Title Brands
VIN Check
"Clean title" doesn't mean clean history. Review a vehicle's full title-brand history before you buy.
What Title Brands Mean For The Vehicle
Different title brands carry very different implications. Knowing what each one means is just as important as knowing whether one exists at all.
Salvage
An insurer declared the vehicle a total loss, and it can't legally be driven on public roads as-is. The brand itself doesn't say what caused it — salvage can come from a collision, flood, fire, hail, or theft recovery.
Defect may persistRebuilt / Reconstructed
A salvage vehicle that was repaired and passed a state inspection. It's legal to drive, but the rebuilt brand is permanent — most lenders won't finance one and most insurers won't write full comprehensive coverage.
Financing & insurance impactFlood
The vehicle took significant water damage, usually from flooding or storm surge. Some states brand flood specifically; others fold it under salvage. Either way it signals submersion serious enough to be reported to a state agency or insurer.
Permanent value lossJunk
The vehicle was designated fit only for parts or scrap and isn't meant to return to the road. A junk-branded car that somehow shows up back in service deserves serious scrutiny.
Not road-legalLemon
The manufacturer bought the vehicle back under lemon law after repeated failed repair attempts for a substantial defect. Disclosure rules vary by state, so a lemon brand doesn't always carry forward.
Repurchased defectFire / Theft Recovery
Some states apply specific brands for fire-damaged vehicles or for cars recovered after a reported theft. These brands add useful detail about exactly what the vehicle went through.
Disclose & inspectParts Only
Like junk, the vehicle was designated suitable only for parts — not for a return to road use. Treat any "parts only" history as a hard stop unless you know exactly what you're buying.
Permanent value lossThe Brand History Check
A title brand is easy to bury under a fresh registration. We line up a vehicle's title, event, and brand history so a salvage or total-loss record can't quietly disappear between owners.
Brand 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 — exactly the history a clean-looking title can hide.
How We Check For Title Brands
Title brands only protect you if they follow the vehicle across state lines — and they often don't. Multi-state tracking is the core capability here.
Chapter 1
Title history across all states
We track every title transfer a vehicle has been through, in every state, in order. A brand applied in Louisiana that dropped off when the car was retitled in Mississippi still appears in the Louisiana record — even if the current Mississippi title looks clean.
Chapter 2
NMVTIS brand history
NMVTIS keeps a cumulative record of every title brand ever applied to a vehicle by any participating state, and nearly all U.S. vehicles are represented in it. Our title data incorporates NMVTIS records, which persist across state retitling.
Chapter 3
Insurance & salvage records
Many brands begin as an insurance total-loss declaration. We capture those declarations at the source — before they become title brands — giving a cross-reference that's independent of the state titling system.
Chapter 4
Junkyard & salvage yard records
Federal law requires junk and salvage yards to report the vehicles they receive to NMVTIS. A car that passed through one, even briefly, leaves a record that persists no matter how it's retitled later.
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."