Salem, Oregon Total Loss Appraisal

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In Salem, Oregon, facing a total loss vehicle scenario, whether it’s due to a car accident or a stolen vehicle, can be overwhelming. Leverage Auto Appraisals, known for its dedication to equitable and accurate car valuations, is your ally in these challenging times. Specializing in total loss appraisals, we are committed to ensuring that you receive the rightful retail value for your vehicle.

When an insurance company declares your vehicle a total loss in Salem, understanding the impact is vital. This typically means that repairing the vehicle might cost more than its present retail market value. At such times, the expertise of Leverage Auto Appraisals becomes indispensable. We are here to assist you in navigating these difficult times, ensuring your vehicle’s valuation is fair and in compliance with Oregon’s legal standards.

Set against the backdrop of Salem’s historical and cultural landmarks, like the Oregon State Capitol and the scenic Riverfront Park, our services resonate with the local community. We take pride in serving Salem’s residents with integrity and an in-depth understanding of the local automotive market.

Our services cater to those who believe their insurance company’s offer is unjustly low. We are independent of any insurance company affiliations, focusing solely on securing a fair settlement for you. According to Oregon law, you are entitled to a 100% reimbursement of the appraisal costs if the final appraised value is even slightly higher than the insurer’s last offer.

Ken Nix, our Oregon Certified Vehicle Appraiser (Certification #V34-075), specializes in managing total loss car appraisals, auto total loss appraisal insurance claim disputes, and negotiations for various vehicle types, including those linked with Copart and IAAI. We have observed that valuations, especially for certain types of vehicles like Diesel Trucks with 7.3, Duramax, or Cummins engines, are often much lower than their actual market value. This is where we step in, utilizing the appraisal clause in your policy to effectively dispute these low estimates.

If you are in Salem and find yourself dealing with a total loss insurance claim, don’t hesitate to contact Leverage Auto Appraisals. We offer a Free Total Loss Claim Review, dedicated to ensuring that your car value or vehicle value genuinely reflects its market worth. Our approach is thorough and personalized, aimed at recovering the maximum fair market value for your vehicle.

Reach out to Leverage Auto Appraisals at (503) 567-8900 for expert assistance in Salem, Oregon. Whether it’s a simple car accident or more complex situations involving total loss appraisal near me, auto total loss appraisal, or total loss evaluation, our team is here to guide you to a fair and equitable settlement. Let us support you in this process, safeguarding your rights and ensuring that your vehicle’s value is properly acknowledged.

picture of a vehicle in salem oregon that has been totaled by an insurance company and declared a total loss

Our all-inclusive auto appraisal service provides everything you need to determine the cash value of your vehicle. With us you can have peace of mind and confidence in your claim. Other companies may claim to be the best auto appraisers in the Pacific Northwest, but we don’t work for insurance companies like they do. Haven’t you already dealt with enough misdirection and manipulation from your insurance company?

Is there an auto appraiser near me? I cover all of Oregon, specializing in helping consumers with Oregon total loss insurance claims as an Oregon Certified Auto Appraiser since 2010.
Oregon Total Loss Laws. The big secret your claims rep doesn’t want you to know is if your Oregon Certified Auto Appraiser increases your claim just one cent, yes, ONE PENNY, your insurance company has to reimburse you for the cost of the total loss appraisal.
How can I negotiate with car insurance adjusters for my car’s total loss. YOU DON’T HAVE TO. Under your policy’s appraisal clause, you’re allowed to hire a vehicle appraiser and he can negotiate the claim for you.
How much more can I get? My average increase this year, is $5,768.19 or 44.78 percent of the vehicle’s value. .
When’s the best time to invoke my appraisal clause? The sooner the better. Ken has over a decade of experience working appraisal clause claims. Many insurance companies are known to give claimants a list of things to do if they want a higher value. Most of the times, this is just a ploy to get you to waste time while your vehicle goes down in value, so they can gain an even bigger advantage.

