When Does An Insurance Company Total A Car? 
That is a great question ! An auto insurance company will generally total your car when the cost of the repairs is near to , or exceeds , the approximate retail -LRB- Sometimes referred to as the `` Blue Book '' -RRB- value of the car . As the retail value is much lower in cars that are several years old , these cars are more likely to be totaled . I hope that helps , thanks for asking ! 