About Blue Ox
Blue Ox Auto Sales is an independent, owner-operated used car lot in the south Twin Cities metro. It is a small operation on purpose. The person who buys the cars is the person who fixes them and the person you talk to when you come look at one.
We buy vehicles at auction and from private sellers, bring them back to our shop, and go through them ourselves. Brakes, tires, fluids, suspension, whatever the car needs. If something is worn but serviceable, we say so instead of hiding it. If something is wrong enough that we would not sell it to a neighbor, the car goes to the scrapyard rather than to the front row.
Most of what we carry sells for under $12,000. Our customers are working families, people who need a second vehicle, and people whose last car finally quit. They need something reliable at a price that makes sense, and they need to not get jerked around. That's the whole business.
Placeholder copy — edit this with your own history, how long you've been turning cars, and anything specific about the shop.
Title brands, explained plainly
We sell both clean title and prior salvage vehicles. Every listing on this site states which one it is, near the price, before you have to ask.
Clean title
The vehicle has never been declared a total loss by an insurance company. This is what most people picture when they buy a used car.
Prior salvage
At some point an insurance company decided the cost to repair the vehicle was higher than the value they had assigned it, so they paid the claim out and the title was branded. That number is an insurance accounting decision, not a verdict on the car. A five-year-old sedan with a caved-in quarter panel can be totaled while the engine, transmission and frame are untouched.
Once repaired and re-inspected by the state, the vehicle is road legal and can be insured. It carries the brand for life, which is why it costs less than the equivalent clean-title car — often thousands less.
What we check before a branded vehicle goes on the lot
- Frame and unibody measured for straightness — anything bent past spec doesn't get sold here.
- Airbags and restraint system verified as properly replaced and functioning, never bypassed.
- Suspension, steering and alignment checked after body work, not before.
- Brakes, tires, fluids and belts serviced to a condition we'd accept on our own vehicle.
- Parts receipts kept on file — Minnesota requires documentation of major components used, and we can show it to you.
You are welcome to take any vehicle to your own mechanic before you buy it. We would rather you spend a hundred dollars on an inspection and be sure than buy nervous.
Common questions
- What does a prior salvage title mean?
- A vehicle was declared a total loss by an insurer at some point — usually because the repair estimate was high relative to the car's book value, not because the car was destroyed. Once it's repaired and passes a Minnesota salvage inspection, it can be titled and driven again. The brand stays on the title permanently, and we state it on every listing.
- Why are prior salvage vehicles cheaper?
- The title brand follows the car forever, so resale value is lower and some buyers won't consider one. That discount is real and it's why a branded car can cost thousands less than the same year and mileage with a clean title. The trade-off is resale value, not necessarily condition.
- Do you sell clean title vehicles too?
- Yes. We buy both. Roughly speaking, we buy whatever we can recondition and sell honestly at a price that makes sense. Every listing states its title brand plainly so you can filter for what you want.
- Can I have my own mechanic inspect a vehicle?
- Yes, on any vehicle, before you buy. We would rather you spend a hundred dollars on a pre-purchase inspection and be sure.
- Do you offer financing?
- No. We are not buy-here-pay-here and we have no lender relationships. Payment is cash, cashier's check, or a loan you arrange yourself through your own bank or credit union. Not carrying financing is part of why our prices are what they are.
We're a cash lot
We do not offer financing and we are not buy-here-pay-here. Payment is cash or cashier's check. If you'd rather borrow, get the loan from your own bank or credit union and come in with their check — plenty of our customers do, and a credit union rate is almost always better than what a dealer would arrange for you.
Not carrying financing is part of why our prices are low. There is no lender taking a cut, no interest markup built into the sticker, and no pressure to move you into a payment instead of a car.