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Written-off cars: what the categories mean
Cat A, B, S and N explained — what may lawfully return to the road, what a category does and does not tell you about repair quality, and where it shows up in a check.
A write-off is an insurance decision, not a verdict on a car. It means the insurer chose to settle rather than repair — a judgement about cost against value, and about the nature of the damage.
That distinction matters because a written-off car can be anything from scrap to a lightly damaged vehicle that was simply worth less than the bill.
The four categories
UK insurers place salvage into four bands under the industry salvage code.
Category A — the vehicle must be destroyed entirely. No part may be reused.
Category B — the body shell must be destroyed, but mechanical and electrical parts may be salvaged for reuse.
Category S — structural damage that has been, or can be, properly repaired. The car may lawfully return to the road once repaired.
Category N — non-structural damage: cosmetic, electrical or mechanical, without damage to the load-bearing structure. It may return to the road once roadworthy.
Cars in categories A and B must never be back on the road. If one is offered to you, that is the end of the conversation.
What changed, and why old listings confuse people
The current S and N categories replaced the older C and D bands, and the reason for the change is worth understanding: C and D described the cost of repair, S and N describe the nature of the damage. A cheap car with modest damage could once be written off simply because repair exceeded its value — which told a buyer nothing about safety.
Adverts and databases still carry the old letters for older events. Neither system tells you how well any repair was actually done.
What a category does not tell you
It does not describe the repair. Two Cat S cars can be a professional structural rebuild and a cosmetic patch over a bent shell, and the letter is identical.
It does not describe severity within the band. Cat N covers a scuffed bumper and a flooded interior alike.
It does not follow the car reliably unless recorded. Which is the point of checking.
How it surfaces in a check
A paid vehicle history check queries the insurance write-off registers alongside outstanding finance, theft markers and plate changes. This is the check most worth paying for, because it is the one covering things the seller has an incentive not to mention.
If a check returns a write-off marker, ask for the engineer’s report, the repair invoices and photographs from before repair. A seller who has them will produce them; the absence of all three on a structural category is an answer in itself.
Buying one on purpose
People do, and sensibly — a properly repaired Cat N car can be good value. Just do it with open eyes: expect a lower resale price, check that your insurer will cover it and on what terms, and have the repair inspected independently rather than taking the invoice on trust.
General information only. This is not legal, financial or technical advice, and rules change. Each page links to the official source — confirm the current position there before acting on it. This site sells nothing and is not a dealer, garage or broker.