didnt actually HAVE to be replaced, but was a little dinged so they did). Insurance company decides to total the truck on paper and they got almost $23k for it minus auction fees and probably gave the insured guy $42k (to be generous) or so for his lightly used but used nonetheless 5 month old truck. They could have paid for the $24k in repairs, but $42k minus the $23k they got for the wrecked truck is $19k they were out of pocket.

 

[SColang22]

I

Sure it does. Have you seen what good body shops can charge insurance companies? A friend of mine got a cracked tail light ($40 on ebay) and a dent in the upper corner of his tailgate on a 5 year old truck and got $2500. Take a brand new truck, get in an accident and each part needs to be replaced new with OEM and body work, $60-$100 an hour for dozens and dozens of man hours, if airbags deploy thats thousands right there. My truck I know exactly what happened to it not only because of all the 3rd party after accident and before repair pictures but I also have the repairs guys receipts I bought the truck from. The insurance company (again THEIR adjuster) stated $24400 for repairs but it was a laundry list of all body stuff except for the airbags, AC compressor and radiator (which didnt actually HAVE to be replaced, but was a little dinged so they did). Insurance company decides to total the truck on paper and they got almost $23k for it minus auction fees and probably gave the insured guy $42k (to be generous) or so for his lightly used but used nonetheless 5 month old truck. They could have paid for the $24k in repairs, but $42k minus the $23k they got for the wrecked truck is $19k they were out of pocket.

I had $38,000 in damage to my 2015 F150 after getting rear ended by an 18 wheeler. Had the frame replaced and still didn’t get a rebuilt title. Truck was less than a month old. Don’t make much sense at all

 

[Willwork4truck]

It's usually 70-75% damage for a total loss from insurance. Remember you get a salvage title, not a rebuilt one. Rebuilt is only after you've shown the state licensing all the repairs and they've checked the vehicle over (not a thorough check, mostly safety and vin).
Hail damage can total a vehicle, vandelism (keyed paint) as well. No mechanical issues there...

 

[SColang22]

It's usually 70-75% damage for a total loss from insurance. Remember you get a salvage title, not a rebuilt one. Rebuilt is only after you've shown the state licensing all the repairs and they've checked the vehicle over (not a thorough check, mostly safety and vin).
Hail damage can total a vehicle, vandelism (keyed paint) as well. No mechanical issues there...

Right but to be damaged bad enough for a rebuilt title with no mechanical issues with a front end collision is super fishy

 

[Fatherof3]

I think that depends on where you live , for example up here each headlight is $1,000 . So if you need a grill , front bumper , bumper supports , hood , fenders Etc etc , it can add up fast , that’s just the parts then labour on top of that .

 

[pinkerton]

Well, I did it. I was very wary given most of the feedback, but I also agreed with the points of having this to drive for a long time (not worried about resale value at this point). I met the guy at very reputable dealer at a neutral site far from either one of our hometowns and they did a multi-point inspection as well as showing them before pictures so they could get under and look all around. They saw nothing and said it looked great. I then drove it over to the same dealer chain (different brand store) to their collision department and had their guy (big shout out to Ben at Goldsteins collision in Alabany, NY!) who was super nice, donated some time and pointed out a couple minor things he could pick up on in some very small spots on the hood that he said were just aesthetic (from 8 inches away) and that overall all the gaps looked good, paint was a good job (not great by his standards) and didn't see anything to be concerned about. I also looked more closely at some before pictures and talking to the guy and reading the independent report prior to insurance auction that it ran and drove and nothing past the AC compressor in the front was damaged, nothing got pushed too far in. Most importantly it drives amazing, the tires are wearing exactly as they should for almost 10,000 miles, even, truck doesn't pull or edge sideways or anything like that at all. I spent a few more hours on the train researching other rebuilt title truck at the similar price point and found none as nice and none priced as low save one much lesser trimmed flood truck for the same money. I know its a gamble but I did the best I could due diligence wise and felt comfortable. At the end of the day I could not afford nearly as nice of a truck even with a lot of miles on it so my trade was a carefully inspected rebuild fully loaded vs a basic Big Horn with some factory warranty left and a clean title for roughly the same price.... Hope I wasnt wrong but it felt right. Thanks for everyone's input and honesty.... dont hammer me too hard now, I own it!....

You got a great value (I think you said $31K?) - and the longer you own it, the less the "branded title" will affect the value. Even if you have a few problems to eat, you'll still be way ahead of paying $10k more for the same truck.

 

[Barty88]

Right but to be damaged bad enough for a rebuilt title with no mechanical issues with a front end collision is super fishy

Its all about the money involved in the insured repairs. the type of damage or repair needed has NOTHING to do with it. Its 100% a financial equation. Thats how several successful wholesale companies make VERY good money and keep hundreds of employees on a payroll. I just happen to luck out (I think) in that I was able to research and see via a neutral party site to see the actual damage, the cost estimate of repairs as well as exactly what the guy who bought the truck paid for the salvage vehicle, then saw the receipts for the materials he purchased with the VIN attached to his receipts mostly and then the State of Kentucky issued the Rebuilt title after the work was done, and then I looked it over and had it inspected mechanically by a neutral dealership and then the body worked looked at by the same neutral dealership. It was (and is) a gamble, and hopefully I dont lose..... but very happy so far with a luxury truck with 8k miles on it I could otherwise not afford