A valuation report review should focus on the vehicle description, comparable vehicles, adjustments, condition, mileage, options, and final settlement items. The goal is to find issues that actually affect value.
A valuation report review helps you understand how the insurance company reached its number. The report may be right, partly right, or built on details that deserve a challenge.
Valuation report review basics
Begin with the vehicle description. Check the VIN, mileage, trim, packages, drivetrain, and major options. After that, read the comparable vehicle section. Look for vehicles that differ in trim, mileage, distance, condition, age of listing, or equipment.
- Match the vehicle description to your actual vehicle.
- Review comparable vehicles and all adjustments.
- Check condition, mileage, taxes, fees, and deductions.
- Write down only the issues that may change value.
Adjustments should make sense
Most reports adjust comparable vehicles to make them closer to the loss vehicle. However, an adjustment can help or hurt the final value. Review whether the report explains the adjustment clearly. A mileage adjustment should not feel random, and a condition deduction should connect to real evidence.
It also helps to separate real issues from weak arguments. For example, a missing option or wrong trim may matter. A single expensive listing may not prove the whole market is higher. For related detail, see our guide on comparable vehicles.
What to do after reading it
Write down the strongest issues first. Then attach proof, such as photos, a window sticker, service history, build sheet, or screenshots of better comparable vehicles. The NAIC consumer auto insurance guide can help with general insurance terms, but your strongest support will come from vehicle-specific documents.
A useful review separates true value issues from details that probably do not move the number.
When you want help sorting the strong points from the noise, use the free value review. We review the file before asking you to pay.