Salvage Title
VIN Check
"Clean title" doesn't always mean clean history. Check a VIN for salvage, rebuilt, and total-loss records before you buy.
What A Salvage Title Means For The Vehicle
A salvage brand means a vehicle was damaged badly enough that an insurer decided writing it off was cheaper than fixing it. What it doesn't tell you is what actually happened — salvage can come from a collision, flood, fire, hail, or theft recovery, and the cause changes everything about what you're buying.
Rebuilt titles follow the car forever
A salvaged car that's repaired and re-inspected receives a rebuilt title that stays with it for life. Most lenders won't finance one and most insurers won't write full coverage on it, so resale value takes a permanent hit no matter how good the repair was.
Higher riskThe title can't vouch for repair quality
A rebuilt title only means the car passed a state inspection after repair — not who fixed it, what parts went in, or whether its crash structure was truly restored. A rebuilt car from a major collision can drive normally and still protect you poorly in the next one.
Repair uncertaintySalvage cars get totaled again more often
Insurance data consistently shows previously salvaged vehicles are written off again at higher rates. Weakened structure, used replacement parts, and deferred maintenance stack up into compounding risk down the road.
Limited financingTitle washing erases the brand
Not every state carries a salvage or rebuilt brand forward when a car is retitled. A vehicle salvaged in one state can come out "clean" in another with no disclosure required. We trace the full title chain across state lines, not just the current registration state.
Hidden historyThe Title Brand Check
A title brand is easy to bury under a fresh registration. We line up a vehicle's title and event history so a salvage or total-loss record can't quietly disappear between owners.
Title History — Sample Data
2016 FORD ESCAPE SE
Body 4-Door SUV · 2.0L I4 · Front-wheel drive
Last reported mileage 98,042 mi in Dec 2019
Title History
Registered across multiple states since 2017.
Brand & Damage Records
2 title-brand and 3 damage records on file.
The Takeaway
Despite changing hands, this Escape carries a Salvage brand and prior damage — the kind of history a clean-looking title can hide.
How We Check For Salvage Title
A walk-around and a test drive can't show you what a vehicle's title looked like before its current registration. Our salvage check works through the paper trail.
Chapter 1
Title history across all states
We track title transfers in every state, not just where the car is registered today. If a vehicle was branded salvage in Texas and retitled clean in Tennessee, the Texas salvage designation still shows up in your report.
Chapter 2
NMVTIS records
Our reports pull National Motor Vehicle Title Information System data — salvage and total-loss reports that insurers, recyclers, junk yards, and salvage yards file under federal law. It's the most complete national salvage database and isn't open to the public.
Chapter 3
Insurance total-loss records
When an insurer declares a total loss and pays a claim, that record enters the national insurance database whether or not the car was later repaired and retitled. We surface those total-loss flags even when they predate the current title.
Chapter 4
Auction records
Salvage vehicles routinely move through salvage auctions before repair and resale. Our auction data captures those sales — a reliable independent signal of prior salvage status even when the title has since been washed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What buyers say
"Checked a Mazda3 in Windsor after my cousin got stuck with a flood car last year. Mine came back clean, with the full ownership history laid out. Worth it for the peace of mind alone."
"Used this on a Honda Accord in Anchorage. The odometer chart showed steady readings across four years and the title was clean. Bought it the next morning without second thoughts."
"Checked a Toyota Hilux in Mérida for our delivery business. The report confirmed consistent mileage and no accident records. Fast, clear, and in the end a very easy decision."
"A Silverado in Birmingham looked perfect until the report showed hail damage and an insurance total loss from two states away. The seller called it a clean truck. This tool earned its fee."
"Checked a Hyundai Tucson in Kitchener before buying. Clean title, one owner, and service records all the way back to new. Quick to run and the report was easy to read on my phone."
"Checked a Volvo XC60 in Baltimore before buying from a private seller. Two owners, full dealer maintenance, and a clean title. The timeline layout made five years of history readable."
"The photos section is what sold me. I could see the exact listing pictures from when my Toyota Camry was sold in El Paso two years earlier, down to the same scratch on the bumper."
"Looked at a GMC Canyon in Lethbridge. The report showed a US import with an American accident record the Canadian listing never mentioned. Used it to negotiate two thousand off."
"Checked a Subaru Impreza in Eugene for my daughter heading to college. Clean history, consistent odometer readings, and no open recalls. Exactly the reassurance a parent wants."
"Bought a Honda HR-V in Grand Rapids. The report confirmed one owner and dealer servicing from new, and the market value section showed the asking price was fair. No haggling needed."
"I flip a couple of cars a year in Knoxville and run every VIN through this first. Last month it caught an odometer rollback of nearly 40,000 miles. That alone paid for years of reports."
"Looked at a Ford Escape in Moncton that was priced suspiciously low. The report showed a rebuilt title after a collision in another province. The seller never mentioned it. Walked away."