How to Read an IAAI Auction Record
Each field answers a narrow question. Here is what the main ones mean and how far you can rely on them.
Updated
IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions, commonly shortened to IAAI) sells mostly insurance total-loss vehicles. Its listings follow a consistent structure. Once you know what each field means, you can read a record in under a minute and know which questions to ask next.
Identification
- Stock number. IAAI's identifier for that listing. It plays the same role as Copart's lot number. A relisted vehicle gets a new one.
- VIN. Always confirm all 17 characters match the vehicle you are researching.
- Branch. The yard where the vehicle was stored and sold. It tells you the state, which matters for title rules.
Condition fields
- Loss type. Why the vehicle came to auction, such as collision, theft, flood or other.
- Primary and secondary damage. The main areas of damage as categorised at check-in. See what primary damage means.
- Start code. A short label describing whether the vehicle ran when it was checked in (for example "Run & Drive" or "Starts"). It describes that moment only and is not a mechanical inspection.
- Keys. Whether keys were present at check-in.
- Airbags. Where shown, whether airbags deployed. Deployment usually means a significant impact.
Paperwork
- Title / sale document. The ownership document the buyer receives and the state that issued it, for example a salvage certificate. See understanding salvage titles.
- Odometer and odometer status. The reading and a status such as actual, not actual or exempt. See how to interpret odometer records.
Values and results
- ACV (actual cash value). An estimate of the vehicle's value before the loss, as provided with the listing. It is not the sale price.
- Bid and sale result. The highest bid and whether the sale completed. A high bid is not a sale price unless the sale was confirmed. AutoBimer labels a figure "Sold price" only when the source confirms the sale.
Questions a record cannot answer
An auction record will not tell you the cost of repairs, the quality of any later repair, or what happened to the vehicle after it left the yard. Treat it as one dated observation and combine it with title history, service records and an independent inspection. AutoBimer is independent and is not affiliated with IAA.