From shady car dealers to worries about reliability, buying a used car can be a minefield for buyers. Title washing makes matters worse.
It’s the illegal practice of hiding a negative title history by transferring registration to a state with less restrictive laws and procedures. As a result, a used car can have a salvage or flood background that isn’t reflected on the title certificate.
Title washing can also occur in other situations, such as when previously flooded supercars are sold at auction and buyers then try to cover up the damage. A car with a salvage history can be worth 20% to 40% less than a clean-title counterpart.
