What Happens When Insurance Totals A Car? 
Every insurance company and policy is different but in general if you have a vehicle that sustains a total loss , the insurance company will issue you a check for the actual cash value -LRB- ACV -RRB- of the vehicle minus your deductible . What is ACV and how does the insurance company calculate this amount ? They will take the amount to replace your vehicle and depreciate that amount based on age and condition . Basically , it 's the amount that you could get if you sold the vehicle on your own . Here are some common sites that insurance companies will use to calculate the value : WEBSITELINK WEBSITELINK You might also want to check out Ebay because you can look at what similar vehicles sold for in your area . And this should give you a real good estimate for the amount you should expect to receive from the insurance company . And in the end , the more homework you do , the more money you can save . 