I went yesterday afternoon and inspected the car thoroughly according to the afore-linked plan. I was only able to identify the transmission fluid as not being perfectly clean (and yet probably not as dirty as that in an average car) and some road noise. I took it to a mechanic and paid $60 for a bumper-to-bumper inspection, which didn’t identify any signs of a serious accident, or any mechanical or electrical issue. There was some scheduled maintenance that needed to be done (e.g., flush transmission, power steering, radiator) and the road noise was chalked up to the tires not being rotated on schedule.

A few people I’ve talked to have mentioned many cars are "totaled" for minor damages like this, while others’ titles remain clear after major damages. A guy who has purchased multiple cars with salvage titles commented, "It’s all a game." Given the car checked out so well, I can only assume it was the game that led to this being totaled, not the actual extent of the damages. I mean, if a mechanic can’t see any evidence of a major accident, then who can?