eRepairables Explained (2026): How Buying Works, What It Costs, Is It Legit, and When a Finished Rebuilt Title Car Is the Better Buy
October 27, 2025
Short answer: eRepairables is an online marketplace for salvage and repairable vehicles, and as published on its homepage you do not need a dealer license to buy there. That makes it one route if you want a car to fix. If what you really want is a car you can register, insure and drive to work next week, a finished rebuilt title car is the shortcut, because somebody already did the repairs and the state already signed off on them.
Key takeaways
- eRepairables sells salvage and repairable vehicles through auctions and Buy Now listings, with proxy bidding, and says no dealership license is required (as published, checked October 7, 2026).
- A salvage car is the start of the job. Repairs, parts, a state inspection and a new title come before it can go on the road.
- A rebuilt title car is the finished job. It is already repaired and state-inspected, and it can be insured and financed.
- Finished rebuilt cars still sell well under clean title prices: a median $4,590 below market across 17,000+ sales in ReVroom's October snapshot.
- On ReVroom you can filter by history type and by in-house severity grade, so you can shop minor-graded cars only if that is what you want.
What is eRepairables?
Short answer: a salvage and repairable vehicle marketplace that is open to the public. Here is what its own homepage says, as read on October 7, 2026:
| What we checked | What eRepairables publishes |
|---|---|
| What it sells | Salvage and repairable cars, plus trucks, motorcycles, boats, ATVs and RVs, from sources it lists as auto recyclers, insurance auctions and others |
| Who can buy | "No dealership license is required" |
| How you buy | Auctions and Buy Now listings, with a proxy bidding system that bids for you up to your maximum |
| Getting the car home | Vehicle shipping is listed as a service |
| Buyer fees | Listed in its FAQ and terms (read October 14, 2026): auction fees plus dealership/brokerage fees, charged only if you win, and shown when you type a bid amount on a listing. See the full cost table below. |
| Your local rules | It notes that local governments may regulate buying salvage vehicles |
That is a real business model, and plenty of people use it. It is just a different product from a car you can drive today. Buying a salvage car is a bit like buying a house that needs a new roof. The price is lower because the work is still ahead of you.
Is eRepairables legit?
Short answer: it is an operating marketplace that publishes its process, deposit and fees in its FAQ and terms (step-by-step table below), so the better question is whether a salvage car is the right buy for you. Before you bid anywhere that sells salvage, add up four things: the hammer price, the buyer and shipping fees, the parts and labor to fix it, and your state's inspection and title fees. If that total lands close to what a finished rebuilt version of the same car costs, the finished car usually wins, because you skip the wait and the guesswork.
How does buying on eRepairables work, and what does it cost?
Short answer: you place a maximum bid, eRepairables passes it to a dealer-only auction through an affiliated licensed salvage dealer, and if you win you pay the car price plus auction and dealer fees by wire, then arrange a tow. That is all from eRepairables' own FAQ, terms and plans pages, read October 14, 2026.
Think of it like a personal shopper at a wholesale club you can't get into yourself. You get access to the warehouse, and the shopper takes a cut. Here is every step as eRepairables publishes it:
| Step | What eRepairables says | What it means for your budget |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sign up for bidding | A paid bidding pass; its "Premier Buyer Pass" lists a "$199 Account Set-up Fee" and an instant bid limit of $2,000 without a security deposit. Its terms say the bidding fee is "not contingent on your success winning" | Paid up front, win or lose |
| 2. Put down a deposit | "a cash deposit equal to 10% of your planned bid amount," by wire transfer | A $10,000 bid budget means a $1,000 deposit |
| 3. Bid | Your proxy bid is presented "to the auction via affiliated licensed dealers." You are buying "from the conduit salvage dealership" | No dealer license needed on your side |
| 4. Inspect | "There is no opportunity to personally inspect the vehicle" unless you hire an authorized third-party inspector | Budget for an inspection service or accept the photos |
| 5. Pay if you win | Purchase price plus "auction fees, and dealership/brokerage fees," by wire within 2 business days; a $50 late fee after that | Type your bid on the listing to see the fee total first |
| 6. Pick it up | "No vehicles can be driven off the lot." Storage of about $25 a day starts after roughly 5 business days | Add towing or shipping, plus storage if you are slow |
| 7. If you back out | A restocking fee of "the greater of $500 or 10% of the total sale amount" | Only bid on cars you are sure about |
| 8. Condition | Vehicles are "SOLD AS IS WHERE IS WITH NO WARRANTY" | Repairs, parts, inspection and retitling are still ahead of you |
None of that makes it a bad service. It is a clear, published process for people who want a salvage car to repair. It just adds up. Before you bid, stack the hammer price, the set-up fee, the auction and dealer fees, the tow, the parts and labor, and your state's inspection and title fees. Then compare that total with a finished rebuilt car of the same model. If the numbers are close, the finished car wins, because it is already repaired, already inspected, and you can drive it home this week. Already eyeing a rebuilt car and wondering if it went through a salvage auction first? Here is how to check car auction history by VIN.
