The term, clean title, as it relates to car buying, means that the title for a car (used car) has no “problems” in that it has no outstanding liens (loans) that haven’t been settled and does not have a “salvage,” “rebuilt” or similar type of designation that would indicate that the vehicle has been previously stolen, wrecked, or otherwise declared a total loss by an insurance company.

If a vehicle is being sold, a clean title would also show the name of the seller, not another person’s name — indicating that the seller is the true owner of the vehicle and has the right to sell it.