Salvage and flood car check before it is shipped or sold.
A salvage or flood title does not travel on Nigerian papers, but it stays with the VIN. Enter the VIN to see title and damage records where available. Full report ₦9,900.
900M+ Vehicles in database
₦9,900 Full report
A salvage or flood car is one an insurer wrote off abroad. Repaired and shipped, it can be sold in Nigeria as clean tokunbo. Carlytics checks the 17-character VIN against 900+ million records in US, EU and worldwide databases for salvage, rebuilt and flood titles and damage records where available. Full report ₦9,900.
Salvage, rebuilt, flood, clean title: plain meanings
Title brands come from the US system of car titles. They describe what happened to the car, not how it looks today.
| Title | What it means |
|---|---|
| Clean title | No brand on the title. It means no brand was recorded, not that the car was never damaged. |
| Salvage title | An insurer declared the car a total loss, usually because repairs would cost more than the car was worth. |
| Rebuilt or reconstructed title | A salvage car that was repaired and passed an inspection so it could be driven again. |
| Flood title | The car was damaged by water: rising flood water, not a leak or a wash. |
Salvage cars are bought cheaply abroad, repaired and sometimes sold here as clean tokunbo. A repaired car is not always a bad car, but it should be priced as one, and you should know before you pay. Accidented cars that never received a title brand are covered on the accidented car check.
Why flood cars reach Nigeria
After big floods abroad, written-off cars go on sale cheaply, and some are exported.
When a hurricane floods a US city, insurers write off many of the cars that stood in the water and sell them on as salvage. Nigerian press has warned about these cars before: after Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Nairametrics reported that flooded cars from Texas could be on their way to Nigeria.
A flood car can look perfect after cleaning. The damage shows later: corroded wiring, failing electronics, rusting seat rails and a smell that returns in the rainy season. Many US cars arrive through the same route, so for a car from America read the American used car check as well.
Flood signs
Check these before the mechanic. Bring a torch and look where nobody cleans.
- Silt, sand or dried mud under the carpets, in the spare-wheel well and in the seat-belt mechanisms.
- Rust on the seat rails, the screws under the dashboard and the pedal bracket, in a car that is otherwise clean.
- A musty or mouldy smell, or heavy air freshener covering one.
- A water line behind door panels or on the inside of the headlights and lamps.
- Corroded connectors, flickering warning lights, windows or locks that work only sometimes.
- New carpets or upholstery in an older car, with no reason given.
One sign can have an innocent cause. Several together are a reason to walk away.
What the report shows
The title brand travels with the VIN, not with the Nigerian papers.
Title and damage records, where available
Where we hold them for the VIN, the report shows salvage, rebuilt and flood titles and auction damage classifications, with their dates. The sample report shows how a damage record appears.
What it cannot prove
No record found is not proof that a car is undamaged. Some damage was never reported to an insurer, so combine the report with the flood signs above and an independent inspection.
Buying a repaired salvage car on purpose
Some buyers choose a repaired car because it costs less. Do it with your eyes open.
Know what was damaged
A car written off after a theft and recovery is not the same as one written off after a flood or a heavy front crash. Where an auction damage classification is held for the VIN, it tells you which kind of damage the insurer saw. Ask the seller for photos and invoices of the repair.
Price it as repaired
A repaired salvage car is worth less than a clean one of the same model and year, and it will be worth less again when you sell it. Agree the price on that basis, not on the price of a clean tokunbo.
Questions for the seller
- Did the car have a salvage, rebuilt or flood title abroad?
- Who repaired it, where, and is there an invoice?
- Has the wiring been checked since it arrived in Nigeria?
Official checks worth doing in Nigeria, and what they show
Each official check covers one part of the car's story. Do them alongside the report.
| Check | What you enter | Where | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customs duty status | The VIN | Nigeria Customs CVMS (cvms.nigeriatradehub.gov.ng) | Whether the vehicle was cleared through customs, with an official receipt. A paid service. |
| National vehicle registry | The VIN | VREG, Federal Ministry of Finance (vreg.gov.ng, USSD *7031#) | Whether the VIN is registered on VREG, and its duty status. |
| Number plate | The plate number | FRSC NVIS (nvis.frsc.gov.ng) | Whether the plate matches the FRSC record. |
| Police vehicle certificate | Owner and vehicle details | Nigeria Police e-CMR (cmris.npf.gov.ng) | The police Central Motor Registry certificate the owner should hold. |
What the official checks leave out
Each check covers one record. None of them puts a car's dated history from Europe, the US or China next to its Nigerian papers. That is the part the report adds.
Official checks and a Carlytics report side by side
| Topic | Official checks | Carlytics report |
|---|---|---|
| Mileage | Not shown | Dated mileage records for the VIN, where available, from several countries |
| Accidents and damage | Not shown before purchase | Accident and damage records where available for the VIN |
| Customs duty | CVMS or VREG | Not included: confirm it there |
| Theft | Police certificate held by the owner | Stolen-vehicle databases from the US, the EU and worldwide |
| Specification | Not shown | Factory decode from the VIN |
One Carlytics report costs ₦9,900, with a free preview first.
What the report shows for a salvage or flood car
Here is what to expect from a ₦9,900 report on a car with a 17-character VIN.
In the report
- A factory decode: make, model, model year, engine, fuel, body style and plant.
