Every state has different rules for how insurers must value your vehicle — including exactly how close comparable vehicles must be to your location. Know what applies to you before you negotiate.
States use one of two systems. In a set percentage state, your car is totaled when repairs hit a set share of its value. At 75%, a $20,000 car is totaled once repairs reach $15,000.
In a repair + salvage state, your car is totaled when the repair cost plus what the wrecked car is worth (its salvage) together reach its full value — about $20,000 on a $20,000 car.
Insurers set your car's value using similar cars for sale nearby — called comparable vehicles. Some states limit how far away those cars are allowed to be.
A comparable vehicle from the wrong market almost always means a lower offer. That distance limit is the single most powerful fact you can check yourself.
A note on the percentages below: in most states that figure is a salvage-title threshold. Insurers use it as a practical benchmark, but they can also total your car on a repair-plus-salvage economic basis — and a few states (Florida, Alabama, Rhode Island) tie the insurer more directly to a percentage.
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