Top 5 Factors Used to Determine the Total Loss Value of a Car

When you total a car that is insured, your insurance carrier will use their own proprietary software, along with state and federal requirements, to calculate the actual cash value of your vehicle. Actual Cash Value (ACV) refers to the real amount of cash your vehicle was worth at the time of loss. Unless you have a classic car that is covered under an “agreed value” policy, your insurer will likely use several factors, in addition to their own business model formula, to determine the total loss value of a junk car.

Continue reading to learn the top 5 factors used to make this determination, as well as, where you can get paid top-dollar for your totaled car in Indianapolis.

Totaled Car Buyers 317-450-3721
Totaled Car Buyers 317-450-3721

Total Loss Vehicles

A total loss vehicle is a car that is so damaged that the cost to repair it is higher than the actual cash value at the time of the loss. Although every insurance company has their own formula for calculating the actual cash value of a totaled car, all carriers will use these five factors to start their estimation:

❶ Year
❷ Make
❸ Model
❹ Mileage
❺ Condition

For instance, a 1984 Chevy Camaro with 200,000 miles that has been submerged underwater for several years will be worth much less than a 2016 Chevy Camaro with 45,000 miles that has just recently been totaled in a collision.

Totaled Car With No Insurance? Or No Title?

If you total a car that is not covered under an insurance policy, your best option is to sell it to a local Indianapolis Cash for Cars Company. They will use a combination of electronic weight scales, XRF analyzers, and proprietary software to calculate the actual cash value of your vehicle now that it is a total loss. You will need the car title to sell a totaled car for cash to a junk car buyer in Indiana, so read our blog “How to Replace a Lost Car Title” if yours is lost or destroyed.

Where to Sell a Totaled Car in Indianapolis


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