AI DamageA Total Loss is the insurer's economic decision, not a technical diagnosis. A car is written off when the repair plus other costs approaches its market value. That is why auctions have many cars with moderate damage and a high US repair cost.
How the insurer decides
States use one of two approaches. The first is a threshold: if the repair estimate exceeds a set share of the car's actual value (ACV, Actual Cash Value), the car is written off. The threshold depends on the state, from roughly half to 100% of the value. The second is the total loss formula: repair plus salvage value is greater than the ACV.
Repairs in the US are expensive because of labour rates, new genuine parts at dealer list prices and mandatory calibrations. So cars with a damaged front end and deployed airbags are often written off even though the body is intact.
What the lot page shows
| Field | Source | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Est. Retail Value / ACV | An estimate of the market price of an undamaged car in the US | The upper limit of the US market, not the price in Ukraine |
| Est. Repair Cost | An insurer or auction estimate at US prices | Only a signal of scale. In Ukraine a repair is usually several times cheaper |
| Primary / Secondary Damage | The inspector's label | The name of a zone, not a list of parts |
Why US prices inflate the estimate in Ukraine
We compared part prices for a 2023 Mazda CX-5 by OEM part numbers. A new genuine part in Ukraine costs roughly 30–50% of the US MSRP converted at the exchange rate. A used part from a breaker costs 10–30%, an aftermarket part 10–25%. More detail with a table in Part prices in Ukraine.
So read Est. Repair Cost as "the damage is serious by US standards". What it will cost you depends on the parts list and where you source the parts.
How this affects the bid
Sensible maximum bid = price of the same car in Ukraine − repair at Ukrainian prices − shipping and customs clearance − a reserve for hidden damage. The US repair estimate is not part of this formula. Look for repair examples by model in the Catalogue and on the lot pages.