Auto ACV
Free tool

Totaled Car Payout Calculator

Estimate how much you will actually receive for your totaled vehicle — including sales tax, fees, deductible, and loan payoff. No signup.

Your estimated payout

All fields editable. Updates in real time.

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From the carrier's total-loss offer letter.

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Enter $0 if the car is paid off.

Estimated settlement check

$19,645

ACV$18,500
Sales tax (7.0%)+ $1,295
Title & fees+ $350
Your deductible− $500
Goes to lender$19,645
Goes to you$0
Loan balance after payout$1,355
GAP covers− $1,355

Independent appraisals recover an average of $5,300 above the carrier's first offer. If your ACV looks low, the appraisal clause can close that gap.

How a total loss payout is calculated

When your insurer declares your vehicle a total loss, the settlement check is built from a fixed formula: ACV + sales tax + title/registration fees − deductible, with the result paid to your lender first if you have a loan.

The single biggest variable is the ACV. Carriers use third-party valuation software (CCC ONE, Mitchell, Audatex) that pulls comparable sales — but the comps they pick often include cars from out-of-market, wrong trim, wrong options, or unfair "condition adjustments" that knock thousands off. The result is almost always a low first offer.

What you should do before signing

  1. Get the carrier's written valuation report with the full comp list.
  2. Pull 3 to 5 local comps from Autotrader, Cars.com, CarGurus, Facebook Marketplace — same year, make, model, trim, mileage.
  3. Document your options and recent maintenance.
  4. Send a written rebuttal with a specific counter-offer.
  5. If the carrier won't move and the gap is $1,000+, invoke the appraisal clause.

When the payout is less than your loan

If your loan balance exceeds the settlement, the lender gets the entire check and the deficit is yours unless you have GAP insurance. See Car Totaled But I Still Owe Money and Gap Insurance and Total Loss for the full breakdown.

Frequently asked questions

Your payout equals the Actual Cash Value (ACV) of the vehicle immediately before the loss, plus sales tax, title and registration fees, minus your deductible. ACV is based on local comparable sales of the same year, make, model, trim, mileage, and condition. Most carriers' first offer underestimates local market by $1,500 to $4,000.

In most US states, yes. The settlement must include the sales tax, title, and registration fees you would pay to replace the vehicle. Many carriers omit these unless you ask in writing.

Yes, on collision and comprehensive claims (when your own carrier pays). On third-party claims where the other driver was at fault, your deductible doesn't apply — their carrier pays the full ACV.

The carrier pays the lender first. Anything left over goes to you. If you owe more than the ACV, GAP insurance covers the difference. Without GAP, you owe the deficit unless you can negotiate the lender down or push the ACV up.

Yes. Send a written rebuttal with 3 to 5 local comparable listings. If the carrier won't move and the gap is $1,000+, invoke the appraisal clause in your policy. Independent appraisers recover an average of $5,300 above carrier offers.