We Can Help! We specialize in Oregon Total loss Insurance claim disputes. If your vehicle has been declared a total loss and your insurance company is not providing a fair offer, and you need help, we can provide… LEVERAGE to get the value you should be receiving. Don’t go it alone, our Oregon Licensed Auto Appraiser, Ken Nix, can help you recover your full value by producing an appraisal under the appraisal clause of your insurance policy and negotiations with your insurance company.

Excellent

Leverage Auto Appraisals |Total Loss Appraiser

Based on 142 reviews

Dave W

Ken at Leverage did an outstanding job for us, the insurance company was trying to low ball the value of my daughter's Sienna van that was totaled by someone running a stop sign. Insurance comany's offer was ridiculous. I tried fighting them myself and got nowhere, they just shut me down. But Ken stepped in and got us almost 40% more, and the insurance had to reimburse me for his cost. Ken is a very pleasant guy, extremely knowledgable about his business, and great to work with. He definitely goes to bat for his customer, and he does not take a percentage of the settlement like most the other appraisers do. Highly recommend him. And he's a fun and interesting guy to talk to!

Chrissy Swartouy

Ken did a great job getting me top dollar for my Jeep! Well worth the money! I received about 33% more than what my insurance was going to pay me for my loss. You need an expert to negotiate with experts & Ken delivered. Just be very patient- it takes about 3-4 months during this process but well worth it! Highly recommended Ken with Leverage!

Response from the owner:Thank you for the kind words Chrissy. I truly appreciate your praise. Fortunately most claims do NOT take this long and typically wrap up within a week or two. However the timeline often depends on how long it takes the insurance company to hire an appraiser and it also depends on the opposing appraiser and the effort required to discredit their appraisal while defending my own. In your case we secured a $5,396 increase from State Farm’s final offer which is a fantastic result. I do believe your Jeep Wrangler was worth more given its lower mileage but being a 2004 with very low miles and in much better condition that 98% of 2004 Jeeps out there made it challenging to build a higher credible valuation with the available comparable vehicles. Many of the comps had higher miles, prior damage, improper repairs, or even current damage while being listed at much lower values. Which makes it harder to quantify or discredit, especially if there is no damage history or visible damage on the opposing appraiser's comps. In comparison someone could purchase a four-year newer Wrangler with about 10,000 more miles for the same value we settled for. That had to be considered in our negotiation. The extended timeline for your claim reflects my commitment to not settling for less. I will not take the path of least resistance or agree to a lowball offer just to expedite negotiations. If I believe a significant increase is achievable I continue to fight for my clients even if it takes longer. Recently negotiations have slowed due to the large volume of claims following the hurricanes. Many large appraisal companies hired by insurers are overwhelmed with appraisers handling 75 to 150 assignments per month which is far beyond what allows for quality work. In comparison, I only took on 25 assignments last month which gives me time to actually work each claim to the best of my ability. Many of these appraisers are from out of state and are not licensed or authorized to produce appraisals in Oregon and are using comps from the East Coast, Salt States, etc to lowball valueations. Over the past 14 years, I have been able to disqualify a large number of out of state appraisers. Unfortunately due to changes in ODOT's rules, since January 2024 it has become nearly impossible to disqualify these appraisers if they are working for an insurance company. Thank you again for your patience and trust in me. I am so glad we were able to achieve such a strong outcome for your claim.

Laura Stiffler

Ken was amazing from start to finish. Communicative, helpful...like we had a friend in our back pocket working for us. Going through an insurance claim is never easy, but Ken always made us feel like we would be OK, even when the insurance guys seemed to want to take advantage. When all was said and done, he got us an ADDITIONAL $50K in total value, which was HUGE for us! Would highly recommend.

