A write-off is not always about a wrecked car. It is an economic decision about repair cost against value, plus a safety judgement about the structure. Here is how the process works and where you have a say.
Write-off categories explained
UK insurers use salvage categories to describe what may happen to a damaged vehicle afterwards.
- Category A: scrap only, the whole vehicle must be crushed.
- Category B: body shell crushed, some parts may be reclaimed.
- Category S: structurally damaged but repairable.
- Category N: non-structural damage, repairable.
How the valuation is worked out
The insurer offers what they consider the pre-accident market value: what it would cost you to buy the same vehicle, same age, mileage and condition, today.
First offers are often based on trade guides alone. Local advertised prices for comparable vehicles are legitimate evidence and frequently move the number.
↑ Back to contentsIf the offer feels too low
Gather three or four adverts for genuinely comparable vehicles, note service history, extras and recent work, and put it in writing. Be specific rather than emotional and keep everything documented.
↑ Back to contentsA repairer's view helps
Sometimes a vehicle is called uneconomical when a properly scoped repair is genuinely viable. An independent look from a bodyshop tells you whether the damage assessment is realistic.
↑ Back to contentsFrequently asked questions
The insurance questions drivers ask us most
Straight answers on premiums, excess, write-offs and replacement vehicles, written by our Bristol repair team.
- Non-fault accident: what it means and what to do (UK guide)A plain-English UK guide to non-fault accidents: how liability is decided, your repair and replacement vehicle options, and the mistakes that cost drivers money.
- What to do after a car accident that wasn’t your faultThe exact steps to take at the scene, in the first 24 hours and in the first week after someone else hits your car in the UK.
- Will a non-fault accident affect my insurance? (UK)How a non-fault claim can show on your record, what happens to your premium and what to check with your insurer.
- Do I have to pay my insurance excess?When an excess applies after a non-fault accident, and the practical routes that can avoid paying one up front.
Your next steps
Based on what you have just read, these are the pages most drivers go to next.
Prefer to speak to someone now?
SAR Group is a repair-led accident support and bodyshop business, and your first point of contact after a non-fault accident. We are not an FCA-authorised claims management company: every non-fault case is handled through our authorised and regulated partner network.