Similar used cars in one city were listed about 15% apart, and valuing a totaled car on the three cheapest listings cut about $2,400.
PHOENIX, AZ, UNITED STATES, November 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Two drivers with the same car, in the same city, in the same week can receive total loss settlements thousands of dollars apart, depending on which “comparable” cars are used to value them. That is the central finding of a new MyFairClaim study of 41,833 used-car listings from 3,017 dealers in 30 U.S. metro areas.
When a car is totaled, the insurer owes the owner its actual cash value, usually built from the prices of similar vehicles for sale nearby. MyFairClaim measured how much those prices vary for cars of the same model, model year, trim and mileage. Key findings:
Same city, wide range. Similar cars in the same metro were typically listed about 15% apart. The three cheapest and three priciest matching listings were about $5,000 apart.
The cheapest three. Pricing a car on the three cheapest local listings instead of a typical one cut its value by about $2,400 (9%). In a third of cases, the cut was more than $3,000.
Pickups have the most at stake. For a Ford F-150, the three cheapest local comparables averaged $4,260 below a typical one.
Location matters. With model, year, trim and mileage held equal, Miami-area dealers listed the same car about 8% below a typical U.S. metro, while Seattle, Denver and Indianapolis listed it 3.5% to 4% above.
Mileage. Every 10,000 miles took a median 3.7% off asking prices, so a car with 20,000 fewer miles than its comparables can be worth roughly $2,000 more.
“Most drivers get one number and a request to sign,” a MyFairClaim spokesperson said. “These are ordinary listings at ordinary dealers, and any of them can be called comparable. Knowing how wide that range is helps people ask the right questions before they accept an offer.”
The study suggests drivers facing a total loss ask for the full valuation report in writing, check that comparables match their car’s trim and local market, confirm any mileage credit, and ask what supports each deduction.
The full study, including results for 26 cities and 17 popular models, the methodology and a downloadable data file, is published on the MyFairClaim website as Same Car, Different Price.
Methodology: MyFairClaim analyzed dealer asking prices for 2019 to 2023 model-year listings of 24 common used vehicles within 60 miles of 30 U.S. metro areas, as of Oct. 26, 2026, from its own database of about 1.32 million active listings. Prices are dealer asking prices, not final sale prices. Reporters and researchers may cite the figures with a link to the study page.
About MyFairClaim: MyFairClaim helps drivers in all 50 states and D.C. document what their vehicle lost after an accident. Its self-service platform produces diminished value and total loss valuation reports built on current market data from its own database of U.S. dealer listings, with free calculators for both. Learn more at myfairclaim.com.
MyFairClaim Research
MyFairClaim LLC
6029354309
research@myfairclaim.com
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