Car Write-Off Check

Why a write-off check matters

An insurance write-off is a car that an insurer decided was uneconomical or unsafe to repair after damage, often from an accident, fire or flood. The important thing for a buyer is that many written-off cars are repaired and returned to the road entirely legally. They can look flawless in photos and in person, yet still carry a history that affects safety, value and how easy the car will be to sell later. A write-off check is how you find out what a seller may not tell you.

The write-off categories explained

The UK uses four insurance write-off categories:

• Cat A – scrap only. The entire vehicle must be crushed, including all parts.
• Cat B – the body shell must be destroyed, but some undamaged parts may be salvaged and reused elsewhere.
• Cat S – structural damage that has been (or can be) professionally repaired. The car can legally return to the road once repaired.
• Cat N – non-structural damage, such as cosmetic, electrical or trim damage. The structure was not affected, and the car can be repaired and driven.

A car being Cat S or Cat N does not automatically make it a bad buy, but it should always be reflected in the price and in the quality of the repair. Cat A and Cat B vehicles should never legally be back on the road as a whole car, so a marker like that on a vehicle being sold to drive is a serious red flag.

What the write-off check covers

AI Reg Check reports insurance write-off markers and their category as part of the Full Vehicle History Check. Where the data is available on the databases we source from, the report tells you whether the car has been recorded as a write-off and which category applies. It sits alongside outstanding finance, stolen markers, mileage discrepancies, keeper information, plate changes and import or export markers. This is decision support to help you judge risk and value, not a legal guarantee, and it does not replace an independent physical inspection of a repaired car.

Reviewing write-off history

Start with a free AI Car Check to get the vehicle details, MOT and mileage history, a valuation and keeper information. AI Buy Score and Would I Buy It? are available only when both current mileage and asking price are supplied. If the Full Vehicle History Check returns a write-off marker, review the provider-history finding and verify it; any AI Buy Assessment remains decision support, not a physical assessment of repairs or condition.

Worked example

Suppose a Full Vehicle History Check returns a Category S marker. Verify what the record means, ask for repair documentation and arrange an independent inspection where appropriate. A marker is important context, but does not tell you the vehicle's present physical condition.

Buying a write-off with your eyes open

If you do decide to buy a repairable-category car, insist on evidence of a professional repair, get an independent inspection, and make sure the price is meaningfully lower than an equivalent car with no history. The write-off check is what turns a hidden problem into an informed decision.