Aaron Lilak

Ken did a great job negotiating settlement on our total loss Chevy Bolt. Before hiring Ken, Liberty Mutual offered $9500 and then I found several nearly identical cars for around $15-16k and tried to negotiate with Liberty Mutual by sending them a list of comps....this resulted in only about a $600 increase and a lot of frustration from the insurance company claims adjuster and appraiser playing good cop/bad cop with me and insurance company playing games like lowering claim amount by an EV credit I don't even qualify for. I then told insurance company that I would invoke appraisal clause in policy and hired Ken and he negotiated settlement of $15,500 (almost a $5K increase from what I managed).

There is a law in Oregon that if the appraisal increases from insurance offer by even $0.01 that insurance company must reimburse you for the appraisal, so Liberty Mutual also got stuck paying Ken for his service and my total cost for Ken's service was $0. Only downside is that the process takes a couple weeks.....that's probably part of the game where insurance company hopes you just sign whatever they put in front of you. I will recommend Ken to everyone that I know who is in a similar position in the future.

Response from the owner:Thank you, Aaron! You did all the right things—gathering comps, pushing back, and invoking the appraisal clause when Liberty Mutual started playing games. I’m really glad I could help bring your claim up from their $9,500 lowball to a proper $15,500. That $5,000 difference isn’t just numbers—it’s peace of mind and a real-world win. And you're absolutely right about Oregon law. Because the final settlement exceeded Liberty’s offer by more than a penny, they had to reimburse you for the full appraisal cost. I’ll never stop reminding folks—when done right, the appraisal clause doesn’t cost the consumer anything in the end. Thank you for putting your trust in me, and I’m grateful for your recommendation. Kind regards, Ken

Joel Rubicam

Ken did a fantastic job, both in helping us navigate the process and in achieving a fair result. The initial offer from our insurance company seemed unreasonably low, so I tried to negotiate a fair amount. It made a very small difference, but their final offer was still far too low. Thanks to Ken's knowledge and experience, our final settlement was 87% higher than that final offer from the insurance company. If you are in Oregon and your vehicle is declared a total loss, calling Leverage Auto Appraisals should unquestionably be your next step.

Response from the owner:Thank you for the fantastic review! I’m glad I could help you navigate the process and secure a $4,875 increase on your 2006 Honda Element total loss claim with State Farm—raising your settlement from $5,625 to $10,500, an 87% increase! Your experience is, unfortunately, a common one—insurance companies start with a lowball offer, and even when policyholders push back, they make only minimal adjustments. That’s why having an experienced appraiser on your side makes all the difference. I truly appreciate your trust and recommendation. If you ever need assistance again or know someone else facing a total loss, don’t hesitate to reach out. Thanks again for choosing Leverage Auto Appraisals! —Ken

Mike Stucky

I was told that Leverage was a good company to contact for a fair appraisal of a totaled vehicle. After speaking with Ken, I knew I had the right guy to advocate for me with the other appraiser hired by the insurance company to keep their payment to me as low as possible.
I knew that my truck had intrinsic value, and so did Ken.
A Pre-Def '06 GMC 2500HD LBZ Diesel. Those who Know, Know!
Well...Wow!!! Ken got me the amount that truck would have brought if I could have sold it.
An increase of 61% over what the insurance company had insulted me with in their initial offer.
A total increase of $12,800
If you need someone who understands what you're dealing with, and will fight to get you what you deserve from an insurance company bent on screwing you.
You need Leverage Appraisals and Ken Nix!

Angelina Loredo

Ken is the absolute best. He’s nice to work with and works hard to get you a better payout. These insurance companies are swindlers and he evens the playing field. My car was stolen but he accepted affirm so I was able to pay his fee in installments. Totally worth it because he got me double what the insurance company was offering for my stolen vehicle! Now they also have to reimburse me for the money I spent on Ken’s services as well.

If you are wondering if it’ll be worth it, give him a call and he’ll look over your case and tell you if he thinks he can get you more.

Response from the owner:Don't know if I am the best, but I do my best to work for my clients. Thank you for taking the time to write a review Angel, and for choosing me as your auto appraiser. - Ken

Andrew Rohner

I highly recommend this service. I was able to secure a settlement over 50% higher than what was offered by my insurance company. Ken really came through for me.

