Written Off Car

The ratio of written off car experiences a dramatic rise in recent years. It is worth to have a detailed knowledge about written off cars and how to handle , when you accidentally come across such a situation. 

A written off car is a kind of car, which suffers damage due to an accident , fire and flood and is now considered as too damaged to be safely repaired and returned to the road for driving
Average 15000 write off cars return on UK street every day

Table Of Content

What is a written Off Car

What happens to a car when it’s written off by insurance

What are the categories of written off cars?

Can I still drive a written off car

Can I sell a written off car in the UK ?

What are the disadvantages of buying a written off car

What should I do if my car is written off by insurance

What is a written Off Car ?

A written off car is a kind of car, which suffers damage due to an accident, fire and flood and is now considered as too damaged to be safely repaired and returned to the road for driving. It is also called a total loss car. On this occasion, the insurance companies normally pay out a settlement to the owner of the car and take possession of the vehicle.

What happens to a car when it is written off by insurance?


Car sustained non-repairable damage end up in scrape yard.
Car sustained non-repairable damage end up in scrape yard.

When a car is determined to be written off, the insurance companies payout a settlement to the owner and take possession of the car. They either sell it to a salvage yard or auction house for parts or scrap. When a vehicle has been marked as written off on its title, this vehicle is no longer valid for driving, until fully repaired and registered with DVLA.

What are the categories of written off cars?

Based on the severity of damages and their chance to regain roadworthiness , written off vehicles are categorize in six groups,

  • Category A –  Cannot be repaired, Entire vehicle has to be crushed.
  • Category B – Cannot be repaired , the body shell has to be crushed, but you can salvage other parts from it.
  • Category C-  Can be repaired, but it would cost more than the vehicle’s worth. You can use the vehicle again if it is repaired to a roadworthy condition.
  • Category D -Can be repaired and would cost less the vehicle’s worth, but other costs (such as transporting your vehicle) take it over the vehicle’s value.
  • Category N – Can be repaired following non-structural damage. You can use the vehicle again if it’s repaired to a roadworthy condition.
  • Category S – Can be repaired following structural damage . You can use the vehicle again if it is repaired to a roadworthy condition.

(source :https://www.gov.uk/scrapped-and-written-off-vehicles/insurance-writeoffs )

Can I still drive a categorized vehicle car ?

It depends on the written off category. Despite sustaining damage, if your vehicle is still roadworthy, the insurance company agrees to insure and the vehicle obtains a valid MOT certificate, you can drive a written off car. The common scenario is cars categorized as S or N are likely to regain their roadworthiness after a repair, therefore often return to road.

Can I sell a written off car in the UK ?

It is possible but there are specific regulations you need to follow. The car must have a Category S or Category N designation, which means the insurer has given up because it is uneconomical to repair. You can sell to anyone, but it is necessary, you must fully disclose the vehicle’s status to the potential buyers.

What are the disadvantages of buying a written off car?

Buying a written off car can have several disadvantages.

  • Less safe: Despite a full repair, the vehicle’s condition is no longer up to the standard it was before sustaining the damage. Moreover, sometimes the vehicle is not repaired with enough caution. Therefore the car condition is always at risk of putting the drivers and other passengers at risk.
  • Lees Value: Once a car is titled and written off, its value declines significantly, putting the seller in a ‘left with no choice situation. Buyers are less likely to buy it. Even if they are willing to buy, considering damages and losses they will haggle the price to as low as possible.
  • Insurance Issues: A written off car is less likely to get cheap insurance. Insurers always place high quotes against a written off car due to its status.
  • Legal Consequences: If your car is written off under A and B categories, it is no longer valid for driving, Cat – N is acceptable but Cat -S although acceptable, you have to register with DVLA.

Frequently Asked Questions –

What should I do if my car is written off by insurance?

It can either be scrapped or you decide to keep it. Your insurance company will usually deal with getting the vehicle scrapped for you. You need to follow these steps.

  1. Apply to take the registration number off the vehicle if you want to keep it.
  2. Send the vehicle log book (V5C) to your insurance company, but keep the yellow ‘sell, transfer or part-exchange your vehicle to the motor trade’ section from it.
  3. Tell DVLA your vehicle has been written off. You can be fined £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA.

Can I keep my written off car ?

If you want to keep a vehicle in category C, D, N or S, the insurance company will give you an insurance payout and sell the vehicle back to you.To keep a category C or S vehicle, you also need to:

  1. Apply for a free duplicate log book using form V62
  2. DVLA will record the vehicle’s category in the log book.
  3. You can keep the log book if you want to keep a category D or N vehicle.