What-if projection
Car Depreciation Calculator
Enter a starting price, an annual depreciation rate, and a number of years to project how the value declines. This is a what-if calculation from the figures you enter — not a valuation of any specific vehicle.
This is a what-if projection from the figures you enter. It does not look up, know, or estimate the value of any specific vehicle.
Projected value from your inputs
Enter a starting price, an annual rate, and a number of years above to project.
- Total value lost
A what-if projection from the rate and starting price you entered — not a valuation of any specific vehicle, and not the VINHistoryLabs market estimate.
How to project depreciation
- Enter the starting price — what the vehicle cost, or any figure you want to project from.
- Enter an annual depreciation rate as a percentage: how much value it loses each year.
- Enter the number of years to project forward.
- The tool applies the rate each year (declining-balance) to show the projected value and the total value lost.
Frequently asked questions
- How does this depreciation calculation work?
- It uses a declining-balance method: each year the value falls by the percentage you enter, applied to the previous year's value. It is a simple model, not a market appraisal.
- Is this the actual value of my car?
- No. This tool projects a curve from the rate and starting figure you type in. It does not look up, know, or estimate the value of any specific vehicle — real depreciation depends on the make, model, mileage, condition, and the market.
- What depreciation rate should I use?
- Depreciation varies widely by vehicle and market, so there is no single correct rate — enter a rate you want to model. Because the right rate depends on the specific car, this tool does not assume one for you.