Young

I live in Seattle and my 2014 Subaru Forester was totaled back in August. While I felt the offer from my insurance was fair for most of the car, there were a few things that I felt their offer didn’t capture (new tires). So I sat on their offer for 3 months before finding Ken Nix.

Ken has great communication considering how swamped appraisers are now. When I first spoke to him with concerns (before even hiring him), he took the time to answer all my questions in great detail. While no appraiser can guarantee how an appraisal will go, Ken assured me his services would be well worth the cost. And he was right! Less than 1 week after hiring him, I got an email from my claim agent stating they had increased my loss value by about $1800!

I’m so glad I didn’t just immediately accept my insurance’s offer, and I’m especially glad I found someone as reliable and professional as Ken!!

Michael Fletcher

Ken did with the insurance company, what we could not do, and that was get a "fair" (maybe not what we hoped for, but fair) value for very low mileage 2013 VW Golf, during a ridiculously busy time
with appraisers due to the recent on-slot of hurricane-damaged cars. He was patient in explaining the process and helpful in coming to a resolution with the insurance company.

Ron Burke

After calling Ken and explaining my details he worked with my insurance assessor. After a couple weeks he was able to get me a 29% value increase over what my insurance offered me for the total loss of my car. Thank you Ken and Leverage Auto Appraisals for your work to get me what I felt my vehicle was worth.

Response from the owner:Thank you Ron, That was a nice settlement, but a hard claim. I'm really surprised they let us get that much without pushing to go to umpire earlier. Over the past couple of months, anytime we should have a large increase like this, opposing appraisers are trying to push it to Umpire. Which in my personal opinion, is a rigged system. Most of the umpires work for insurance companies. I'm seeing more and more appraisers target the Pacific Northwest from Florida, Utah, Michigan, California, and the funny thing is a lot of them are the same auto appraisers working for insurance companies and I'm negotiating against them. Thank you for selecting me as your auto appraiser Ron. So happy I could help. Thank you, Ron! That was indeed a nice settlement, though it was a very challenging claim. I’m honestly surprised the opposing appraiser didn’t push for an umpire earlier, especially with an increase this significant. Lately, whenever we’re aiming for a large increase, opposing appraisers are quick to push to go to umpire. A system that, in my personal opinion, often favors insurers, as most umpires have close ties with them. It’s also interesting to see more appraisers targeting the Pacific Northwest from places like Florida, Utah, Michigan, and California. Many of them are the same opposing appraisers I encounter working for insurance companies in other claims. I appreciate you choosing me as your auto appraiser and taking the time to write a review.

Tim Paup

Ken was great! Helped us get more value for our car & was wonderful to work with. We highly recommend him!

Portland Total Loss Vehicle Appraisals

At Leverage Auto Appraisals, we specialize in providing services in Salem, Oregon, and are attuned to the challenges vehicle owners face when insurance companies undervalue their vehicles following a total loss. We cater exclusively to vehicle owners and insured policyholders, not insurance companies, ensuring our commitment lies solely with you. Our work in Salem, a city rich in historical and cultural heritage, marked by landmarks such as the Oregon State Capitol and the serene Bush’s Pasture Park, is focused on defending the interests of Salem’s residents in their auto insurance claims.

Navigating a total loss vehicle claim in Salem can be daunting, especially when the offer from your insurance company fails to reflect the true car value or vehicle value. This is a frequent challenge in Salem, where individuals often struggle to obtain just compensation for their totaled vehicles, whether due to a car accident or incidents with entities like Copart or IAAI.

The Appraisal Clause – Empowering Policyholders:

Challenging Low Offers: If the valuation from your insurance company is inadequate, the appraisal clause in your policy is a powerful tool to dispute their offer.
Independent Appraisal Right: As a vehicle owner, you have the right to seek an independent appraisal at your expense, while the insurance company does its evaluation.
Umpire for Dispute Resolution: If there is a disagreement in appraisals, an impartial umpire is chosen jointly to establish the final value, with costs equally divided.
Leveraging Oregon Law: Oregon law ensures that if the final appraised value is higher than the insurer’s last offer, they must cover your appraisal costs.

