Understanding Reconstructed Titles: It’s Not Always About the Severity of the Damage

One of the biggest misconceptions about reconstructed-title vehicles is that a vehicle receives a salvage or reconstructed title because it suffered catastrophic damage. That simply isn’t always the case.

Insurance companies make total-loss decisions primarily based on economics. As a vehicle gets older and its market value decreases, the same repair that may be approved on a newer vehicle can cause an older vehicle to be declared a total loss. Repair cost, salvage value, vehicle value, labor, parts, and related expenses all affect that calculation.

The Title Doesn't Tell the Whole Story.

What matters most is how the vehicle was damaged, how carefully it was selected, the quality of the repairs, the parts and procedures used, the inspection process, and the documentation behind the vehicle. At Velocity Motor Werks, those are the factors we focus on when determining whether a vehicle is worth rebuilding and putting our name behind.

A reconstructed title tells you something about a vehicle’s history. It does not, by itself, tell you the quality of the vehicle sitting in front of you.