Auctions · Updated May 15, 2026

Damage types: the primary damage codes used at Copart and IAAI auctions

Every car at a Copart or IAAI auction lane carries a primary damage code — the auction's one-word verdict on what's wrong with the vehicle. This is the complete reference: what each damage type means, how the primary damage classification affects price, and how to filter the vinfax archive by the damage code you're shopping for. Pair it with a free VIN check on any specific car.

What is a primary damage code?

A primary damage code is the principal damage classification recorded at vehicle intake by the auction. When a totalled car arrives at a Copart or IAAI yard, an inspector photographs every panel and assigns the single damage type that best describes the worst impact zone. That code drives the listing category, the insurance valuation, and the state DMV's salvage title decision.

Most listings also carry a secondary damage code for the next-worst impact. A car rear-ended hard enough to spin into a guardrail will read primary Rear with secondary Side; a rolled SUV will read primary All Over with secondary Undercarriage. The inventory search filters on the primary code only; the listing detail page shows both. vinfax normalises the slightly different Copart and IAAI code sets into one taxonomy.

The full damage classification catalogue

Every damage type in our auction history archive, with a short explainer and a direct filter link. Codes are case-sensitive in the URL because they map straight to the auction enum.

Front end

The most common code at salvage auction. Front-end damage covers hood, fenders, bumper, headlights, grille, radiator support, and front frame rails. Airbag deployment is near-universal on moderate hits, which alone totals cars under ten thousand dollars. Browse front-end damage listings.

Rear end

Impacts to the trunk, tailgate, rear bumper, tail lights, or rear frame. Airbags rarely deploy, but the rear collision can intrude into the fuel system or buckle the trunk floor. Filter rear damage listings.

Side / left side / right side

T-bone impacts and sideswipes. A 50 mph T-bone collapses the B-pillar and deploys curtain airbags; a parking-lot sideswipe just dents one door. Copart sometimes splits Left side and Right side; vinfax groups them under side damage.

All over

All-over damage means multiple impact zones — rollovers, multi-car pile-ups, or single severe crashes affecting most of the car. Expect structural-integrity questions and a long parts list. Browse all-over damage listings.

Front & rear

Damage to both ends without significant side damage — usually a chain-reaction freeway pile-up. The middle of the car often survives, which makes this a surprisingly buildable salvage. Filter the front & rear archive.

Hail

Hail damage is applied when a severe storm dents every horizontal panel and cracks the windshield. Mechanically the car is usually perfect, but refinishing every panel can exceed the pre-storm value on anything under fifteen thousand dollars. Most supply: Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Nebraska in spring. See hail damage listings.

Flood

The highest-hidden-risk damage code at auction. Water above the floorboard reaches wiring harnesses, body control modules, infotainment, and seat sensors; mould and corrosion surface months or years later. Read the flood damage guide, or browse flood damage listings.

Vandalism

Keyed paint, smashed windows, slashed seats, spray-paint. Mechanically untouched almost every time. Browse vandalism listings.

Burn

Fire damage, partial or total — engine-bay leaks, electrical faults, arson on stolen cars, post-collision cabin fires. Even a small under-hood fire usually means a full wiring-harness replacement because heat damage extends beyond the visibly melted parts. Browse burn listings.

Burn — engine

A narrower code for fires confined to the engine bay. Cabin and rear are intact; the engine, harness, and front clip are the rebuild project. Often a complete-shell donor when the rest of the car is clean.

Mechanical

Engine, transmission, or driveline failure not caused by collision: blown head gasket, seized engine, failed transmission, snapped timing chain. The body is usually perfect and the title often clean. For a mechanically-inclined buyer with a used-engine line, this is often the highest-value code. Browse mechanical listings.

Theft / theft recovery

Stolen vehicles recovered after the insurance claim was paid. Range: completely stripped (catalytic converter, wheels, infotainment, airbags) to barely-touched joyrides. Read the theft recovery guide, or browse theft recovery listings.

Repossession

Lender-recovered cars auctioned to recover the outstanding loan balance. Often no damage at all. Filter repossession listings.

Undercarriage

Frame rail, subframe, suspension, exhaust, or fuel-tank damage from running over an object or bottoming out. Sometimes assigned as primary when the visible body is untouched. Browse undercarriage listings.

Hatch damage

Damage isolated to the rear hatch or liftgate — panel, hinges, struts, rear glass. The rear frame and bumper are intact.

Normal wear

Dealer trade-ins, off-lease returns, or fleet retirements moving through the auction's wholesale channel. Clean-title vehicles, not totalled.

Unknown

The code assigned when the yard inspector couldn't determine the damage type at intake. Read the photos carefully — "unknown" can hide anything.

What "primary" vs "secondary" damage means

Every listing carries both a primary damage code and a secondary damage code. Inventory filters use the primary damage only, so a car with primary "Front end" / secondary "Side" appears under front-end filters, not side. The detail page shows both verbatim. Always read the secondary line before bidding — a "primary: Front end / secondary: All Over" is a far worse car than "primary: Front end" alone.

How damage type affects price

Sale price varies primarily by damage type, then by title brand, mileage, and year. Approximate discounts versus comparable clean-title retail, drawn from the vinfax auction history archive:

Damage type	Typical discount	Notes
Hail	30-50%	Cosmetic-only. Best value if you can live with the body work.
Front end	40-60%	Factor in $2-4k airbag replacement, much more on luxury.
Rear end	35-55%	Cheaper repair than front. Watch for fuel-system damage.
Side	35-60%	Door and pillar work; airbag deployment on severe hits.
All over	50-70%	Structural integrity question. Most are parts cars.
Flood	60-80%	Cheapest for a reason. Hidden electrical risk for years.
Mechanical	30-50%	Body typically clean. Best buy for the mechanically inclined.
Theft recovery	20-40%	Body usually intact; check for stripped parts.
Burn	60-90%	Parts-only most of the time. Engine-only burns sometimes rebuild.

Damage type vs title brand

Damage classification and title brand are independent. The damage code is the auction's verdict on what is physically wrong with the car; the title brand is the state DMV's verdict on whether the car may legally return to the road. A front-end damage car can carry a clean title, a salvage title, or a rebuilt title depending on the insurer's total-loss decision. For how state DMVs translate damage into a salvage title brand, see the salvage title guide.

Browse by damage type on vinfax

The fastest way to use this catalogue is to filter live inventory by the damage code you care about:

Front-end damage — largest single category in the archive.
Hail damage — cosmetic-only inventory.
Flood damage — see the flood guide first.
Theft recovery — light-damage rebuild candidates.
Mechanical damage — clean body, blown drivetrain.

Or run a free VIN check on a specific car — auction history, primary and secondary damage codes, photos, and sale price for every Copart or IAAI appearance since 2024.

Run a free VIN check → Browse categories →