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.
From the carrier's total-loss offer letter.
Enter $0 if the car is paid off.
Estimated settlement check
$19,645
Independent appraisals recover an average of $3,260 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
- Get the carrier's written valuation report with the full comp list.
- Pull 3 to 5 local comps from Autotrader, Cars.com, CarGurus, Facebook Marketplace — same year, make, model, trim, mileage.
- Document your options and recent maintenance.
- Send a written rebuttal with a specific counter-offer.
- 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.