- Dated mileage records where available for the VIN, from the countries the car lived in.
- Accident and damage records where available for the VIN, for example salvage and write-off titles and auction damage classifications.
- A check against stolen-vehicle databases from the US, the EU and worldwide.
- Safety recall campaigns recorded for the make, model and year.
- Market value, known model issues and running-cost context.
Before you check
- Have the 17-character VIN ready. It is on the windscreen, the door pillar and the customs papers; a plate number alone is not enough.
- Confirm the customs duty status on Nigeria Customs CVMS or on VREG. The report does not cover customs duty.
- Book an independent mechanic to inspect the car before you transfer any money.
No record found is not proof that a car is undamaged or that its mileage is correct.
Checking for salvage and flood history, in order
Four steps before any deposit.
- 1
Get the VIN
From the windscreen and the customs papers; both must match.
- 2
Read the title records
Salvage, rebuilt and flood titles where available in the report.
- 3
Look for flood signs
Carpets, seat rails, smell, lamps and electrics.
- 4
Inspect, then pay
A mechanic checks the wiring and the chassis before any transfer.
What we check before you pay for a car in Nigeria
One VIN, the records from the countries the car has lived in. These are the checks that matter most for a tokunbo car, a Nigerian-used car or a new Chinese model.
Accident and damage
The report includes accident and damage records where available for the VIN, such as salvage and write-off titles and auction damage classifications. An accidented car repaired abroad and shipped to Lagos can look clean on the lot; the record from its first life is where the repair shows. No record found is not proof the car was never damaged.
Mileage rollbacks
We put the dated mileage records we hold for the VIN in order, where available, so you can compare them with the dashboard. The weak point on a tokunbo car is the gap between the last reading abroad and the day it reached Nigeria.
Specs & equipment
We decode the factory specification from the VIN: make, model, year, engine, fuel, body and plant. Check it against the advert and the customs papers before you agree a price.
Safety recalls
We list safety recall campaigns recorded for the make, model and year. A car bought abroad and shipped to Nigeria rarely comes with its recall letters, so ask a dealer of the brand to confirm the work was done.
Flood damage
Check whether the car carries flood or weather damage records where available. Flood cars from US storms have been repaired and shipped to Nigeria before, and a flood car can fail electrically long after the sale.
Stolen car check
We check the VIN against stolen-vehicle databases from the US, the EU and worldwide. Cars stolen abroad have been shipped to Nigeria and seized from the buyer, so run this check before any transfer.
Photos
Where available, we include earlier photos of the car, for example from auctions. They can show damage, repairs or a different colour that the seller has not mentioned.
Market value
We estimate a fair market value from comparable cars, so you can tell whether the asking price is reasonable for the year, mileage and specification.
Trusted in 47+ countries, including the ones Nigeria imports from
Carlytics brings together vehicle records from 47+ countries, with 900M+ vehicles in its database, across Europe and North America, plus factory decoding for cars built in China, Japan and Korea. For a tokunbo car, that is where its earlier life was recorded.
Access data from national registries,
insurance databases, law enforcement and more.
How It Works
Carlytics checks a 17-character VIN in seconds by cross-referencing 900M+ records from 47+ countries. Enter the VIN from the windscreen, the door pillar or the customs papers, check the free preview, then unlock the full vehicle history report for ₦9,900.
From VIN to report in a few minutes. Check the free preview before you pay.
Enter the VIN
Type the 17-character VIN (chassis number) from the car or its papers. A Nigerian plate number is not enough on its own.
Check the preview
Confirm the make, model and year match what the seller told you before you pay anything.
Get the full report
Mileage and accident records where available, theft, recalls and value, in one report with a PDF you can forward.
Decide with evidence
Take the report to the inspection, ask the seller about every gap, and only then transfer money.
Why check a VIN before buying a car in Nigeria?
Nigeria spent ₦1.58 trillion importing passenger cars in 2025, and most of them arrived used. A car's history abroad does not follow it to Nigeria on paper; it follows it through the VIN.
Mileage on tokunbo cars
An odometer can be wound back between the last reading abroad and the sale in Nigeria. Dated mileage records, where available, show whether the dashboard fits the car's past.
Accidented and flood cars
Salvage and flood cars are bought cheaply abroad, repaired and sold here as clean tokunbo. Accident and damage records, where available, show what happened before the car was shipped.
Stolen abroad
Vehicles stolen in Canada have been traced to Nigeria and handed back to their owners. A theft check before payment protects you from losing the car and your money.
Year and model on the papers
Customs rules and duty depend on the year of manufacture and the exact model. The decoded year and specification help you test what the papers say.
Ready to check your vehicle?
Enter the VIN number below to get a free instant report.
Sample Vehicle Report
Every Carlytics report covers 24 sections including decoded specs, mileage history, safety recalls, theft status, market value, and cross-border import records. The full report costs ₦9,900 and is available instantly as an interactive page and downloadable PDF.
Here's an example of the comprehensive vehicle report you'll receive. Our reports provide detailed information to help you make informed decisions about any vehicle.
Toyota Corolla (2012)
1.8 L • Petrol • Automatic • Sedan
Vehicle Information
Official records
Vehicle Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
What does salvage title mean?
Can a salvage car be registered in Nigeria?
How do I know a car was flooded?
Is a clean title proof the car is fine?
Does the report show salvage and flood records?
How much is the check?
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