How much is my totaled car worth?

Your totaled car is worth as much as its actual cash value (ACV), or how much it was worth before the accident. If a car is totaled by an incident covered by comprehensive insurance or collision coverage, or if you were not at fault for the accident, you may be able to get the full cash value back from an insurer. Outside of those situations, though, your totaled car is typically only worth as much as it can be sold for parts and scrap.

How to Find Out Your Totaled Car’s Worth

1. Check Kelley Blue Book to see how much your vehicle should be worth.
2. Look at similar vehicles on the market to see what they are selling for.
3. Consider any after-market upgrades that were made to the vehicle that could affect the value.
4. Talk to an independent appraiser if you are still unsure about how much your car could be worth.

If your vehicle is totaled in an accident and you aren’t at fault, the other driver’s liability insurance is responsible for the payout. On the other hand, if you are at fault for an accident that totals your car, you’d need to have collision insurance to see any sort of payout from your insurer. Additionally, if your car is totaled by something other than an accident and you don’t have comprehensive insurance, you won’t receive a payment from your insurer.

Totaled vehicles can be sold at auction or repaired by a qualified mechanic, but when selling a totaled vehicle, you won’t get as much for it as it was worth before the accident. After a car is declared a total loss, it will receive a salvage title. Vehicles with salvage titles can sometimes be rebuilt and sold, but without a new title, you can only expect to get as much money as the car is worth in scrap or salvaged parts.

To learn more, check out WalletHub’s guide to totaled cars.