How to spot a washed title

A brand is a label a state puts on a car's title to show its current or past condition. Common brands include salvage (the car was declared a total loss, usually by an insurer), rebuilt or reconstructed (a salvage car that was repaired and passed a state inspection), flood, and junk or non-repairable. States use different names and different rules for when a brand applies.

A branded car isn't always a bad buy, but it's worth much less, and some insurers and lenders limit coverage or loans for branded cars. You deserve to know before you pay.

The Justice Department explains that brands can be dropped when a car is re-titled in a state that doesn't check with the state that branded it, or with every state that titled it before. States also brand differently: one state may mark a car as flood-damaged while another wouldn't.

So a car can be totaled or flooded in one state, moved to another, and come out with a title that looks clean. Forged or altered paperwork is another route. Flood cars are a common target: after hurricanes and big floods, damaged cars are cleaned up and sold far from where they flooded.

• The title was issued recently, especially in a different state from where the car has been driven and registered.
• The price is well below similar cars, and the seller can't explain why.
• The seller is vague about where the car came from or pushes you to decide fast.
• Signs of major repairs or water: paint that doesn't match between panels, new carpet in an older car, a musty smell, or rust under the seats or dashboard.
• The VIN on the dashboard, the driver's door label, the title, and the registration don't all match exactly, or the VIN plate looks tampered with.
• The car came from an area hit by a recent hurricane or flood.

1. Run a title-history report by VIN. Reports from the federal NMVTIS system show the car's brand history, salvage and total-loss records, and the latest recorded odometer reading, based on what state title agencies, insurers, and salvage yards report. You can start with the VIN check above.
2. Run NICB's free VINCheck. It shows salvage, flood, and theft records from participating insurers. It's a useful second look, not a full history.
3. Compare the VIN in every place: dashboard, driver's door label, title, and registration. They must match.
4. Read the title itself. Look for printed brands, the issue date, and the issuing state. Ask the seller for older titles or registrations if the current one is new.
5. Get an independent inspection. A mechanic can spot frame repairs, airbag replacements, and water damage that no database shows.

Walk away, or at least stop and get the car inspected before you talk price. A seller who didn't mention a salvage or flood history isn't someone to trust on anything else.

If you already bought the car and the seller hid its title history, gather the title, the ad, your contract, and the report, then contact your state motor vehicle agency and your state attorney general's consumer protection office. Rules vary by state, so talk to a local consumer attorney about your options.