Salvage auction car or finished rebuilt car: which one do you actually want?
Short answer: buy salvage if you want to do the repairs. Buy rebuilt if you want to drive.
| Salvage car (eRepairables, salvage auctions) | Finished rebuilt title car | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | A written-off car, usually as-is | A repaired car that passed a state inspection |
| Can you drive it home? | In most states, not until it is repaired, inspected and retitled | Yes, once it is registered and insured |
| Who does the repairs | You, or a shop you pay | Already done |
| Financing | Usually cash or a personal loan | Regular auto loans are available |
| Insurance | Generally not road-insurable until rebuilt | Insurable; quotes vary by insurer |
| Where to look | Salvage auctions and salvage marketplaces | ReVroom, rebuilt title dealers, private sellers |
What do finished rebuilt title cars actually sell for?
Short answer: a median $17,499, about $4,590 under the clean title price of the same car, according to ReVroom's market snapshot (updated October 1, 2026, 17,000+ vehicles). The median car is a 2020 with about 55,000 miles, and 87% carried only a minor or moderate documented history.
| Model year | Median saved vs clean title |
|---|---|
| 2018 | $3,283 |
| 2020 | $4,870 |
| 2022 | $5,966 |
| 2024 | $7,023 |
Newer cars save more in dollars because the clean title price they are measured against is higher. That is where the best value tends to sit: a recent car, a minor history, and a discount big enough to notice in your monthly budget.
How do you find the best-value rebuilt title cars?
Short answer: filter by history type and severity grade first, then compare price. ReVroom is the only marketplace where you can do both.
- Shop minor-graded rebuilt cars only, if you want the lightest histories.
- Shop hail-history cars, which are cosmetic by nature and typically $4,090 or more below market, as published in the snapshot.
- Filter collision-history cars, the most common history type at 81.9% of sales.
- Want the detail on one car? A ReVroom Report shows the in-house severity grade, a severity graphic, an estimated savings percentage, and where and when the car was auctioned. It is not a vehicle history report, and photos live on the listing. (Wondering what the VIN alone can tell you? See what a VIN tells you, and what it cannot.)
Our take
I drive a rebuilt car I bought for about half of what the clean title version cost, so I am not here to talk anyone out of a deal. If you run a shop and like doing the work yourself, a salvage marketplace can make sense. But most people searching for a cheaper car want the savings without the repair bay. For them, the finished rebuilt car is the value play: the discount is still there, and so is the inspection sticker.
Frequently asked questions
What is eRepairables?
eRepairables is an online marketplace for salvage and repairable vehicles. As published on its homepage, its inventory comes from sources such as auto recyclers and insurance auctions, it runs auctions and Buy Now listings with a proxy bidding system, and it says no dealership license is required to buy.
Is eRepairables legit?
It is an operating marketplace that publishes how it works: auctions, Buy Now, proxy bidding and shipping services. Being a real marketplace is not the same as every car being a good buy, so read each listing, ask what the buyer fees add up to before you bid, and plan for the repair and state inspection a salvage vehicle needs before it can be driven.
Do you need a dealer license to buy from eRepairables?
Not according to eRepairables. Its homepage says no dealership license is required, and it also notes that local governments may regulate buying salvage vehicles, so check your state's rules before you bid.
What is the difference between a salvage car and a rebuilt title car?
A salvage title car has been written off and not yet repaired and inspected, so in most states it cannot be registered for the road. A rebuilt title car has been repaired and passed its state inspection, so it can be registered, insured and financed like any other used car.
How much do rebuilt title cars sell for?
ReVroom's market snapshot, updated October 1, 2026, puts the median rebuilt title sold price at $17,499 and the median saving against clean title market value at $4,590, across 17,000+ vehicles.
Where can I buy a finished rebuilt title car?
On a marketplace built for rebuilt and branded titles, from a rebuilt title dealer, or from a private seller. On ReVroom you can filter by history type, from hail and cosmetic to collision, and by in-house severity grade, then read the listing to see what was repaired.
How much does eRepairables cost?
As published on October 14, 2026, eRepairables lists a paid bidding pass (its Premier Buyer Pass shows a $199 account set-up fee), a cash deposit of 10% of your planned bid, and, if you win, the purchase price plus auction fees and dealership/brokerage fees paid by wire within 2 business days. Towing, storage after about 5 business days, and state title fees are extra.
Can you drive an eRepairables car home?
No. eRepairables' FAQ says no vehicles can be driven off the lot and all must be towed. Salvage vehicles also need repairs, a state inspection and a new title before they can be registered for the road. A finished rebuilt title car has already done those steps.
