2005 Ford Focus wagon, salvage title

[Elkins45]

This car is listed by a towing company that often sells unrepaired cars. If you browse their listings half or more have huge dents or other obvious flaws. Looking at the photos this Ford wagon doesn’t seem to have any huge flaws, yet the VIN reports as a salvage due to collision. Given that they are asking $2500 they can’t have put very much work into it, even though they apparently only paid $275 (before fees) at auction.

Googling the VIN takes you to pre-repair photos from the auction, but the only obvious repair I see is that they replaced the grille. https://ucars.pro/lot/130357896-2005-ford-focus-zxw-1fafp36n55w262715 I found the bid price here: https://plc.ua/auctions/lot/ford-focus-2005-vin-1fafp36n55w262715-1-69875303/#gallery-9362784-1

Maybe it was totaled because of the airbag? The airbag light is lit in one of the photos of the dash. I just thought it was interesting. I have no idea how well or how poorly it runs.

2005 Ford Focus 4dr Wgn ZXW SES

Teal 2005 Ford Focus 4dr Wgn ZXW SES for sale in Shepherdsville. Shop S&S Towing And Auto Sales for great deals on all our Ford inventory.

sandstowingandautosales.com

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Ford made a stupid decision by putting the label over a surface that bends like that, possibly making it difficult to scan the barcode. Perhaps they should've stuck it on horizontally

 

[daves87rs]

Car has quite a few issues I see. Just a seat cover in the back along many things there….

 

[fantastic]

$2500 for a 2005 Ford Focus w/salvage title... HA! I paid $1800 on 02' Saturn w/Prior salvage title off Craigslist dealer so there are better deals out there. Spend a little more money and get one w/o title headache from the rust free south.

 

[wander2039]

On our 02 the airbag light has been on for years.. pretty sure it's the clock spring but don't care to fix it.

 

[cptbarkey]

That vintage Focus is a bargain. Nobody wants one, but they are reliable, relatively easy to work on and parts are cheap. The wagon is a bit of a rare pokemon. Its right at the age where a salvage title and its normal value is meaningless. The seller knows that, hence the price.

 

[zzyzzx]

At $2500 it's grossly overpriced.

 

[AZjeff]

That vintage Focus is a bargain.

Sounds like you're the buyer they're looking for! A salvage can be a deal or a headache, do you feel lucky?

 

[Rand]

That should have the duratech at least not the zetec or CVH engines.

 

[thastinger]

That should have the duratech at least not the zetec or CVH engines.

Yeah, I would think it would have the 3.0 duratech?

 

[Rand]

Yeah, I would think it would have the 3.0 duratech?

2.0L
taurus was 3L
I had a 2007 with MT in the zx3 package (lightest focus)

Was quite the golf cart on rails.. I ran yokohama s.drive tires on it and it was a nice car for the price.

It was also the car that refined my Manual transmission skills.
previously I had learned on a 1994 mitsubishi mightymax with MT
but didnt own any MT cars

The 2L engine with stick shift was quite peppy in a 2500lb car.
It was also rated to tow 1000lb.. more than some CUVs now

 

[cptbarkey]

Sounds like you're the buyer they're looking for! A salvage can be a deal or a headache, do you feel lucky?

No, but have bought/sold many like it.

 

[Elkins45]

At $2500 it's grossly overpriced.

I'm afraid you might be applying pre-Covid pricing to a post-Covid car market. Besides that wasn't the question, but since you brought it up what is a reasonable price to you?

 

[zzyzzx]

I'm afraid you might be applying pre-Covid pricing to a post-Covid car market. Besides that wasn't the question, but since you brought it up what is a reasonable price to you?

It has a salvage title, meaning it's worth half, or $1250 on a good day. Doesn't matter since the seller is looking for someone who is too dumb to notice that it has a salvage title.

 

[Elkins45]

It has a salvage title, meaning it's worth half, or $1250 on a good day. Doesn't matter since the seller is looking for someone who is too dumb to notice that it has a salvage title.

I’m not sure it’s possible to buy a drivable vehicle from a dealership for $1250 today, salvage title or not.

 

[zzyzzx]

I’m not sure it’s possible to buy a drivable vehicle from a dealership for $1250 today, salvage title or not.

Because it's from a dealer. Their minimum pricing is around $3000 to begin with, and that was pre-pandemic and for at least a decade.

 

[NormanBuntz]

I’m not sure it’s possible to buy a drivable vehicle from a dealership for $1250 today, salvage title or not.

Except the seller is a towing company, not a typical dealership.

 

[zzyzzx]

Then offer them $1000 for it. They are only asking for the sky because of something called "anchoring".

Anchoring refers to heavily focusing on the first price as a reference point throughout the negotiation process.

 

[Elkins45]

Then offer them $1000 for it. They are only asking for the sky because of something called "anchoring".

Anchoring refers to heavily focusing on the first price as a reference point throughout the negotiation process.

I wasn’t planning on offering them anything for it, I was just curious how it came to be a collision salvage title when apparently they didn’t fix anything except slap a grille on it. It was auctioned by an insurance company as a collision loss. I guess collision loss mean something other than a wreck for old, cheap cars.

 

[IndyIan]

I wasn’t planning on offering them anything for it, I was just curious how it came to be a collision salvage title when apparently they didn’t fix anything except slap a grille on it. It was auctioned by an insurance company as a collision loss. I guess collision loss mean something other than a wreck for old, cheap cars.

Painting a new bumper cover and adding a new grill and a headlight is probably $2k at some body shops for an insurance company?
I've never driven an atx one but I like the mtx versions and have had 2 now. The 05-07 manual wagons do get a premium, and a SES one gets a bit more. It's a KISS car that was designed and tuned in europe, and I find it drives competently and its got 35 cuft of usable cargo space. It's got a few common issues, but all are home mechanic fixable.