Category A
Scrap only. For cars so badly damaged they should be crushed and never re-appear on the road. Even salvageable parts must be destroyed.
Category B
Body shell should be crushed. Signifies extensive damage, although some parts are salvageable. Should never re-appear on road, although reclaimed parts can be used in other road-going vehicles.
Category C
The vehicle is repairable but the costs exceed the vehicle’s value. Can re-appear on road. Read more.
Category D
The vehicle is repairable but repair costs are significant compared to the vehicle value – including time delays to source parts. Can re-appear on road. Read more.
The ABI Salvage Code dictates that Category A and Category B cars should be crushed, with Cat B vehicles allowed to donate some safe and serviceable parts.
However, write-offs in the latter two categories can be sold on by the insurance company, either to the original owner or to a third party via a car salvage company. Cars written off as a Category C case, according to the ABI’s Salvage Code, “require a Vehicle Identity Check (VIC) before a V5C registration certificate is re-issued by the DVLA.” The VIC is carried out by the Vehicle Operator and Services Agency (VOSA).
As no notifications are made to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) or VOSA when a car is written off in a Category D situation, the vehicle is not subject to a VIC before it is allowed back on the road – just make sure the repair work has been carried out to a safe and satisfactory standard.
Cars in the latter two categories can sometimes represent a bargain, if they are priced accordingly. An older car can be repaired to an acceptable standard at a lower cost than that dictated by an insurance company’s standards – especially if used parts or cheaper labour are used.