Used car checks
Check the history, the repair and the insurance
Should I buy a repaired write-off?
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.
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
| 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. |
Should I buy a repaired write-off?
The Department for Transport says there is nothing wrong with buying a written-off vehicle that has been returned to a good condition, and that it can be good value. It also says you must be able to make an informed choice. That choice starts with the letter: A and B cannot be road vehicles. S, N, and old C or D can, after a safe repair.
Buy 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 that discloses the category. Skip any of those and you are guessing.
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.
- Ask who handled the vehicle between the total loss and the repair, as the Department for Transport consumer guide recommends.
- Read the category on the history check and on any salvage paperwork. Stop if it is A or B.
- Match VIN, V5C and DVLA records. Walk away if they disagree.
- Collect photographs, invoices, alignment results and the repairer's name.
- Pay an independent engineer. The inspection may also find faults unrelated to the write-off.
- Get an insurance quote that discloses the category, then decide if the price still makes sense.
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. Category S vehicles are often slightly cheaper than similar age and mileage vehicles, the same guide says, but if the price looks too good to be true, beware.
Example
A category S car bought at auction, then taxed for the road
- Sale
- Auction, category S, no drive-away tax
- History check
- S confirmed, no outstanding finance
- Repair file
- Chassis photographs, weld invoices, four-wheel alignment printout
- Insurance quote
- Obtained before the final bid, S disclosed
- The buyer treats A or B as a hard stop; this one is S so repair is possible.
- VIN, V5C replacement and DVLA record match.
- An independent engineer signs off the structural repair, not just the MOT.
- The car is taxed and insured in the new keeper's name before it is driven on the road.
The car can go back on the road. The S marker stays on the V5C and on future history checks. The auction saving only holds if the quote and the engineer both stand up.
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.
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.
After purchase, tell the insurer if you have not already. If you fail to, the insurer can reject a later claim for non-disclosure. If you learn after completion that the vehicle was a total loss and you were not told, the Department for Transport consumer guide discusses dealer sales and points to Trading Standards. It cites the Sale of Goods Act 1979 wording on goods being as described, of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose, and a six month window to reject. That is the guide's own citation; take current consumer-law advice rather than treating this page as a solicitor.
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 goes wrong when buying a write-off?
The buyer relies on an MOT and a shiny paint job. Neither is a structural survey.
The seller is a private individual who did not know. A history check would have known.
Finance is still outstanding. The history check that shows the write-off also shows that.
A company car is sold with N unmarked on the V5C. The next policy is written as if the history were clean.
Which buying myths should I ignore?
Myth: N is always a safe buy and S is always a bad one. The letter is the start of the evidence, not the end of it.
Myth: auction houses inspect the structure for you. They sell what is in front of them. You still need the engineer.
Myth: this site can look up the registration. It cannot.
What about auction terms, vans and buying in Northern Ireland?
Auction salvage is often sold without tax, without a current MOT, and with a collection-only clause. You still need the green slip or a V5C to tax as the new keeper, and you still need the vehicle to be roadworthy before you drive it. Recovery to a workshop is the usual Saturday outcome, not a drive home.
A van or motorcycle write-off is checked the same way: history check, VIN, V5C, repair file, engineer, insurance quote. ISOFIX and child seats are irrelevant; structural rails and frames are not.
Northern Ireland buyers still use DVLA records and the same ABI letters. An extra MOT certificate at a Post Office when taxing does not replace the engineer.
If the seller will not let you take the car to an independent engineer, treat that as a reason to stop. The consumer guide puts that inspection on the buyer, not on the auctioneer. A sold-as-seen clause does not make A or B legal, and it does not fill a missing S repair file.
- Stop immediately if the history check or the paperwork says A or B.
- Match every VIN you can see to the V5C and to the DVLA vehicle enquiry service.
- Pay an independent engineer, then get an insurance quote that discloses the category, then decide on the price.
- Do not drive auction salvage home unless it is already taxed, insured and roadworthy, which it usually is not.
What no official source quantifies
No published An official insurance premium increase percentage is available.
Government guidance says cover can cost more, but publishes no percentage because quotes depend on the vehicle and driver.
Every category in one line
| 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. There is no official increase percentage.
- Can I buy category A or B if I only want parts?
- A has no reusable parts. B may supply permitted undamaged parts before the body structure is crushed. Neither identity can return as a road vehicle. Do not bid on A or B as a car.
- Does category N show on the logbook?
- Often not. GOV.UK lets a keeper retaining N keep the existing V5C. S is recorded on the replacement V5C. Old D was not the replacement-V5C category either. Always run a private history check.
- What if I find out after I have paid?
- Tell your insurer immediately. The Department for Transport consumer guide discusses dealer sales that were not as described, and points to Trading Standards. It cites a six month rejection window under the Sale of Goods Act wording in that guide. A private sale has fewer statutory routes. This page is not legal advice.
- Should I still inspect a category N car?
- Yes. N means the recorded damage was not structural under the ABI code. It does not mean the repair was done, or that unrelated faults are absent. The consumer guide says an inspection may identify additional faults not connected to the incident.
- Can I tax a salvage car the day I collect it?
- Only if you are the new keeper with the green slip, or the current keeper with a V5C, and the vehicle is otherwise legal. Auction salvage often has neither a current tax licence nor a roadworthy repair. Tax does not transfer. Do not drive it home as a project.
Sources
- Association of British Insurers, Code of Practice for the Categorisation of Motorised Vehicle Salvage (as of 28 May 2025)
- GOV.UK, Scrapping your vehicle and insurance write-offs (as of 7 September 2026)
- Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Tell DVLA your vehicle has been written off (as of 7 September 2026)
- Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Application for a vehicle registration certificate, form V62 (as of 1 November 2025)
- Department for Transport, Buying repaired written-off vehicles: a consumer guide (as of 7 September 2026)
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Getting an MOT: how the MOT test works (as of 7 September 2026)
- Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Making changes to a vehicle and registering modified vehicles, INF318 (as of 3 August 2026)
Related pages
- All write-off categoriesThe current ABI categories and the old C and D records together.
- Category NWhat non-structural means, and why it does not mean minor damage.
- Category SStructural damage, the replacement V5C and checks before buying.
- Categories A and BThe two categories that can never return to the road.
- Old categories C and DThe cost-based categories replaced in October 2017.