How to read a Copart or IAAI listing
A listing tells you a lot, if you know what to look for. Here is what each part means and what we check before bidding.
Copart and IAAI in one minute
Copart and IAAI (Insurance Auto Auctions) are the two biggest online vehicle auctions in North America. Most of their cars come from insurance companies, after an accident, flood, theft or hail. Others come from banks, rental and fleet companies and dealers, and some have clean titles. Both run online auctions every weekday. Buyers outside North America bid through a registered broker such as Prime Needs.
1. The title
The title is the car's ownership document. Its type affects the price, whether the car can be exported, and how easy it is to register in Ghana.
- Clean title. No major insurance write-off recorded. Usually more expensive.
- Salvage title. An insurer declared the car a total loss, often because repairs cost more than a set share of its value. This can be a light accident on an older or expensive car. Always check the damage type.
- Rebuilt or reconstructed. A salvage car that has been repaired and passed a state inspection in the USA.
- Certificate of destruction, "parts only", junk or non-repairable. Cannot be registered again. Never buy these for import.
2. Primary and secondary damage
The listing names the main damage (for example "Front end") and sometimes a secondary one. Front-end, rear-end, side and hail damage are often repairable. Water/flood, burn and frame damage are now ruled out for Ghana (see import rules). Look at every photo: the label is the auction's quick summary, not a full inspection.
3. "Run and drive", "Starts" and "Stationary"
- Run and drive: at check-in, the car started, could be put in gear and moved under its own power. It is not a guarantee that it is roadworthy.
- Engine starts: the engine started, but the car was not driven.
- Stationary / does not start: it did not start at the yard. It may be a flat battery, or something serious.
Auction staff check this quickly at check-in, and the car may have sat in the yard since. Budget for a battery, fluids and tyres in any case.
4. Odometer
US cars show miles: 1 mile is 1.61 km, so 60,000 miles is about 96,500 km. Watch the odometer note: "Actual" is the best case, while "Not actual" or "Exceeds mechanical limits" means the true mileage is unknown. Ghana requires a speedometer that reads in km/h. Most US cars show both mph and km/h, but check on older or special models.
5. Keys, airbags and other notes
- Keys: "No" means you will pay for keys and programming.
- Airbags deployed: airbags, sensors and sometimes the dashboard must be replaced. This adds a lot to the repair bill.
- Estimated retail value (ACV/ERV): the insurer's estimate of the car's value before the damage. It is useful context, not a price guide.
- Sale location: the yard's distance from the port affects transport cost.
6. The fees on top of your bid
The auction adds a buyer fee, which rises with the price, plus gate, online-bidding and document fees. If the car isn't collected quickly, storage fees start after a few days. Our cost calculator includes an estimate of all of these, and we give you the exact figure before you bid.
What we check before we bid for you
- Every photo, the condition report and the title, against Ghana's current import rules.
- The car's history (a Carfax or AutoCheck report on request) for past accidents, floods and odometer problems.
- A realistic repair budget, so the total still makes sense against buying locally.
- A maximum bid you approve. We never go above it.