Vehicle description errors
- Wrong trim level recorded (e.g., base trim listed instead of your actual mid- or upper-trim).
- Missing factory options that add real value (navigation, premium audio, sunroof, tow package, leather).
- Incorrect mileage — check it against your last service record or odometer photo, not just memory.
- Wrong drivetrain or engine configuration (e.g., AWD vehicle recorded as FWD).
Comparable-selection errors
- Comps from far outside your local market without a clear reason.
- Comps with a significantly different trim or mileage than your vehicle, with no adjustment noted.
- Comps that are stale listings — up for sale a long time, suggesting the asking price was too high to actually sell at.
- Too few comps to support a stable average — two or fewer comparables is a thin sample.
Adjustment errors
- Large, unexplained deductions with no stated reason or rate.
- Condition downgrades applied without an inspection to support them.
- Mileage adjustments that don't match the actual mileage gap between your car and the comp.
How to work through this systematically: the Total-Loss Offer Audit calculator's comparable-quality review walks through exactly these categories — year, mileage, trim, configuration, distance, listing status, condition, and insurer-shown adjustments — for every comp you enter, and lists each mismatch as a specific question to raise rather than a guessed dollar figure.
What this guide cannot tell you
It can't tell you whether a specific error actually occurred in your report, or how much it's worth if it did — only your own comparison against real comps and your own paperwork can show that. Its job is to tell you exactly where to look.