Top 9 Damage Types to Look for at Online Auto Auctions

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Navigating the world of salvage cars for sale at online auto auction isn’t as difficult as it seems. We’re here to clear up some mysteries for all you car auction beginners. We’re covering the top 9 car damage categories to look for if you’re looking for a repairable salvage car for sale that won’t cost too much in repairs or take too much effort to get running.

Keep in mind, when you’re getting a vehicle with a salvage title, you’ll need to have it cleared by your local DMV before you can legally drive it. For more on that process, check out this article on registering a salvage car.

Why Does The Type of Car Damage Matter?

Now before we dive into the type of car damage let’s first take a look at why the type of car damage matters. There are many beginners here who are not experts and this is why it is essential for us to cover this.

Almost every car in the salvage yard is there for a reason. The important thing for you to know now is the fact that the type of damage determines the value of the car.

Let’s take, for example, collision damage. This is the worst type of damage that you can often have. This means that the car needs to be repaired. This can include pulling the front or rear on a special frame machine and aligning everything up.

While on the other hand, another type of damage that is hail damage, does not mean that the car has structural defects.

In this case, you only have to replace the hood and trunk, and pull out the dents on the roof. Pretty simple job that will not cost a fortune to fix.

So, you get the idea of why the type of damage: cds vehicle matters and why you should look for cars with a particular type of damage in order to find good deals.

Types of Car Damage

Now let’s dive into the different types of damaged cars that you can find in salvage yards.

We will cover the 9 most common damaged cars categories so you have a clear idea of what to expect with each one of these.

1. Normal Wear

This is a standard and general designation of vehicles that don’t have much wrong with them. They may not be in mint condition, sure, but a vehicle marked with “Normal Wear” and without secondary damage listed typically means that there isn’t much wrong with it. If you want something that’s ready to go – click the “Clean Title” and “Run and Drive” options in your search results too, and you’ll have something that’s road ready, no DMV inspections required. A lot of repo cars for sale fall under this category, too, so if you’re looking for repossessed cars for sale from insurance auctions this is a great starting point.

2. Collision Damage

Collision damage is probably the most common type of car damage that you can find on these salvage auctions. 

This damage results from an accident or collision with another vehicle or an object.

The level can vary though, there can be minor dents and scratches, to some serious structural damage.

There can be a few subtypes of collision damage that you will come across. These include front-end damage, rear-end damage, side damage, and undercarriage damage.

2.1 Front-end Damage: This type of damage involves the front bumper, hood, grille, and headlights.

More severe front-end damage can also involve the crash support, radiators, crash rails, etc. This will result in some serious repairs.

2.2 Rear-End Damage: The rear-end damage means that the car was rear-ended. Minor damage can result in scratched bumper, bent trunk, broken tail lights, etc.

More severe damage can result in the rear tub being pushed in and this will involve a frame machine in order for everything to be straightened out.

2.3 Side-impact damage: Side-impact damage is another type of damage that can affect the doors, windows, side mirrors, airbags, etc.

This type of damage is extremely difficult to fix because if the structure is pushed in, it will require using a frame machine.

This is why if you notice that the doors are not aligned properly and things are pushed in, we advise people to stay away from these cars.

2.4 Undercarriage Damage: Damage to the undercarriage is very common in cars. People often drive over something and the undercarriage gets damaged.

The severity of the damage might vary depending on the severity of this damage. In the best-case scenario, there can be some bent suspension components.

In the worst case, there can be a broken oil pan, broken transmission housing, or broken drive axles. This is something that can be expensive to fix.

3. Flood Damage

Now let’s take a look at another very important type of damage that you need to be aware of, this is flood damage.

This is a designation that a car gets when it is exposed to a flood. The severity of the flooding might determine whether this car will get a salvage title or a certificate of destruction.

Usually, mildly flooded cars will get a salvage title. Accidents happen. For example, the owner left the windows open, or hail busted the windows and water got inside. Or the car was mildly flooded in the garage. Things can happen.

But what should really trigger you when it comes to flooded cars is the damage to the electrical systems.

Water will get inside of the wiring and will create a short in the system. Resulting in electrical gremlins. So, when a car gets flooded, it is key to inspect every connector and clean the connections.

Also, completely flooded cars will have seized engines. When water gets inside the engine, major corrosion will occur.

Overall, flooded cars are not particularly good.

4. Fire Damage

Fire damage is also extremely common in cars. Fire can happen from the electrical components, or it can be intentional.

