Total Loss Calculator
Was your car totaled — or is the insurance offer too low? Enter your car's details to estimate its actual cash value, check whether it crosses your state's total-loss threshold, and see how much you may be owed.
Total Loss & ACV Estimator
See your car's actual cash value and whether the insurer's offer is fair.
Disclaimer: This is a rough estimate. Total loss thresholds vary by state (typically 70–80% of ACV) and actual cash value depends on your vehicle's specific condition, options, and local market. Only a licensed appraiser can determine your car's certified value.
How insurers decide a total loss
When repairs get expensive, the insurer compares the repair estimate to your car's actual cash value (ACV). If repairs reach your state's total loss threshold — usually 70–80% of ACV — they total the car and pay you its value instead of fixing it. The catch: they decide what your car is "worth," and that number is often based on low comparable sales.
That's where an independent appraisal changes the outcome. A DVHIVE total loss appraisal establishes your car's true market value from real comparables — the documentation that lets you dispute a lowball offer under your policy's appraisal clause. If your car was repaired instead of totaled, you likely have a diminished value claim — use the diminished value calculator for that. Not sure if airbags change things? See our airbag total-loss guide.
Total Loss Calculator FAQ
How is a total loss calculated?
Insurers declare a vehicle a total loss when the cost to repair it reaches your state's total loss threshold — typically 70% to 80% of the car's actual cash value (ACV). If repairs cost less than that, the car is repaired; if they meet or exceed it, it's totaled and the insurer pays the ACV instead.
What is actual cash value (ACV)?
Actual cash value is the fair market value of your specific vehicle immediately before the accident — what a comparable car of the same year, make, model, mileage, and condition was selling for. It's the amount the insurer should pay you on a total loss.
How accurate is this total loss calculator?
It gives a solid ballpark using your pre-accident value, repair cost, and any offer you enter. It's not a certified appraisal — actual cash value depends on your vehicle's exact condition, options, and local market. A certified independent appraisal establishes the exact, court-admissible figure you can use to dispute a low offer.
The insurance total loss offer seems too low. What can I do?
You don't have to accept the first number. Insurers routinely undervalue totaled cars using low comparables. You can invoke your policy's appraisal clause and hire an independent certified appraiser to prove the true ACV. DVHIVE total loss appraisals regularly recover thousands more than the insurer's opening offer.