Leverage Auto Appraisals, led by our skilled auto appraiser, Ken Nix, is dedicated to assisting Salem’s vehicle owners. Our Free Total Loss Claim Review helps you make informed decisions about disputing your claim.

Our approach is tailored and comprehensive. Each case is treated with the meticulous attention it deserves, ensuring that your claim reflects the true market value of your vehicle, whether it’s a daily driver or a more unique vehicle often seen in Copart or IAAI auctions.

For Salem residents coping with total loss situations, remember you have an ally in Leverage Auto Appraisals. We are committed to vehicle owners and policyholders, not insurance companies, ensuring your vehicle’s worth is fairly recognized. Reach out to us for expert guidance in achieving a just settlement, as we advocate for your rights and work towards an appropriate compensation for your vehicle.

Why Hire Us?

Oregon Licensed Auto Appraiser for over 13 Years

Over 35 years Experience as a Professional Negotiator

Over 18 years Automotive sales Experience. Experience with all types of vehicles. Not just an ex estimator or adjuster.

Over 40 years of Automotive Experience

Professionally Trained One on One by Zig Ziglar, Grant Cardone, and Tom Stuker.

Worked with Hundreds of Dealer, GM's, and GSM's in Oregon while employed with Reynolds and Reynolds.

Whether you're in Coos Bay, Bend, Eugene or Portland, Ken knows you're Used Car Market.

Vehicles We Sevice

At Leverage Auto Appraisals, we pride ourselves on our ability to provide expert total loss appraisals for an incredibly diverse range of vehicle makes. No matter the brand of your vehicle, our experienced team is ready to deliver a precise and fair valuation.

Our Broad Spectrum of Vehicle Makes Our appraisal services cover every major vehicle brand, ensuring that no matter what you drive, we have you covered. This includes luxury and performance brands like Acura, Alfa Romeo, Audi, Bentley, BMW, and Cadillac. We also appraise American classics and mainstays such as Chevrolet, Ford, and Dodge, along with unique brands like Corvette and Ferrari.

For those with a preference for reliability and efficiency, we appraise popular brands like Honda, Hyundai, Subaru, and Toyota. Luxury enthusiasts will find solace in our expertise with brands like Lexus, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, and Rolls Royce.

Our appraisal capabilities extend to a range of other esteemed makes, including but not limited to Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mini-Cooper, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, RAM, and Volvo.

Comprehensive Services Beyond Cars In addition to cars, we offer specialized appraisals for other types of vehicles. This includes heavy-duty trucks from Freightliner, International, and Peterbilt, as well as unique makes like Hummer, Saturn, and Scion.

Expertise in Specialty and Commercial Vehicles Leverage Auto Appraisals is also proficient in handling total loss claims for a variety of specialty vehicles. This includes heavy trucks, semi-trucks, motorcycles, classic cars, muscle cars, collectible vehicles, and exotics. For those with commercial needs, we assess motor coaches, work vans, and other commercial vehicles with precision and care.

Tailored Appraisals for Every Vehicle No matter the type or brand of your vehicle, Leverage Auto Appraisals is equipped to provide a thorough and accurate total loss appraisal. Our team is dedicated to ensuring you receive a fair assessment, tailored specifically to your vehicle’s unique characteristics and the current market trends.

For professional, detailed, and reliable total loss appraisals across a wide spectrum of vehicles, trust Leverage Auto Appraisals. Contact us today to begin your appraisal process and experience our commitment to excellence in vehicle valuation.

