Diminished Value Calculator
Even after perfect repairs, a vehicle with an accident history is worth less than a clean one. This hidden loss is called diminished value — and insurance companies rarely explain it clearly.
Our Diminished Value Calculator helps you uncover the real financial impact of an accident by analyzing your car’s pre-accident value, damage severity, mileage, repair cost, airbag deployment, repair quality, and even your state’s legal calculation method.
This tool gives you an instant estimate of how much money your vehicle has lost — so you can decide whether it’s worth filing a claim.
What Is Diminished Value?
Diminished value is the difference between:
- What your car was worth before the accident, and
- What it is worth after being repaired, simply because it now has an accident history.
Even if your car looks perfect, buyers, dealers, and CARFAX reports still lower its market price.
How This Calculator Works
The calculator estimates loss using multiple real-world factors:
- Vehicle value before accident
- Vehicle age and mileage
- Severity of damage
- Repair costs
- Type of accident (rear-end, flood, fire, rollover, etc.)
- Whether airbags deployed
- Repair quality
- Whether accident was reported to CARFAX / AutoCheck
- Your state’s calculation method (Georgia 17c or market-based)
All these are combined to produce a realistic diminished value estimate.
How to Use the Diminished Value Calculator
- Enter your vehicle value before the accident.
- Add your car’s age in years.
- Enter current mileage.
- Select damage severity.
- Enter total repair cost.
- Choose accident type.
- Select if airbags were deployed.
- Choose if the accident was reported on CARFAX / AutoCheck.
- Select repair quality.
- Choose your state.
- Click Calculate Value Loss.
You’ll instantly see the financial impact.
Understanding Your Results
Estimated Diminished Value
The total amount your car has lost in resale value due to the accident.
Value Loss Percentage
Shows how much of your car’s original value has disappeared.
Claim Strength
Indicates how strong your insurance claim could be:
- Strong Claim
- Moderate Claim
- Weak Claim
- Very Weak Claim
Calculation Method
Shows whether Georgia’s 17c formula or market-based analysis was applied.
Recommendation
Gives guidance on whether to pursue, consider, or avoid a claim.
Example
If your car was worth $25,000, suffered moderate damage, had airbags deployed, and was reported on CARFAX, your diminished value could easily exceed $3,000+ — even after repairs.
That’s money most people never recover because they never calculate it.
Why This Tool Is Important
Insurance companies focus on repair costs — not resale loss. This calculator:
- Reveals hidden financial damage
- Helps you negotiate fair compensation
- Shows if a claim is worth pursuing
- Protects you from accepting low settlements
Conclusion
An accident doesn’t end when repairs are finished — it follows your car forever in its resale price. The Diminished Value Calculator gives you a clear, unbiased estimate of what that accident truly cost you.
Before accepting any insurance settlement, use this tool to protect your money and your rights. Knowing your diminished value could be the difference between losing thousands or getting what you truly deserve.