It’s possible to see an indication of Total Loss without the vehicle being branded. If a certain threshold is met (set by the insurance company), the Total Loss trigger is set.

If your report indicates “possible total loss,” review the “Canadian Registration Section” to confirm the branding of the vehicle.

If "title/registered to an insurance company" is included with the record, the vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company and ownership of the vehicle was transferred to that company.

For more information, please also see:

• Total loss
• What is a 43R claim?
• Why does the estimate show “total loss,” but the vehicle was neither branded as “salvage” or “rebuilt?”

Before you buy a used car, we recommend that you get a CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report, take a thorough test drive and have the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic or auto technician to make sure the vehicle is functioning properly. We would also recommend speaking with your provincial vehicle registration authority to further ensure vehicle can be registered with and operated in your province.

This is an insurance company created by an act of government. Public insurance companies are mandated in British Columbia (ICBC), Saskatchewan (SGI) and Manitoba (MPI). The Quebec government also governs private insurance for vehicles in its jurisdiction.

The vehicle was reported as scrapped, or major components were removed by a recycling facility.

Before you buy a used car, we recommend that you get a CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report, take a thorough test drive and have the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic and/or auto technician to make sure the vehicle is functioning properly.

The vehicle was identified as having been stolen from its legal owner and a subsequent insurance claim was classified as such. The payout is based on whether the vehicle had to be replaced or if any damage occurred while vehicle was out of the owner’s possession.

This does not mean vehicle is currently stolen.

To confirm vehicle's current stolen status, please see the Stolen Vehicle Check section of the Vehicle History Report.

Before you buy a used car, we recommend that you get a CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report, take a thorough test drive and have the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic or auto technician to make sure the vehicle is functioning properly. We would also recommend speaking with your provincial vehicle registration authority to further ensure vehicle can be registered with and operated in your province.

The whole vehicle was stolen. The payout is based on whether the vehicle had to be replaced, or if any damage was sustained by the unit while out of the owner’s possession.

This record most often appears in cases where a vehicle is stolen, or damage to the vehicle is approaching or exceeds its current value. 

This will always appear as $0.00 on a CARFAX Canada report.

A damage event is information about previous damage, such as auction announcements, police-related records or repair records.

Please note we are unable to obtain additional information from our sources related to these records beyond what appears on the Vehicle History Report.

Before you buy a used car, we recommend that you get a CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report, take a thorough test drive and have the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic or auto technician to make sure the vehicle is functioning properly. 

A disclosure is a fact or detail about a vehicle related to its past use, history or condition.

Some jurisdictions may require certain disclosures are made at the time of sale.

A glass claim is a type of claim filed by an insurance company in which the claim amount is used to repair or replace the windshield or other glass windows on the vehicle.

A U.S. brand attached to a vehicle that could not be fixed by the manufacturer within the requirements of the issuing state’s requirements. The definition of a lemon varies from state to state, but once a vehicle is branded a lemon, there are various legal remedies available to the consumer, which may include the manufacturer buying back or replacing the vehicle. Note that the warranty was likely nullified when this brand was applied. 

As lemon brand issued by one jurisdiction may not carry over to another, the vehicle may still be considered safe for operation on public roads in another jurisdiction.

We would advise that you get the vehicle inspected to verify its current condition and that you speak with your provincial motor vehicle registration authority for more information regarding the ability to register and operate the vehicle in your province.