The four categories
Insurers in the UK follow the Association of British Insurers (ABI) code of practice for salvage. Since 1 October 2017 it has four categories:
| Category | What it means | Can it go back on the road? |
|---|---|---|
| Cat A | Scrap. The whole car must be crushed. | No |
| Cat B | Break. The body shell must be crushed, but some parts can be sold. | No |
| Cat S | Structurally damaged, and repairable. The chassis or crumple zones were damaged. | Yes, once repaired to a roadworthy condition |
| Cat N | Not structurally damaged, and repairable. Cosmetic, electrical or other damage. | Yes, once repaired to a roadworthy condition |
Before October 2017 the repairable categories were Cat C and Cat D. They were based mainly on the cost of repair compared with the car's value, not on the kind of damage. Older cars and history checks still show C and D.
A category is an insurer's decision, not a damage score
An insurer writes a car off when repairing it would cost too much compared with the car's value, or would not be safe. On an older or cheaper car, a fairly small repair can make it a write-off. A Cat N car may have had nothing more than a smashed headlight and a bumper; a Cat S car may have had a bent chassis leg. The category tells you the type of damage, not how well it was repaired.
Is a Cat S or Cat N car worth buying?
It can be, if the price reflects it and the repair was done properly. Things to know:
- They sell for less. Write-off cars are worth noticeably less than the same car with a clean history, and they stay that way when you come to sell.
- Insurance. You must tell your insurer. Most will cover a repaired Cat S or Cat N car, though some charge more or refuse.
- No official inspection. The Vehicle Identity Check that used to apply to some repaired write-offs was abolished in October 2015. Nobody checks the repair before the car returns to the road, so get an independent inspection, especially on a Cat S.
- Ask for the evidence. The insurer's write-off letter, photos of the damage, and invoices for the repair and the parts.
- The log book. For a Cat S car, the DVLA records the category in the log book (V5C). A Cat N car can keep its existing log book, so the V5C alone will not tell you.
How to find out if a car has been written off
Insurers report write-offs to a shared register (the Motor Insurance Anti-Fraud and Theft Register, MIAFTR). It is private. Paid history checks from providers with access to it, such as HPI and the AA, show the category and the date. Some listing sites show a basic check too: AutoTrader says its free basic check on listings includes whether a car has been written off.
RegTail does not check the insurers' write-off register. Every RegTail report marks write-off status as not checked. The full report shows write-offs declared in adverts for the same car that we have seen, and our MOT history guide explains how repaired damage can show up in MOT notes, but neither replaces the register. If you need it confirmed, use a paid check from a provider that holds it.
A write-off that was never claimed on insurance, for example a car repaired privately after an accident, is not on any register. That is why the viewing checklist asks you to look for panel gaps, overspray and mismatched paint.