UK'S MOST COMPREHENSIVE CAR HISTORY CHECK ONLY £9.99

Car Write Off Check

Check if a car has been written off

View Sample Report
£30k Data Guarantee
Instant Report

What is an insurance write-off check?

An insurance write-off check is a service that provides detailed information about the history of a particular vehicle. It is used to determine whether an insurance company has previously declared a vehicle a total loss or written off.

A written-off check is one of the most important aspects of a vehicle history check. However, in far too many cases, knowing where to begin with this can seem difficult – and this is where it’s so important to make sure you’ve done a written-off check before getting started.

To begin with, carry out our vehicle check which includes data from officially licensed partners such as DVLA, insurance companies, police and finance companies.

What’s included in a written-off check?

A car write-off check can provide valuable information about a vehicle’s history. Some of the key pieces of information included in the check include:

  • Date of any incident(s)
  • Write off category
  • Damaged caused by the write-off

In some cases, if a vehicle has been sold through a salvage auction you will be able to see the previous damaged photos in our salvage check.

The importance of a car write-off Check

Did you know that over 300,000 cars are written off annually in the United Kingdom alone? This staggering figure translates to around one car every ninety seconds – that’s no small number.

With this thought in mind, the importance of checking that your vehicle purchase is genuine cannot be stressed highly enough. Indeed, in many cases, a written-off vehicle can be repaired to a standard that you can’t tell by eye – but for peace of mind, it is important to be aware of the history.

Car insurance write-off categories explained

There are six main categories of car write-offs, which vary depending on the damage a vehicle has sustained. Fortunately, our quick check can let you know which category a vehicle’s write-off comes under, giving you more information about the severity.

  • Category A: Vehicles suffering extreme damage; the general recommendation is for scrap
  • Category B: Unsuitable for road use but may be valuable for spare parts
  • Category S/C: Significant damage incurred requiring extensive repair work to be completed
  • Category D/N: Uneconomic for an insurer to repair the vehicle, but may be affordable for individuals depending on the circumstances

Frequently asked questions

Should I buy a written-off car?

Purchasing a written-off car is a decision that depends on several factors, including the extent of the damage, the cost of repairs, and the vehicle’s current condition.

I’ve already bought a written-off car – what now?

If you’ve purchased a write-off, you’ll need to check whether the vehicle can be made roadworthy again or not. Vehicles written off as Category A or B cannot be driven on the road again; however, those under S, C, D, or N write-offs may be repairable. You will need to check whether these repairs have been conducted on a vehicle after the accident and whether they have been finished to a high enough standard so as to deem the vehicle fit for use on the road.

Why do people buy written-off cars?

Write-offs still have some value, but this is substantially less than other vehicles. Severely damaged cars could be scrapped or used for parts; meanwhile, less severe issues could be repairable at a cost.

Will a car write-off check show me the type of write-off?

Yes! When you carry out a write-off check, you’ll be provided with key information about the events, such as the category, the cause of the write-off, the damage sustained, and so on.