Salvage Title

A salvage title is issued when a car has been declared a total loss — typically because repair costs plus salvage value exceeded the pre-loss ACV, or the vehicle hit the state's total-loss percentage threshold. A 'prior salvage' title means the brand was carried over even after the car was repaired and re-inspected. Salvage-titled vehicles cannot be legally driven on public roads until they pass a state safety inspection and are re-branded as 'Rebuilt' or 'Reconstructed'. The brand stays on the title forever and typically reduces resale value by 20–40% compared to a clean-title equivalent — a real diminished-value loss you can document during ACV disputes.