Vehicles are categorized into “Auction Grades” based on their overall condition, allowing you to refine your search based on these grades. However, it’s important to note that auction grades may differ between auctions or inspectors.

5 – Close to perfect and are rarely older than 10 years.

4.5 – Excellent for their age with few defects that are small or easily fixable. Cars older than 15 years are unlikely to have this grade.

4 – Better than average for their age, but may have some paint fade, small to medium-sized dents, and typically have mileage less than 100,000kms.

3.5 – The most common grade, but buyers should read the condition notes carefully as these cars may have interior defects, large dents, peeling paint, and large scrapes. The mileage is typically between 100,000 and 200,000 kilometers.

3 – Can mean a car that was in a small accident, poor overall condition, or has rust or mechanical failure.

2 – Rarely in good condition and are often only useful for parts due to severe rust holes in the floorboards and body panels. These cars are not recommended unless the buyer has experience buying cars in poor condition.

R – Have been repaired from an accident and do not necessarily mean they have been salvaged. Buyers can find detailed notes on each auction sheet to make their own judgment on the car’s condition.

*** – Cars with a triple star or “0” grade have not been inspected and often have serious problems or were involved in accidents that were not fixed. These cars typically do not run.

R – R-grade cars are often misunderstood as salvaged vehicles, but they are actually cars that have been repaired after an accident. The auction sheet provides detailed notes for customers to determine the car’s condition and decide if it’s good or bad.

Like the vehicle grade, this letter is a good starting place, but it is not enough information to know if the car is good to bid on. For that, you need to read the report and diagram sections which are explained further down. 

A – Excellent

B – Very good – The vehicle could potentially exhibit stains and slight wear on the steering wheel and shift knob, but there are no significant problems expected.  

C – Average – Cars that are 15 years old or more commonly receive grade C. Some auctions regard this as the lowest grade, while some do not. The notes should provide information about the condition..

D/E – Poor – These types of vehicles usually display issues like sagging headliners, shredded seats, interior stains, broken dashboards, or removed interior panels.

Damage

A – Scratch or Chip

U – Dent

W – Repaired or Repainted

Y – Crack

S – Rust

C – Heavy Rust / Corrosion

XX – Replaced

X – Broken or Needs Replaced

Severity

1 – Minor

2 – Moderate

3 – Severe