When Does Car Insurance Total A Car? 
That is a great question , but it really depends on the company I believe . In my experience , a general rule of thumb to keep in mind is , if the repair estimate provided by the repair shop is in the neighborhood of about 70 % of the `` book value '' of the car , it is likely that the Professional Claims Adjuster will determine the car to be `` totalled '' . Here 's the thing . The estimates are completed as accurately as possible , but really are dependent upon what the technician can see . It is likely that there is damage internally in the structure of the car that can not be seen until the car is broken down . Additional damage will increase the final cost of the repair . 