Buying a vehicle with a Salvage Certificate in Hawaii
 

Just wanted to put this out there for residents of Hawaii thinking of purchasing a salvaged auto at an auction. After you buy the car, you get a "Salvage Certificate". This does NOT let you register and get plates. By law, Hawaii requires that all salvaged vehicles be "rebuilt" by a Registered Salvage Dealer shop before they'll give you a new salvaged title.
So if you see something at an auction that is salvaged and you think "Me and pops can fix that ourselves and then we got a nice cheap rig"- think again.
You've got to pay big bucks to a body shop to fix it. Just the Salvage inspection costs $750 plus the repairs on your vehicle. Only a few body shops are "Registered Salvage Dealer" repair shops.
So think twice before buying something cheap off Copart or auctions unless you just want it for parts.
I just lost a bunch of money, so wanted to prevent others from going through the same thing.

I bought my first salvage title car a few years ago, my 09 Cobalt XFE, hail dents only. I wasn't supposed to drive it away from the dealer I bought it from but I did. 2-3 days later drove it to a county sherif where a deputy inspected it, opened doors, look at some sticker or something and took my $25.

Then to court house and got it registered and been no issue since. Any factory warranty is gone with salvage title, but recalls have still been covered on it and KT's Cobalt that was inspected before I bought it (front end collision). I'm sure state fee's vary alot but here not a big deal.

But Iowa is not Hawaii. DMV is a state organization, and the exact rules/laws will vary from state to state.

-soD