How to check if a used car was totaled or in an accident

NMVTIS, the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, is the federal title database overseen by the Justice Department. Federal law requires insurers, junk yards, salvage yards, and auto recyclers to report to it, and state title agencies supply their title records. A report from it covers five things:

• The state that titled the car most recently, and when.
• Brand history: labels any state put on the title, like salvage, junk, or flood.
• The latest odometer reading on record.
• Total-loss history: whether an insurer decided the car was salvage or a total loss.
• Salvage history: whether the car went to a junk yard, salvage yard, or auto recycler.

It's the only public system that federal law requires every insurer to report to, so it's the most direct way to answer “was this car totaled?” An insurer has to report a total-loss decision even if it never paid a claim on it. And once a state brands a car, the brand stays on its NMVTIS record, even if the car is moved and re-titled somewhere else.

A total loss doesn't always mean a wreck. The Justice Department notes that a stolen car that isn't recovered within 30 days may be labeled a total loss, and the label stays even if the car turns up in perfect shape. If a report shows a total loss, find out why before you go further.

Rules vary by state. One state may brand a damaged car salvage while another doesn't, because the damage didn't cross that state's dollar limit.

Free second look: NICB's VINCheck shows whether participating insurers reported the car as salvage, flood-damaged, or stolen and not recovered. You get five searches a day. NICB says plainly that it's not a full vehicle history.

Accidents aren't one of the five things in an NMVTIS report. The FTC says reports from other companies, such as Carfax and AutoCheck, sometimes add accident and repair history. Use one if accident records would change your mind about the car.

The catch: a commercial report can only list an accident someone reported to that company. A fender-bender fixed without an insurance claim may never appear. The Justice Department says the gaps that affect NMVTIS can exist in private databases too.

If the seller hands you a report, check two things before you trust it:

• The VIN on the report matches the VIN on the dashboard, the driver's door label, and the title.
• The date. Anything that happened after the report was run won't be on it.

See how free and paid reports compare.

Every report looks backward, and only at what was reported. The FTC says a history report is not a substitute for an independent inspection. Have a mechanic or body shop you choose look the car over before you pay.

Ask them to check for:

• Repainted panels. Ask whether they use a paint-thickness gauge, often called a paint meter, to check each panel.
• Gaps between panels that aren't even from end to end, or panels that don't sit flush.
• Weld seams, extra undercoating, or missing bolts underneath, and bumper or engine mounts that look newer than the parts around them.
• Frame or structural damage. Ask them to put the car on a lift.
• Air bags that were replaced after a crash. More on that below.

You can spot some signs yourself on a walk-around in good light. A collision-repair guide that Virginia's Motor Vehicle Dealer Board shares with car buyers suggests looking for:

• Color that doesn't quite match from one panel to the next, or reflections that ripple or don't line up across two panels.
• Paint overspray on rubber seals, door jambs, hinges, or trim inside the wheel wells.
• Painted edges on the hood, trunk, or doors that feel slightly rough. Factory paint is smooth to the edge.
• On the test drive, a car that shudders or drifts to one side. It could need a simple alignment, or its structure could be bent.

1. Get the VIN and make sure it matches on the dashboard, the driver's door label, the title, and the registration.
2. Run NICB's free VINCheck for insurer salvage, flood, and theft records.
3. Get an NMVTIS title-history report for total-loss, salvage, and brand records. You can start with the VIN check above.
4. If accidents and service records matter to you, add a commercial report.
5. Ask the seller, in writing, whether the car has ever been in an accident, had an insurance claim, or had its air bags go off. Compare the answer with the reports.
6. Get an independent inspection. Use the inspection planner to note what to ask and what they find.

A car that had a minor accident and a good, professional repair can still be a fair buy at the right price. The Virginia guide says the biggest red flag is a gap between what the seller tells you and what the car shows.

A total loss is a bigger deal. The Justice Department says a car declared a total loss has generally had severe damage. If the title is branded salvage or rebuilt, read what those brands mean for the price, insurance, and loans before you make an offer.

If the seller hid a total loss or a brand, walk away. A brand that disappeared when the car moved to another state is a sign of a washed title.