If you own a car that has been written off, you’re probably wondering how you will dispose of it. This blog will go over what options are available to you depending on your car’s write-off category and then discuss how you can use our services at A&L Vehicle Recycling to dispose of it responsibly.
What Does It Mean When a Car is Written Off?
When a car is written off (also known as a total loss), it means that it has been damaged to the point where it’s too unsafe to drive and the total costs of repairs will cost more than the car itself.
In the UK, cars that are written off are categorised into one of four categories:
Category A: The car is completely destroyed and beyond repair
Category B: The car is too damaged to be repaired but some parts are salvageable.
Category S (formerly known as Cat C): The car has structural damage but is repairable.
Category N (formerly known as Cat D): The car has non-structural damage and can be repaired.
Can I Scrap a Written Off Car?
Generally, yes! However this answer does vary depending on the severity of the damage and the category of the write off.
Category A Write-Offs
These cars are completely destroyed and cannot be repaired, resold or scrapped for parts. In this case, the only option is to have it disposed of by an authorized treatment facility like us at A&L Vehicle Recycling.
Category B Write-Offs
These cars cannot be repaired or resold in any way for road use but can have some parts salvaged. An auto recycling company can then purchase the car from you for parts.
Category S & N Write-Offs
These cars are usually still in a condition where they can be repaired or resold. If repairing the car is not financially viable, you can sell the parts for scrap.
How Do I Scrap My Write-Off?
If your car has been written off, your insurance company should handle getting the car scrapped for you as long as you follow these steps:
- First, get in touch with your insurance company and confirm that the car is a write-off and if so, what category it fits into.
- Make sure you tell the DVLA your car has been written off to avoid the £1,000 fine.
- If you’ve received a payout from your insurance company, the car may still belong to them. If this is the case, you'll need to transfer ownership back to yourself and ensure the car is legally yours before scrapping it.
- Find an authorised treatment facility that you trust will recycle your vehicle responsibly – like us at A&L Vehicle Recycling!
When you scrap a car with us at A&L, we will issue a Certificate of Destruction that is registered online with the DVLA. This will instantly mark the vehicle as scrapped and permanently close the vehicle record.
If you have any questions regarding our services, please don’t hesitate to contact us and a member of our team will be happy to help. Alternatively, check out our Scrap Car FAQs for more information.
Scrap Car FAQs
