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Copart and IAAI glossary

Plain-language explanations of the terms you meet in Copart and IAAI listings: title types, condition labels, sale types, damage codes, fees and odometer brands. Each term has its own page with what it means for a buyer and how many cars in our database carry it right now.

Title types

Clean Title: A title with no brand: no state has recorded the car as salvage, rebuilt, flood or junk.
Salvage Title / Salvage Certificate: A title brand for a car that an insurer declared a total loss, usually because repair would cost too much compared with its value.
Rebuilt Title: A title for a former salvage car that has been repaired and passed a state inspection.
Certificate of Destruction / Nonrepairable: A document saying the car may not be titled for road use again; it is only for parts or scrap.
Parts Only: A sale label meaning the car is sold for parts and cannot get a road title.
Bill of Sale: The car is sold with a bill of sale instead of a title.
Flood / Water Damage title brand: A title brand that tells future owners the car was damaged by water.

Condition at the yard

Run and Drive Runs and drives: At check-in the car started, went into gear and moved under its own power. 287,628 in our database
Engine Start Program Engine starts: The engine started at check-in, but the car was not confirmed to drive. 38,194 in our database
Stationary Does not start / Stationary: The yard could not confirm that the engine starts or that the car moves. 0 in our database
Enhanced Vehicles: A Copart highlight for lots that got extra preparation or checks before the sale.

Sale types and bidding

Pure Sale Pure Sale (no reserve): The car sells to the highest bidder, whatever the price. 304,245 in our database
On Minimum Bid On Minimum Bid (reserve): The seller has set a minimum price that bidding has to reach. 128,166 in our database
On Approval: The high bid has to be approved by the seller after the auction. 25,655 in our database
Buy It Now: A fixed price at which the car can be bought before the auction. 54,118 in our database
Pre-bid (Preliminary Bid): A maximum bid placed before the live auction starts.
Sold: The auction is over and the car went to a buyer. 0 in our database
Future / Upcoming: The lot is scheduled for an auction that has not happened yet. 68,505 in our database
Highlights: Short labels on a lot that sum up its condition at check-in.

Damage codes

FRONT END Front end damage: The main damage is at the front of the car. 273,350 in our database
REAR END Rear end damage: The main damage is at the back of the car. 99,473 in our database
SIDE Side damage: The main damage is on the left or right side. 120,013 in our database
ALL OVER / AO All over: Damage all around the car rather than in one area. 19,481 in our database
MINOR DENT/SCRATCHES Minor dents / scratches: Only light cosmetic damage was listed. 64,418 in our database
NORMAL WEAR: No accident damage was listed, only wear that fits the car's age and mileage. 9,091 in our database
MECHANICAL Mechanical damage: The main problem is mechanical, not body damage. 25,563 in our database
WATER/FLOOD Water / flood damage: The car was damaged by water: from a wet floor to full submersion. 9,485 in our database
HAIL Hail damage: Dents on the roof, hood and trunk from a hailstorm. 6,389 in our database
ROLLOVER: The car rolled over: damage to the roof, pillars and sides. 7,606 in our database
UNDERCARRIAGE Undercarriage damage: Damage underneath the car. 20,430 in our database
TOP/ROOF Top / roof damage: The main damage is to the roof. 4,542 in our database
FRAME DAMAGE: The frame or load-bearing structure is damaged. 2,159 in our database
BURN Fire damage: The car was damaged by fire. 4,345 in our database
BURN - ENGINE Engine fire: Fire in the engine compartment. 1,600 in our database
BURN - INTERIOR Interior fire: Fire inside the cabin. 983 in our database
VANDALISM: Deliberate damage: broken glass, scratches, slashed seats or tires. 6,092 in our database
STRIPPED: Parts have been removed from the car. 1,649 in our database
BIOHAZARD/CHEMICAL Biohazard / chemical: The car is contaminated, for example by bodily fluids, chemicals or mold. 2,274 in our database
MISSING/ALTERED VIN Missing / altered VIN: A VIN plate or label is missing or appears to have been tampered with. 324 in our database
REPLACED VIN: The VIN plate or label was replaced. 118 in our database
DAMAGE HISTORY: The listing points to earlier damage rather than a fresh one. 1,257 in our database
PARTIAL REPAIR: Repair of earlier damage was started but not finished. 295 in our database
REJECTED REPAIR: A repair was refused or not accepted, and the car was sent to auction. 268 in our database
NEW - NO DAMAGE New, no damage: No damage was listed. 24 in our database

Values and fees

ACV (Actual Cash Value) Actual Cash Value: The insurer's estimate of what the car was worth just before the loss.
Est. Retail Value Estimated retail value: Copart's estimate of the car's retail value before the damage. 412,390 in our database
Repair Cost Repair cost estimate: The estimated cost to repair the listed damage. 343,934 in our database
Buyer Fee: A fee the auction adds on top of the winning bid.
Gate Fee: A fixed fee for handling the car out of the yard.
Virtual Bid Fee Virtual (online) bid fee: An extra fee for winning a car through online bidding.

Odometer brands

Actual (odometer) Actual mileage: The odometer reading is believed to show the real mileage. 330,242 in our database
Not Actual / TMU (odometer) Not actual mileage: The odometer reading is known not to be the real mileage. 57,086 in our database
Exempt (odometer) Exempt from mileage disclosure: The car is exempt from federal odometer disclosure, so the mileage is not certified. 69,570 in our database
Exceeds Mechanical Limits (odometer) Exceeds mechanical limits: The mileage is higher than the odometer can display. 1,087 in our database

Sellers

Insurance company (seller) Insurance company: The seller is an insurance company, usually after a total-loss claim. 44,128 in our database
Rental (seller / Rentals) Rental car: The car comes from a rental fleet. 2,177 in our database

Lot details

VIN VIN (Vehicle Identification Number): The 17-character code that identifies the car.
Lot Number: The auction's number for one specific sale of a car.
Yard: The auction location where the car is stored and sold.
Lane / Item / Grid-Row: Where the car is in the sale order and on the yard.

Definitions are written by vinlama from public auction rules and data and are simplified. Rules and fees change and differ by state and by auction: check the current terms on the auction's site before you bid.