Insurance write offs: accidents and thefts
Insurers ‘write off’ cars and other vehicles for two reasons:
- Damage write offs: The insurer thinks it's uneconomic to repair the vehicle. Some classes of damage write offs can be made safe to drive again.
- Theft write offs: The insurance company has paid out a claim because the vehicle was stolen - which means the insurer is now the legal owner. It's unwise to buy a theft-related insurance write off as the insurer can repossess the car.
AutoCheck can tell you if a car is an insurance write off.
One in eight cars checked is a write off.
Why you need to know if it was a write off
Just because a car was written off, doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't buy it. But there are checks to make when buying a write off to make sure it's safe - and is owned by the person selling it.