is it safe to buy a salvage title vehicle

Depends on how it acquired its salvage status. My state issues a salvage title for abandoned or forfeited vehicles they sell at auction. An insurance company that totals a car may sell it as salvage. You won't really have much info regarding maintenance or prior ownership, beyond what Carfax can show. There are also special requirements to register a salvage title, such as having it inspected by your state police. I look at it this way - you can find a real bargain at auction on salvage-titled vehicles, but you takes your chances.