When you're involved in an accident or your vehicle gets a tree on the noggin, it’s no longer just the severity of the impact that can ultimately send your car to the scrap heap. A new industry report reveals a surge in the numbers of vehicles declared total losses after an accident, and that it is attributable in large part to the complexity of modern technology and the increasing age of vehicles on our roads.

 

According to the annual Crash Course report by the CCC firm, the percentage of post-accident vehicles being declared a total loss rose from 22.1 percent in 2024 to 22.8 percent in 2025. In other words, nearly one in every four crashed vehicles now ends up on the scrap heap. Even more troubling: between the third quarter of 2024 and the same period in 2025, this proportion jumped by nearly 1 percent. If the trend continues, 2025 could set a historical record.