WHO IS KEN NIX

Ken Nix is a local Oregon Certified and Licensed Vehicle appraiser since April of 2010 has been authorized by ODOT to appraise vehicles in Oregon for over 12 years.
Ken started in the automotive industry in the 1980s and has sold and appraised tens of thousands of vehicles including late model cars and trucks, Exotics, Muscle Cars, Street Rods, Vintage, Classics, Street Rods, Camper Conversions, and even Japanese right-hand drive vans while working for multiple franchises over 20 years. Ken is the independent appraiser chosen by Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo for independent vehicle assessments.
Previously employed by Diversiform and Reynolds and Reynolds. Ken worked with local Automotive Dealers, Sales, Service and Body shops to market vehicles. Hundreds of Dealership owners, managers, and staff know and trust him. Ken also worked with Lanphere Enterprises, and many other local dealers to provide digital solutions for automotive marketing.
Ken is the founder of Volkswagen Owners Club, My GTI, and Jetta Junkie and was an Administrator for Autoguide.com for over 10 years.
Ken’s wife jokes that sometimes she’s married to Liam Neeson because Ken has a very particular set of skills, skills he’s acquired over a very long career.

OREGON LICENSED AUTO APPRAISER for over 13 years

Ken has actual long term automotive sales, appraisal and negotiation experience. Beware long term businesses with inexperienced vehicle appraisers claiming decades of experience because a relative founded the business. Make sure your automotive appraiser has the real world experience to back up their claims.
Ken’s background in training salespeople on Product Knowledge, combined with auto body repair assessment experience and his computer background provides negotiating leverage over opposing appraisers. The ability to spot bad repairs from prior damage on an opposing appraiser’s comparables to discrediting salt state and flood damaged vehicles used by your insurance company’s valuations from CCC One and Mitchell / J.D. Powers to lowball your vehicle.
Expert Negotiator. Personally trained one on one by Zig Ziglar, Tom Stuker, and Grant Cordone. Over 45 years experience as a professional negotiator.
Ken’s Automotive, Computer Technology, Legal Reseach, and Negotiating background provides a very specific skill set that makes him a nightmare to opposing appraisers.

Recent Total Loss Claim Dispute Recoveries

G. Genauer – Total Loss Dispute
Insurance Company: State Farm

Portland, Oregon
Vehicle: 2014 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI
Offer: $16,174
Settled Value: $20,500
Increase: $4,326.00

S. Mead – Total Loss Dispute
Insurance Company: Geico

Prineville, Oregon
Vehicle: 5th Wheel Toy Hauler 2016 Keystone
Rv M-387 CARBON
Offer: $42,079
Settled Value: $51,700 – May 13, 2022
Increase: $9,621

S. Arkelian – Total Loss Dispute
Insurance Company: Progressive

Portland, Oregon
Vehicle: 2018 RAM 2500 Laramie Crew Diesel 2500
Offer: $59,152.21
Settled Value: $65,625 – May 11, 2022
Increase: $6.472.79

M. Smith – Total Loss Dispute
Insurance Company: Liberty Mutual

Portland, Oregon
Vehicle: 2003 Ford Super Duty F-250 King
Ranch Crew Cab
Offer: $14327.00
Settled Value: $19,995 – May 13, 2022
Increase: $5,668

C. Wilkinson – Total Loss Dispute
Insurance Company: Progressive

Portland, Oregon
Vehicle: 2004 Toyota Tacoma 4 Door Crew Cab
Offer: $22,024.90
Settled Value: $31,500 – May 4, 2022
Increase: $9,475.10

K. Johnson – Total Loss Dispute
Insurance Company: Progressive

Portland, Oregon
Vehicle: 1995 TOYOTA LANDCRUISER
Offer: $20,653.83
Settled Value: $29,500.00
Increase: $8,846.17

LEVERAGE

Auto Appraisals

(503) 420-3001

Location

Portland, OR. 97225

Email

leveragepdx@gmail.com

Open Hours

Mon:8am – 8pm
Tue: 8am – 8pm
Wed: 8am – 8pm
Thur: 8am – 8pm
Fri: 8am – 8pm
Sat: 8am – 8pm
Sun: 8am – 8pm