The fire can cause extensive damage to the vehicle. It can melt the seats, dashboard, and electrical components. And not only fire, smoke also damages the interior.

If smoke gets on the inside, you will highly likely have to replace the interior in order to remove the smells.

The place where fire usually happens is the engine bay. These problems happen because of a short in the electrical systems or a possible fuel leak.

The best thing is to avoid fire-damaged cars if the fire affected the cabin and interior of the car.

Fire-damaged cars can have damage type junk and salvage.

5. Vandalism Damage

Cars can also be vandalized and end up at the salvage yards across the country.

Vandalized cars are usually good cars that were intentionally damaged by some individual or group of individuals.

The severity of the vandalism depends on how good of a deal they are.

If the car is scratched, some windows broken or even spray painted, this is an easy fix.

But if the car is completely destroyed, then it is only good for harvesting parts that are left in good condition. 

These cars can be hidden gems on these salvage auctions because in many cases, the damage is only mild and these cars are completely fixable.

6. Theft Recovery Damage

Theft recovery vehicles are another type of vehicle that is abundant in salvage yards.

These are cars that were stolen from their rightful owners and then recovered by the authorities.

The condition of these cars depends from case to case. In some cases, some kids stole the car, drove it, and left it with no damage.

While in some situations, the car was stolen for harvesting parts and was fully gutted. Many of the components are missing and fixing it is almost impossible.

That’s why we advise that you take a look at the condition that the car is in and determine whether or not it is a good deal for you.

7. Hail Damage

Another common type of damaged car that you can find on salvage auctions is hail damage.

This type of damage is caused by hail storms. These cars are most often found in states like Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, or Nebraska. Mainly because hail rains in these states is a very common thing.

And this hail can cause a lot of damage. So, the severity can depend from one car to another. Although, in many cases, it is an easy fix.

8. Mechanical Damage

Vehicles with mechanical damage are very common in salvage auctions and these cars are often the worst.

This is due to the fact that they don’t run. In many of the cases, these cars are driven to the ground and left without repair.

The engine in many of these cars is blown, the transmission can also be blown, or the suspension is too worn out and fails.

These cars can be extremely problematic to fix for the untrained eye. You need to have good mechanical knowledge in order to assess the type of damage and estimate whether or not this is a good deal.

In many of the cases, there is no visible damage to the car. So, you need to rely on your car knowledge in 99% of the cases.

That’s why we advise beginners to avoid these cars because the damage can be expensive to fix.

For example, a new engine can cost thousands of dollars. Transmissions also go in the thousands. The only cheap components are suspension components and drive axles.

9. Biohazard/Chemical Damage

Biohazard/Chemical damage cars are also pretty nasty to deal with. 

There are cars that were not treated well. They are full of trash and they end up being named biohazards. Chemical spillage can also deem these cars biohazard.

In addition to this, cars that have blood stains, needles, or other potential stuff that pose a risk to humans are also deemed biohazard.

Overall, these cars are nasty to deal with but in many cases, a good clean can fix most of these issues. You need to be extremely careful and wear protective clothing and a mask when accessing some of these vehicles.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are the common car damage types?

When it comes to the type of damage that you can find in salvage auctions, there can be many different types.

Normal wear indicates normal wear damage from using the vehicle. Then you have collision damage, flood damage, fire damage, hail-damage, vandalism, theft recovery, mechanical damage, and biohazard cars.

All of these cars carry their own risks. The best deal is often to get a hail damaged car, normal wear, vandalism, or mild collision damage.

We advise beginners to do plenty of research and learn what type of damage that specific vehicle has and how easy it is to fix it.

What are the common categories of damaged cars?

Common categories of damaged cars include normal wear, collision damage, flood damage, fire damage, vandalism, theft recovery, hail damage, mechanical damage, and biohazard damage.

All these different types of damage can have a severity point from 1 to 10. 1 is the most attractive purchase, while 7+ is the car you don’t want. This is how you should grade your potential candidates.

The repairs can be extremely expensive. So, your best bet would be to inspect the car and make your own estimate of how easy it is to fix it.

Start your search

You can narrow down your search by make, model, year, title type, damage type, and all sorts of other options on your search results page to find the perfect combination for your next vehicle. Keep in mind that this is a general guideline for vehicles and that it’s important to conduct your own thorough research for any salvage vehicle for sale before placing any bids. Have the vehicle inspected in person at the auction yard and get a ClearVIN VIN Check Report. Don’t forget to run a car VIN number lookup on any vehicle you’re considering purchasing, as it can reveal important information about the car’s past.