Salvage title check by VIN

A salvage, rebuilt or flood brand cuts the value of a car and can hide serious damage. Find out what each title brand means and check the VIN before you pay.

Title brands

What the title brands mean

Each state sets its own rules and words, but the brands fall into these groups.

Salvage

An insurer declared the vehicle a total loss: the repair would cost more than a percentage of its value set by state law. A salvage-title car cannot be registered for the road until it is repaired and inspected.

Rebuilt or reconstructed

A salvage vehicle that was repaired and passed the state inspection. It can be driven and registered, but the brand stays on the title for good.

Flood or water damage

The vehicle was damaged by water, usually to the seats or above. Water harms the wiring, the electronics and the airbag modules, and corrosion can show up months later.

Junk, non-repairable or certificate of destruction

The vehicle may only be used for parts or scrap. It can never be titled for the road again.

Lemon or manufacturer buyback

The maker bought the vehicle back under a state lemon law because of a defect it could not fix.

Hail, fire, theft recovery

Some states brand vehicles with hail or fire damage, or stolen vehicles recovered after the insurer paid the claim.

Title washing

How a brand disappears, and how to find it again

State to state

A car branded salvage or flood in one state is re-titled in a state with different rules and comes back with a title that looks clean. Flood cars from hurricane areas are the usual case.

The VIN keeps the record

NMVTIS collects the brands of every state, insurer and salvage yard by VIN, so the earlier brand shows up even when the current title is clean.

Auction photos

Totaled cars are sold at insurance auctions with photos of the damage. A history report that finds those photos shows how bad the damage was.

Free official checks

Total-loss records (NICB VINCheck, free) and title brands from all states (NMVTIS, a few dollars) are the official sources for a salvage check.

On the car

Signs of a salvage or flood car

Records can be missing, but the car itself often tells the story. Look for these before you buy.

Paint and panel gaps

Uneven gaps between doors, hood and fenders, or paint that differs in shade from panel to panel.

Water marks

Silt under the carpet or in the spare-wheel well, a musty smell, rust on seat rails and screws under the dashboard.

Warning lights

An airbag light that stays on, or none at all at start-up (a removed bulb hides a missing airbag).

A price far below the market

A rebuilt car is worth much less than the same car with a clean title, and some insurers cover it only for liability.

The free VIN checks and what they miss · USA VIN check

FAQ

Salvage title questions

How do I check if a car has a salvage title?

Look at the title first: the brand is printed on it. Then search the VIN in NMVTIS (title brands from all states, a few dollars) and NICB VINCheck (total-loss records, free), and get a history report for the damage records and photos.

Can a salvage title be removed?

No. Once a vehicle is branded, the brand follows the VIN. After repairs and an inspection it becomes rebuilt or reconstructed, not clean. A clean title on a car that was branded before is a sign of title washing.

What is title washing?

Moving a branded vehicle to a state with different branding rules, and getting a title there that no longer shows the brand. NMVTIS was created to stop it, because it shares the brands of all states by VIN.

Is it safe to buy a rebuilt-title car?

It can be, if the repair was done well and you pay a rebuilt-title price. Ask for the repair invoices and photos, have a mechanic inspect the frame, the airbags and the electronics, and check that your insurer covers it.