Only Authorised Treatment Facilities ATF are permitted to handle Category B vehicles, and will only sell them to businesses that have certification to prove they are allowed to store and destroy such vehicles. Reserved for the most severely damaged vehicles, a Category A write-off condemns an entire vehicle to the scrapyard, and means not even seemingly serviceable parts can be repurposed.
High-speed impacts, complete burnouts and extensive vandalism will usually result in a vehicle receiving a Category A designation. When an insurer is notified that a vehicle has been damaged, it will assess the damage to determine whether it should be written off, and to what extent.
An insurer will offer the owner an agreed market value for the damaged vehicle and take legal possession of it until it is sold or scrapped. If the owner wishes to keep the vehicle - whether because it is only a Category N write-off and it can still be driven, or because they are able to repair the damage for less than the cost of a replacement - they can refuse the offer and keep the car.
In all cases, the DVLA must be notified of the write-off, and will need to assess any repairs made to a Category S car before it returns to the road. Given the usually superficial nature of Category N damage, it does not require further assessment, but must still be kept in a roadworthy condition. You are unable to buy the whole vehicle the shell must be scrapped but can purchase individual components if they are still in a serviceable condition.
Advertisement Back to top As for Category N and Category S cars, buyers must thoroughly inspect the standards of any repair work carried out, and take the time to ensure that they know exactly how the damage occurred. An insurance company can insist that an independent engineer inspects the vehicle before it agrees to provide cover, though an MOT certificate can also be used as proof of roadworthiness.
Cat N classification encompasses all non-structural damage, such as lights, infotainment and heated seats. As with Cat S cars, Cat N vehicles can be put back on the road, however, unlike Cat S cars, there is no need to re-register it with the DVLA — though you will still need to inform them your car has been written-off. Updating the write-off categories means that buyers looking at vehicles which have been in a major accident will get a better idea of the type of damage sustained.
The changes have not affected the Cat A and B classifications. Cat A cars have to be crushed, and none of their parts can ever legally be reused. One thing to be aware of is that insurance can be harder to come by for written-off cars, with some providers not covering them at all. While this can be overcome by hunting around, insurance for Cat S and N cars likewise C and D tends to be more expensive than it is for non-written-off cars.
Written-off cars are also worth less than their undamaged counterparts. While this should be reflected in their purchase price, you may find it hard to sell a Cat S or Cat N car, as some buyers will simply not consider them. Looking for a used bargain? The system for categorising written off vehicles changed in October The insurance write-off categories are:. Getting a vehicle back to a safe condition to drive after a crash can be expensive.
It depends on the extent of the damage and the parts needed to repair or replace, but insurance companies must factor all of this in when deciding whether to write off a vehicle, often working to strict guidelines.
Sometimes, even if the damage seems minimal to you, a car is still classed as a write-off. Simple cosmetic damage such as scratches or dents to panels and paintwork can exceed the value of the vehicle. Even without structural damage, in this case it might still be deemed written off. Of course, cars are also written off because the damage has simply gone beyond repair. Major accidents that have crushed expensive parts will often result in a write-off.
Categorised as Scrap. These vehicles cannot be repaired and must be destroyed, including all parts. Often these vehicles are crushed. Categorised as Break. These vehicles cannot be repaired. The body-shell must be destroyed to stop the vehicle going back on the road.
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