Glossary of Auction Terms -- Salvage, Title Brands, Damage Codes

Title brands

Clean: No brand has ever been applied. The vehicle has never been declared a total loss or buyback. The default state of a new vehicle.
Salvage: An insurance company has declared the vehicle a total loss, typically when repair costs exceed 70-80% of actual cash value. A salvage title cannot be registered for road use until it is inspected and rebranded.
Rebuilt / Reconstructed: A salvage vehicle that has been repaired, inspected by the state DMV and passed for road use. The brand stays on the title permanently and affects insurance and resale value.
Junk / Non-Repairable: Strongest disclosure brand. The vehicle cannot be retitled for road use in the issuing state; parts-only or export. Different states use different terminology -- Pennsylvania says "Non-Repairable," Texas says "Non-Repair," Florida uses "Certificate of Destruction."
Manufacturer Buyback: The manufacturer repurchased the vehicle under a state lemon law or warranty arbitration. The brand stays with the VIN through every subsequent state transfer.
Flood / Water Damage: Vehicle exposed to flood water above the dashboard line. Insurance practice usually totals these as a Cat-A loss; the brand is applied at insurance-payout time, not at retail re-sale.
Lemon Law Buyback: California-specific text under the Tanner Consumer Protection Act. Functionally equivalent to Manufacturer Buyback elsewhere.

Damage codes

Front-End: Impact damage to the front section: bumper, grille, hood, headlights, radiator support. The most common collision pattern (~30% of indexed salvage lots).
Rear-End: Impact damage to the rear: bumper, trunk lid, tailgate, rear quarter panels. Often paired with rear-seat airbag deployment if equipped.
Side / Side Impact: Door, B-pillar or rocker damage from lateral collision. T-bone collisions go here. Frequently triggers curtain airbag deployment.
All-Over: Damage in multiple zones with no clear primary point. Common after rollovers, parking-lot pile-ups, or multi-impact incidents.
Rollover: Vehicle came to rest on its side or roof. Even after a roll-back upright, the chassis is stressed and the roof structure may be compromised. SUVs and trucks dominate this category.
Hail: Surface dent damage from hail strike. Mechanical and structural integrity unaffected; the value loss is purely cosmetic.
Flood / Water: Vehicle submerged or exposed to standing water. Electronics, wiring harness and interior are the primary concerns -- mechanical damage may surface months later.
Fire: Damage from vehicle fire. Severity ranges from engine-bay-only (recoverable) to full burn (parts-only).
Vandalism: Intentional damage by third parties. Catalytic converter theft, key-scratch paint damage, broken glass.
Mechanical: Engine, transmission or driveline failure with no collision component. Common on high-mileage vehicles totalled as uneconomic to repair.
Normal Wear: Bodywork showing age-typical wear -- light scuffs, paint fade, minor dings -- without specific incident damage. Common in fleet returns.

Condition flags

Run and Drive (RD): The vehicles engine starts and the car moved under its own power on the auction yard. Does not guarantee road-worthy condition -- only that the powertrain operates.
Engine Start: The engine starts but the vehicle did not move under its own power. Often a transmission, brake or electrical issue.
Will Not Start: The vehicle did not start at intake. May be a dead battery, a defeated immobiliser or a non-recoverable mechanical fault.
Stationary: Catch-all status: the vehicle was not moved under its own power, but no engine-start attempt was made or recorded.
No Key: No key delivered with the lot. Replacement requires VIN-based dealer cut. For modern vehicles with immobilisers, this can run $300-800 plus programming.

Auction lifecycle

Pre-Bid: Period during which bids can be placed before the live auction event. Pre-bids become the opening bid at the live sale if not surpassed.
Reserve / Reserve Met: The minimum sale price the seller will accept. Often shown as "Pure Sale" (no reserve) or "On Approval" (seller decides post-auction).
Pure Sale: No reserve -- whatever the high bid is, that is the sale price.
On Approval: Seller reviews the high bid and decides whether to accept. Common on insurance lots and dealer wholesale.
Buy Now: Listed at a fixed price. Click to purchase without bidding. Available on a subset of lots, typically dealer wholesale.
Storage / Yard Fee: Daily storage fee charged after a configurable grace period (usually 3 calendar days). Lots not picked up accrue $20-50/day.
Title Pending: The auction has the vehicle physically but the title document is still in transit. Pickup is allowed but registration cannot proceed until title arrives -- typically 30-60 days.

Glossary of auction terms