Clean is a status, not a guarantee
A clean title means no insurer has declared the vehicle a total loss in a state that reports it. A car can have been repaired after a serious collision and still carry a clean title, if the owner paid out of pocket and never filed a claim. Clean tells you about paperwork; an inspection tells you about the vehicle.
Salvage means it was written off
A salvage title is issued when an insurer decides repair costs exceed a percentage of the vehicle's value — the threshold varies by state, which is why identical damage can brand a car in one state and not in another. A salvage vehicle generally cannot be registered or driven until it has been repaired and re-inspected.
Rebuilt means it came back
A rebuilt or reconstructed title is a salvage vehicle that has passed a state inspection after repair. It can be registered and insured, but the brand stays on the title for life and shows up in every history report a future buyer runs.
Expect it to sell for 20% to 40% less than the clean-title equivalent, expect some insurers to decline comprehensive cover, and expect to explain it to every buyer you ever sell it to.
When a brand is worth taking
On a cheap work vehicle you intend to run into the ground, a rebuilt title can be the best value on the lot. On anything you plan to resell, the discount you receive today is smaller than the discount you will give tomorrow.
From the auction floor
See how this works on a real lot.
Every listing carries its inspection report, its full specification and its bid history. Read one before you decide what it is worth to you.