Question about salvaged/reconstructed title/2008 Outback

[katiehchristine]

I'm looking for a commuter car/one to drive to and from vanpool, and came upon a 2008 Outback wagon with 69,000 miles on it for $8,995. Too good to be true because it has a salvaged/reconstructed title. I emailed the car dealer and requested the car fax report, which he sent me. He told me the salvage title was due to an engine wiring harness short, causing the entire harness to be replaced. The Carfax report states that it has had two owners, and there was no Structural Damage or Airbag Deployment, but was issued the salvaged/reconstructed title in 2012. I'm finding it hard to believe that the cost of replacing the engine wiring harness exceeded 75% of the car's value, causing it to be declared totaled. Is this possible?

 

I am not planning on wanting to resell this car. Likely, it'll be passed on to my 12-year-old in 4 years when she can drive. We currently have a Legacy wagon that's still going strong at nearly 200,000 miles, and would love to find another one. My question is, is it smart to consider this car or trust what they're telling me?

 

Thanks!

[john in KY]

Anyway you can contact the previous owners?

[idosubaru]

i wouldn't be terribly concerned, but would be nice to know what happened - was the harness chewed through, shorted for some other reason...etc?

did it cause an engine fire?

 

did you look at it - was it obvious what was replaced.

 

insurance adjusters can essentially total a car if they want to...so it's not always about the numbers...but even still that does seem like a high price tag.

 

if you look up the carfax it'll show where prior work was done, you can call the mechanic or shop and get more information, sometimes find out the previous owners name.  that would help tremendously.  i've also found prior owners info in the glove box, in the owners manual, or call the oil change place on the sticker in the windshield and start there.

[Legacy777]

Welcome to the USMB.

 

I moved your thread to the New gen forum where it may get some more views/comments.

[jeffreykral]

As a rule, I don't give much credibility to CARFAX. I'm not disceditiing their integrity as a company, but many instances in a car's life can go unreported. I own a car that has clearly been in at least one major accident, however nothing of that was on the CARFAX report when I purchased the car.

[AEROCOOK]

An electrical short in the main engine harness has the potential to damage thousands of dollars worth of electronic components throughout the car and this consequential damage may only be discovered after the harness was replaced. This being the case, it's likely the insurance company didn't want to take a chance that the harness alone was the only component that would need to be replaced. If it was repaired in 2012 and there are no current issues, you should be safe.  

Edited October 18, 2014 by AEROCOOK

[Fairtax4me]

Check with your insurance company to find out how much they're going to charge you to insure the thing.

 

An engine harness issue could certainly have caused a fire, necessitating replacement of many parts under the hood, including the hood due to paint

damage.

 

Pretty much, when any kind of electrical wiring is involved the limit for considering it a total loss is lowered.

For example, most insurance companies have a limit of only $1,000 for water damage. If the initial estimate is over that amount they will total it simply due to the risk of future claims due to water getting into the wiring.

 

Fire is similar in that even if you replace all of the areas that were initially damaged, there may be areas of the harness where damage is not apparent/visible. Fire/heat cause hardening of the insulation on the wires which can lead to problems down the road when the insulation cracks. Moisture can get in and cause corrosion, or the insulation can fall off and expose the wire which can then short against other wires or the metal of the car.