How to inspect a salvage car from photos alone

You usually cannot see a Copart lot in person before bidding. How to read the photos like a pro and spot the damage that kills profit.

BUYING · 5 min read

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Start with the damage description

Read the primary and secondary damage tags first, but treat them as a location guide, not a severity verdict. Front end tells you where, minor dents and scratches tells you how bad. The photos are the real source of truth.

Look for structural clues

Check the shut lines around the doors, bonnet and boot. Uneven gaps suggest a bent shell. Look at the inner wings and slam panel in the engine bay for creasing or fresh welds. On a clean title car you should see none of this.

Check the airbags and dash

If the airbags have gone off you will see the deployed bags or torn covers, and often a cracked dashboard. Deployed airbags add real cost, so count them from the interior shots. No deployment on a front hit is a good sign.

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Read the tide marks for flood

Water damage leaves a line on the door cards, seats and carpets, plus condensation or misting inside the lights. Silt in the footwells or a musty look to the interior are red flags. Salt water is far worse than fresh.

Assess whether it runs

Look for the Run and Drive indicator and the keys status. A car listed as Run and Drive with keys is lower risk. A stationary or non-runner needs a bigger mechanical budget. When the photos show enough, the Analyzer can grade the damage from the images for you.

Zoom in and count panels

Open every photo full size. Count the panels that are creased or holed versus those that just need paint. Replacing a panel costs far more than blending one. Getting this count right is what separates a profitable bid from a loss.

Grade this lot's damage from its own photos, free first run

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