Question 1

What does a salvage mean for this KIA OPTIMA?

Accepted Answer

This 2018 KIA OPTIMA was sold on a salvage. A salvage title means an insurer declared the vehicle a total loss. Repairing it and passing a state inspection can convert it to a rebuilt title, which stays on the record permanently and affects resale value.

Question 2

How far is this KIA OPTIMA from an export port?

Accepted Answer

The lot sat at IAAI in TN - CHATTANOOGA. The nearest major vehicle export port is Savannah, roughly 400 miles away. Moving a car that distance on an open carrier typically runs $350-$475, which is a real part of the landed cost and one reason identical cars fetch different bids depending on where they sit. Rates are indicative market figures rather than quotes, and rise with fuel prices and in winter.

Question 3

What does "ENGINE STARTS" mean on this listing?

Accepted Answer

ENGINE STARTS is the auction's own condition note for this 2018 KIA OPTIMA. It is a short status flag applied by the auction, not the result of a mechanical inspection. Anything beyond that has to come from the photos and a physical inspection.

Question 4

Is 135,756 miles high for a 2018 KIA OPTIMA?

Accepted Answer

Comparable 2018 KIA OPTIMA listings at auction averaged 83,181 miles across 476 sales, so at 135,756 miles this one sits 63% above that. At salvage auctions mileage moves the price far less than damage does — a low-mileage car with structural damage will still sell under a higher-mileage clean one.

Question 5

This KIA OPTIMA has undercarriage and transmission damage damage — how does that affect it?

Accepted Answer

Damage recorded in two areas usually points to a heavier impact than either label suggests on its own, and it raises the odds of structural damage behind the panels. The auction records the primary and secondary areas only; it does not assess the frame. Photographs and, where available, a physical inspection are the only way to judge how far it goes.

Question 6

Who sold this 2018 KIA OPTIMA?

Accepted Answer

The listing seller was FARMERS INSURANCE. Seller type is a useful signal: insurers typically consign total-loss vehicles, rental and fleet operators consign on a cycle regardless of damage, and dealers consign trade-ins they do not want to retail. Each implies a different history behind the same damage label.

2018 KIA OPTIMA S WHITE 2.4L I-4 DI, DOHC, VVT, 185HP - 5XXGT4L37JG234199 | $1,375

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