Auction Buying
What a Quick Walk-Around at the Auction Yard Can't Tell You
A quick yard walk-around can't show how a car runs, its frame, flood damage, or wiring. Here's what to check before you bid.
Auction Buying
40 articles
Auction Buying
Copart Lost the Title and the DMV Won't Take Your Bill of Sale: What to Do Next
Copart lost your title and the DMV rejected your bill of sale? Here's what to ask for, what to get in writing, and the backup routes.
Auction Buying
How do you tell a deer hit from a wreck when the listing only says front end?
A Copart 'Front End' label doesn't say what hit the vehicle. Get the photo clues, the hidden deer-hit damage, and how to size the repair before you bid.
Auction Buying
A crashed Cybertruck at $29,900. The bid is not the price
A $29,900 crashed Cybertruck bid is just the first line. Fees, transport, title and a Tesla-certified repair can push the real cost past its worth.
Auction Buying
Late October at Copart: Softer Prices or Just a Quieter Screen?
Learn whether late October means cheaper salvage bids, and how to calculate a max bid that covers all the fees.
Auction Buying
A late-model deer hit often needs a sensor calibration. What does that do to the repair bill?
Late-model deer hits need sensor calibration. Learn what it costs, which parts add up, and what to check before you bid.
Auction Buying
Honda CR-V 2017–2019: Problems to Check Before You Bid
What to check on a 2017–2019 CR-V at auction: the 1.5T oil dilution problem and what Honda did about it, recalls, A/C seal leaks and phantom braking.
Auction Buying
Jeep Grand Cherokee 2011–2021 (WK2): Problems to Check Before You Bid
The WK2 Grand Cherokee's known failures by year and engine, with rough repair costs and what to look for on a Copart listing before you bid.
Auction Buying
Chevy Equinox 2010–2017: Problems to Check Before You Bid
What goes wrong on 2010–2017 Equinox: 2.4L oil burning, timing chains, wipers and more, plus how to check them on a car you can't drive.
Auction Buying
Ford Explorer (2011–2019) Problems to Check Before You Bid
What breaks on 2011–2019 Explorers, what it costs to fix, and how to spot each problem on an auction lot before you set your max bid.
Auction Buying
Deer-Hit Cars at Auction: What the Front End Really Costs
What a deer actually breaks on a car or truck, what each part runs, and how to tell a cheap bumper job from a cooked engine before you bid.
Auction Buying
A Simple Max-Bid Sheet: Bid, Fees, Tow, Parts, Tax, Inspection
Bidding with your gut is how people overpay at salvage auctions. A one-page sheet to fill in before every bid, working backward from what the car is worth fixed.