How to check if a car has been written off

Worried a used car is a hidden write-off? The free and paid ways to check a UK car's history, and what each one actually tells you.

DATA · 4 min read

Why you must check

Around one in thirty used cars on sale has a write-off marker, and plenty of sellers do not mention it. A hidden Cat S or Cat N can knock hundreds off the value you thought you were getting, and make the car harder to insure and resell. A two-minute check before you buy is the cheapest insurance there is.

The free checks first

The government MOT history service at gov.uk shows every MOT, the mileage at each test and the advisories, all free. It will not show the write-off category, but a suspicious mileage jump or a gap in testing is a red flag worth chasing. Our free Vehicle History Checker pulls this together with any salvage auction appearances we have on record.

What only a paid check shows

The actual insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and stolen markers live in databases (MIAFTR and the finance registers) that are only sold to licensed providers. A full paid history check is the only way to see the confirmed category. These cost a few pounds and are worth it on any car over about a grand.

Reading the result

A clean result is reassuring but not a cast-iron guarantee, because very recent write-offs take time to appear. A marker found is a stop-and-think, not always a walk-away: a well-repaired, well-priced Cat N can still be a good buy. What matters is that you know before you pay, not after.

The salvage buyer's angle

If you are flipping, you check the history to price the marker into your exit, not to avoid it. If you are buying to keep, a hidden marker you were not told about is a reason to renegotiate hard or walk. Either way, run the reg through a checker first. It takes seconds on our history tool.

Confirm the write-off category, finance and stolen status, 5 credits