Ellie Dyer-Brown
Wednesday April 24 2024
7 min read
Cars are written off when damaged to the point where they are no longer road-worthy, or a repair would cost too much compared to the vehicle’s value. It’s less rare than you might think because the damage doesn’t necessarily have to be bad for a car to be written off.
There are different write-off categories, and each insurance company has slightly different assessment criteria to work out repair costs. Whether you’ve recently been informed that your car is a write-off or you want to brush up on your knowledge in case it happens in the future, this guide covers everything you need to know.
What happens when a car is written off?
After you’ve submitted an insurance claim following an accident, your insurance provider will assess the damage to your vehicle and decide whether it should be written off. If the damage is such that the car is no longer roadworthy, it is automatically written off, and the insurance company pays you the vehicle's pre-accident value.
However, in situations where repair is possible, the decision is made by calculating the cost of repairs compared to the car’s value. If your insurance company used a 60% repair-to-value ratio and your vehicle was worth £5,000, it would be considered beyond economical repair if the work exceeded £3,000.
When your car is written off and deemed unsafe (putting it in the A or B write-off category), it is kept by the insurance provider, who will arrange for it to be scrapped. For vehicles that fall under the N or S categories, the insurance company can sell them on to a third party for salvage or back to the driver.
What are the car insurance write-off categories?
There are different write-off categories because car insurance assessors need a way to rank the seriousness of accident damage.
The four categories used up until 2017 were Cat A, Cat B, Cat C and Cat D. A was the least severe damage category. However, the salvage code was updated following a review to shift the focus away from the repair cost and instead towards the safety implications of the damage.
The new write-off categories are A, B, S and N. You can find out what each one means below.
What is a Cat A write-off?
Cat A cars are damaged severely enough that they must be scrapped and never appear on the roads again. Salvageable parts must also be destroyed.
What is a Cat B write-off?
Vehicles that fall under Cat B have suffered extensive damage but have salvageable parts that can be used in other road-going cars. They are broken up for spare parts, and the body shell is crushed.
What is a Cat S write-off?
Cat S applies to cars with structural damage. Examples include a collapsed crumple zone or twisted chassis. They must be repaired professionally to return them to road-safe condition.
What is a Cat N write-off?
Cars in Cat N haven’t got any structural damage, which means they could have cosmetic or electrical issues that aren’t economical to fix. However, you shouldn’t assume that Cat N cars are safe to drive because brake and steering problems are also classed as non-structural faults.
Earlier write-off categories
Cat C and D were used as part of the classification system until 2017.
What is a Cat C write-off?
Cat C used to apply to vehicles where repair was possible but was uneconomical, meaning it would cost more than the car was worth.
What is a Cat D write-off?
Cat D cars could be repaired for less than the vehicle’s value. However, additional costs, such as transportation, made it uneconomical to do so.
What to do when your car is written off
Follow these steps when your car is written off:
Apply to take the registration number off the vehicle if you’d like to keep it.
Send the log book (V5C) to your insurance company. Keep the yellow ‘sell, transfer or part-exchange your vehicle to the motor trade’ section.
Inform the DVLA that your vehicle has been written off.
Failure to inform the DVLA that your car is written off could result in a £1,000 fine.
If your car is a Cat N or Cat S write-off, you can buy it back from your insurer and repair it yourself. To do this:
Send your complete log book to your insurance provider.
Use form V62 to apply for a free duplicate log book.
It’s legal to buy and sell second-hand Cat N and S write-offs. However, these cars are often more expensive to insure, and some insurers won’t cover them.
Can I refuse my car being written off?
You can refuse the write-off only if your car is classified as Cat N or S (Cat C or D in the old system). Take the money from the payout, and the insurance company will let you buy the vehicle back. You’ll then need to repair the car to make sure it’s roadworthy.
What to do if you still owe money on the car when it’s written off
You should contact your finance provider to discuss the situation with them as soon as possible. If you’re lucky, you might be able to use your settlement fee to buy another car and keep paying off the finance, or the fee might be enough to cover the remaining finance. Unfortunately, if it isn’t enough, it’s your responsibility to find the remaining money.
You can either:
Continue with your monthly repayments.
Contact your finance provider to settle the amount owed.
Should I buy a Cat S or Cat N write-off car?
You should be careful when considering whether to buy a car that has been written off. Some sellers try to pass off Cat N and S vehicles as non-damaged by not disclosing their past. That’s why you should always do your research before buying a used car.
We’d recommend using an online service for a full vehicle history check and booking a pre-purchase inspection so that you know exactly what has happened to the car. In some situations, buying a write-off can be a good deal as long as the repairs have been carried out professionally and the full extent of past damage is disclosed.
How to check if a car has been written off
There are various online tools that you can use to access a comprehensive car history check, such as this one by the RAC.
Frequently asked questions
Am I still insured if my car is written off?
The answer is no. When your car is written off, your insurance is no longer valid, and it’s rare for insurance refunds to be allowed, so it's unlikely you’ll get any money back. That said, it’s still worth checking with your insurer.
Can a car be written off twice?
Yes. A Cat S or N car could be repaired and put back on the road, only to be involved in another accident, resulting in a second write-off.
Is it more expensive to insure a Cat N car?
In most cases, it is more expensive to insure a Cat N car.
Can I insure a written-off car?
Cars that were written off but have since been repaired and deemed roadworthy can be insured. However, the insurance cost is likely much higher due to the car’s history.
Looking for affordable car repairs or maintenance? FixMyCar can help you find the right garage at the right price.
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