Can Kerbwise check whether a car is written off?

No. Write-off status comes from insurer data that Kerbwise does not hold. Use a private vehicle history check for that record, then use GOV.UK for DVLA and MOT information.

Is an MOT enough before buying?

No. It shows that defined test items met minimum standards on the day. It does not certify the write-off repair, expose every hidden defect or cover the engine, clutch and gearbox.

Will a repaired write-off be cheaper to insure?

Do not assume so. Government guidance says insurance can be more expensive and some insurers do not automatically provide cover. Obtain a quote before purchase.

Used car checks

Check the history, the repair and the insurance

A repaired total loss can be usable and good value, but the category is only the start of the evidence a buyer needs.

Should I buy a repaired write-off?

Only after a private history check, matching the VIN and V5C to DVLA records, seeing the repair evidence, arranging an independent inspection and obtaining an insurance quote.

Association of British Insurers, Code of Practice for the Categorisation of Motorised Vehicle Salvage (as of 28 May 2025)

Checked on 7 September 2026.Association of British Insurers, Code of Practice for the Categorisation of Motorised Vehicle Salvage (as of 28 May 2025)

The categories at a glance

Check the history, the repair and the insurance: category summary
Category	ABI meaning	May return	V5C and DVLA
A: Scrap	The vehicle is not suitable for repair and no part of it is safe to reuse. The complete vehicle must be crushed.	No	The V5C goes to the insurer after the keeper completes the DVLA notification. The destruction record prevents another V5C being issued for this identity.
B: Break	The vehicle is not suitable for repair, but some undamaged parts may be recovered. Its bodyshell, chassis or frame must be crushed in full.	No	The V5C goes to the insurer after the keeper completes the DVLA notification. The destruction record prevents another V5C being issued for this identity.
S: Structurally damaged repairable	An appropriately qualified person considers the vehicle safely repairable, but damage has reached a structural part of the vehicle or a structural battery component.	Yes, after safe repair	If the keeper retains it, the complete V5C goes to the insurer and the keeper applies for a free replacement on form V62. DVLA records the category on the replacement V5C.
N: Non-structurally damaged repairable	An appropriately qualified person considers the vehicle safely repairable and the recorded damage has not reached the structural parts defined by the ABI code.	Yes, after safe repair	A keeper who retains a category N vehicle can keep the existing V5C. Unlike category S, GOV.UK does not require a free replacement V5C solely because it is category N.
C: Old repairable category C	Under the code replaced in October 2017, the vehicle was repairable but the estimated repair cost including VAT exceeded its value immediately before the damage.	Yes, after safe repair	Category C was the old category now paired with S on form V62 when an insurer destroyed the V5C. A replacement does not erase the recorded history.
D: Old repairable category D	Under the code replaced in October 2017, the vehicle was repairable and the estimated repair cost including VAT did not exceed its pre-damage value, but the insurer chose not to repair it.	Yes, after safe repair	Unlike old category C and current category S, category D was not the category singled out for a replacement V5C. The absence of wording on a V5C is not a clean history check.

Start with the category and history

Do not buy category A or B as a road vehicle. Neither identity can return to the road.
Use a private vehicle history check to look for an insurance total-loss record, outstanding finance, theft and mileage discrepancies.
Match every VIN you can inspect to the V5C, and compare the V5C details with the free DVLA vehicle enquiry service.
Check the free GOV.UK MOT history for mileage, failures and advisories, while remembering that it is not a repair certificate.

Build a repair file before judging the price

Ask for photographs taken before and during the repair, the insurer or salvage documents, itemised parts and labour invoices, wheel alignment or geometry results and the name of the repairer.

Arrange an independent engineer's inspection. Government guidance recommends one because hidden structural damage and unrelated faults can sit outside what the paperwork shows.

What the V5C can and cannot tell you

DVLA records category S on the replacement V5C, and form V62 still refers to category C or S where an insurer destroyed the previous document. A keeper retaining category N can keep the existing V5C.

The V5C is not a complete insurance-history report. An unmarked document does not rule out category N, old category D or unrecorded damage, so it cannot replace a private history check.

Agree insurance before the sale

Get a quote for that vehicle and disclose its category before you pay. Official consumer guidance says premiums can be higher and some insurers will not automatically provide cover.

There is no official percentage by which every written-off car should be discounted. Compare like for like, price the missing evidence as risk and remember that the same history will matter when you resell it.

What Kerbwise cannot check

Kerbwise cannot tell whether a specific vehicle has been written off because the record comes from insurer data we do not hold. Use a private vehicle history check, then compare the VIN and V5C with DVLA records and check the MOT history on GOV.UK.

What no official source quantifies

An official insurance premium increase percentage is not published, so there is no figure here. When it is published this page will carry it.

Government guidance says cover can cost more, but publishes no percentage because quotes depend on the vehicle and driver.

Every category in one line

Current and old insurance write-off categories
Category	What it records	Road use
A	The vehicle is not suitable for repair and no part of it is safe to reuse. The complete vehicle must be crushed.	Cannot return
B	The vehicle is not suitable for repair, but some undamaged parts may be recovered. Its bodyshell, chassis or frame must be crushed in full.	Cannot return
S	An appropriately qualified person considers the vehicle safely repairable, but damage has reached a structural part of the vehicle or a structural battery component.	Repairable
N	An appropriately qualified person considers the vehicle safely repairable and the recorded damage has not reached the structural parts defined by the ABI code.	Repairable
C	Under the code replaced in October 2017, the vehicle was repairable but the estimated repair cost including VAT exceeded its value immediately before the damage.	Repairable
D	Under the code replaced in October 2017, the vehicle was repairable and the estimated repair cost including VAT did not exceed its pre-damage value, but the insurer chose not to repair it.	Repairable

Common questions

Can Kerbwise check whether a car is written off?: No. Write-off status comes from insurer data that Kerbwise does not hold. Use a private vehicle history check for that record, then use GOV.UK for DVLA and MOT information.
Is an MOT enough before buying?: No. It shows that defined test items met minimum standards on the day. It does not certify the write-off repair, expose every hidden defect or cover the engine, clutch and gearbox.
Will a repaired write-off be cheaper to insure?: Do not assume so. Government guidance says insurance can be more expensive and some insurers do not automatically provide cover. Obtain a quote before purchase.