The bottom line first: in a random sample of 168 listings of US-origin cars from 2020 onwards for sale in Kyrgyzstan, 148 vehicles (88%) had previously gone through the Copart or IAAI insurance auctions, and for almost a third of those checked, mileage in miles was listed as kilometres. These are findings from the Blik.kg service published by Economist.kg on 5 October 2026. Below: what auction title statuses mean, how such cars reach Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, how to check a specific listing and how a new car from a Canadian dealer differs.

What the check of 168 cars showed

Method: Blik.kg randomly selected listings in Kyrgyzstan for US-origin cars with a visible VIN and checked each VIN against Copart and IAAI auction records and the US NMVTIS system. Accident history was not a selection criterion.

IndicatorResult
Went through US auctions148 of 168 (88%): 101 Copart, 47 IAAI
Sold without damage3 of 148
Seller was an insurance company94% (104 of 111 cars with a known seller)
Salvage title88% (of 98 cars with a known title); clean, 6%
Miles listed as kilometres29% (of 138 mileages compared)
Median price: auction → listing$8,300 → $18,950

Four cars left auction with documents that do not allow them back on the road in the issuing state: Certificate of Destruction, Non-Repairable and Parts Only. All four later appeared in listings in Kyrgyzstan. For example, a 2022 Toyota Camry flooded in Florida sold at auction for $7,800 and was listed in Kyrgyzstan for $19,999.

Important caveats from the authors themselves. The price gap is not the seller's profit: it includes auction fees, shipping, customs, parts and repairs, and it compares listing prices, not actual sale prices. And the absence of a Copart or IAAI record does not prove a car was never damaged: it may have been sold through another platform or repaired without going to auction. The study does not claim that all US cars in Kyrgyzstan are damaged.

Salvage, rebuilt, flood: what the terms mean

  • Total loss — the insurer has deemed repair uneconomical. It does not always mean a wreck: it can follow airbag deployment, structural damage or flooding.
  • Salvage title — the status a car receives after a total loss; it is auctioned with it.
  • Rebuilt — a car restored after such damage.
  • Flood — a car that has been in water. Problems with wiring, control modules and corrosion appear later, which is why such cars are considered especially risky.
  • Non-Repairable, Parts Only, Certificate of Destruction — documents under which the car does not return to the road in the issuing state: parts or scrap only.

NMVTIS itself warns that branding standards vary by state, so a car after a total loss does not always carry the corresponding brand. Canada has its own statuses, such as salvage and irreparable, which show up in a CARFAX Canada report.

How total-loss cars reach Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan

According to the Blik.kg check, of 94 cars with a known buyer country, 60% were bought at auction by buyers from Georgia, 23% by US exporters, 11% by buyers from the UAE, and only two directly from Kyrgyzstan. The median time from auction to a listing in Kyrgyzstan was 387 days; none appeared sooner than three months.

Newtimes.kz describes the typical route: a US insurance auction → the port of Poti → repair, repainting and electrical restoration in Georgia → resale, including to Kazakhstan. According to Geostat data cited by the outlet, in the first 11 months of 2025 Kazakhstan imported 41,600 cars worth $735 million from Georgia, making it the largest buyer of cars from Georgia. West Coast Shipping estimates that about 40% of US car exports to Georgia are rebuilt or salvage vehicles.

Miles versus kilometres

A US odometer usually counts miles: 100,000 miles is roughly 161,000 km. If a listing shows the same number marked "km", the real mileage is understated by a factor of 1.6. In the Blik.kg sample this happened in 29% of listings, and in another 3% the listed mileage was lower even than the auction reading in miles. The most striking example: a Camry with 304,836 miles (about 490,000 km) at auction and 206,000 km in the listing.

In Canada, under safety standard CMVSS 101, the speedometer must show speed in km/h (a dual km/h and mph scale is allowed). The odometer may count in kilometres or in miles, but miles must be identified next to it. So on any car, look not just at the number but at the unit on the instrument panel — and compare it with the history.

With a new car from a dealer the question largely disappears: the mileage is minimal, and we record the odometer on video when we pick the car up from the dealer.

How to check a specific listing

  1. Check the VIN against Copart and IAAI sale history — that is exactly how the Blik.kg check worked. Look for auction photos: they show what the car looked like before repair.
  2. Order an NMVTIS report. It shows title brands (salvage, junk, flood), the latest odometer reading and insurer total-loss determinations. The database is incomplete: by the system's own figures it covers about 87% of the US vehicle population.
  3. For cars with Canadian history, get a CARFAX Canada report: branding, accidents, mileage, stolen status and US history.
  4. Compare the mileage in the reports with the number in the listing — in both miles and kilometres.
  5. Inspect the car with a specialist: paint thickness, signs of welding and panel replacement, seat belts and airbags, traces of water and silt under the mats, corroded connectors.
  6. Do not transfer the full amount until the documents have been checked.

More on reading reports — in our article "VIN and vehicle history check".

To be fair: when an auction car makes sense

For a reseller with their own body shop and access to parts, auctions are a clear business model: they see the damage in photos, estimate the repair themselves and price the risk in. If you knowingly buy a rebuilt car, know what the impact was and how it was repaired, and the price reflects that, it is your decision. The problem is not auctions as such, but that the end buyer often does not know the car's history: the Blik.kg check showed this with both mileage and documents.

For private buyers we do not deal in this segment: no auction cars and no rebuilt cars.

A new car from Canada is a different risk category

We buy only new vehicles from authorized Canadian dealers; used ones only at a client's request and only clean. A new car has no accident history and no title brands, its VIN is covered by the manufacturer's New Vehicle Information Statement (NVIS), and the chain is short: factory → authorized dealer → buyer. It costs more than an auction lot — that is the price of a known history. Why we work with the Canadian market rather than the US one is covered in "Powersports from Canada or the USA".

Full transparency. Throughout the whole journey you receive every document related to your order. For a new vehicle, that starts with the official dealer's bill of sale; for a used one, we help you run its VIN history; after that, documents at every stage of shipping.

The process: a CAD 2,000 deposit → we show you the documents for the specific unit → we reserve it at the dealer → the dealer prepares the car in 3–5 days → you transfer the balance → we pick up the car, shoot photos and video for you and hand it over for shipping the same day. If you decline the unit, the deposit is non-refundable. Turnkey delivery and customs clearance to your city are handled by our partners, with an individual quote for the specific unit; import costs are covered in "Customs clearance of cars from Canada to Kyrgyzstan", and an overview of the destination is on the page "Cars from Canada to Kyrgyzstan". Send a request — we will find a unit and work out the numbers for you.

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