TOTALED: The Real Costs of Vehicle Loss

How Total Loss Determinations Reshape Consumer Finances and Mobility

2026 ABPA Consumer Research Report Cover

The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) is proud to release its latest consumer research report, TOTALED: The Real Costs of Vehicle Loss, prepared by Dr. Blaire O’Neal of Depth Services. This new study examines how rising repair costs, valuation methods, and market pressures are reshaping the consumer experience following a vehicle collision.

Based on thirty in-depth consumer interviews conducted across the United States, the report documents how vehicle total loss determinations often create financial strain, transportation instability, increased debt, and long-term household disruption.

The report introduces the concept of the “Total Loss Cascade,” illustrating how a single collision event can trigger compounding financial and mobility pressures over time. Key findings include:

Debt transition and amplification
Wealth depletion and asset liquidation
Replacement vehicle downgrade and asset degradation
Mobility instability and transportation disruption
Labor intensification and income loss

TOTALED also explores the broader economic forces driving increased total loss frequency, including advanced vehicle technology, labor shortages, and escalating collision parts pricing. The report highlights how recent actions by car companies limiting access to competitive replacement parts can further increase repair costs and reduce affordable repair options for consumers.

Importantly, the study reinforces the critical role that quality aftermarket collision parts play in helping maintain affordable vehicle repairs, preserving consumer choice, and potentially preventing otherwise repairable vehicles from being declared total losses.

The report also outlines policy considerations focused on improving transparency, preserving affordable repair options, and reducing unnecessary financial harm to consumers, including support for legislation such as the REPAIR Act and the SMART Act.