Salvage Title Check
About 1 in 3 totaled cars comes back to the road. Enter a VIN to check for salvage records and salvage-auction sales — including reported damage, repair estimates, the title type at sale, and auction photos. Free preview first; the full Used Car Report is $12.99 one-time.
Last updated 2026-09-11
Check a VIN
Salvage & auction-damage check
17-character VIN — from the windshield, the door jamb, or the listing.
What the report shows
- Salvage records with cause and date
- Salvage-auction sales: price, damage, repair estimate
- Title type recorded at the auction
- Auction photos of the damage, where available
- The retail relist afterward — dates and markup
The clean-looking rebuild
A car totaled in one state and retitled in another can surface with paperwork that looks clean. The salvage-auction record survives: an insurance company selling it with documented damage, a repair estimate, and photos. If a seller's story doesn't match the record, you've saved yourself from the worst purchase in used cars.
Example finding from a real report: "Sold at a salvage auction on 2026-08-28 for $11,600 with reported front end damage (estimated repair cost $19,076)."
Frequently asked questions
What is a salvage title?
A state brands a title "salvage" when an insurer declares the car a total loss — usually because repair costs approached or exceeded its value. A salvage-branded car cannot legally be driven until it is repaired and passes a state inspection, after which it typically gets a "rebuilt" brand. Salvage and rebuilt cars are worth 20–40% less than clean-title equivalents.
How do I check if a car has a salvage record?
Enter the VIN above. The free preview shows the car's online listing footprint and whether deeper records exist; the full CarWhere Used Car Report ($12.99) shows salvage records with cause and date, plus salvage-auction sale records — sale price, reported damage, estimated repair cost, odometer at sale, and auction photos where available.
Why do salvage-auction records matter if the title looks clean?
This is the classic trap: a car is totaled in one state, bought at a salvage auction, repaired cheaply, and retitled where the brand can get lost or "washed." The auction record — an insurance company selling the car with documented front-end damage and a repair estimate — survives even when the paper title looks clean. Our report shows that record, with photos.
Does this check include police accident reports?
No, and we say so plainly: police-reported accident data is licensed by other providers. What we show are salvage records, salvage-auction damage records, a stolen-vehicle check, odometer readings, and the complete online listing history — the records that most directly expose a rebuilt wreck and its price history.
See the records before you see the car
Free preview · full report $12.99 one-time · permanent link + PDF
Related: VIN check · Carfax alternative · Branded titles explained