Enter a registration to check it against insurance write off records, including the category recorded and the date of loss.
✓Insurance write off records
✓The category recorded, A, B, S or N
✓Date of loss
✓Scrapped, imported and exported markers
✓Included in the Full History report at £9.99
Category A means the car must be crushed entirely and Category B means the shell must be destroyed, though salvageable parts may be reused. Neither should ever be back on the road. Category S covers structural damage that has been repaired, and Category N covers non structural damage, which can range from cosmetic work to electrical or brake faults. S and N cars can legally be sold and driven, but they must be declared and they are worth substantially less.
A properly repaired Category N car with documentation can be a sensible purchase at the right price. The problem is when it is not disclosed, because you then pay full market value for a car worth perhaps thirty per cent less, and you inherit the difficulty of selling it on. The check exists so the discount is negotiated openly rather than discovered when you come to sell.
You will still see cars advertised as Category C or D, the labels used before the system changed in 2017. Roughly, C corresponds to today's S and D to today's N. If you see the old letters on a listing, the record itself will show what was actually logged at the time.
Enter the registration and run the Full History report at £9.99. It searches insurance write off records and returns the category and date if one exists.
Yes, both can be insured and driven legally once properly repaired, though some insurers are more willing than others and premiums can differ. Category A and B cars should never return to the road.
Yes. Failing to disclose a recorded write off when selling can invalidate the sale and expose you to a claim from the buyer.