A Better Way to Measure Diminished Value

Many independent appraisers determine diminished value by examining:

• Comparable sales of identical vehicles with and without accident history
• Dealer trade-in offers
• Auction market data
• Repair quality and extent of damage
• Structural versus cosmetic repairs
• Replacement of major OEM panels
• Airbag deployment
• Vehicle age and desirability
• Local market conditions

This market-based approach often results in a higher—and more realistic—estimate of diminished value than the 17c formula.