WEHPICHECK / BUY WITH A CLEARER PICTURE
Check recorded write-off history before you buy.
An insurance write-off record can change the questions you ask about a used car. A write-off check searches available recorded insurance history. It does not inspect a repair, certify current safety or reveal every accident. Read the category and the individual evidence before deciding what the result means for the vehicle.
Explore vehicle checks →Understand Cat S and Cat N
GOV.UK describes Cat S as repairable structural damage and Cat N as repairable non-structural damage. Non-structural does not mean trivial: important components can still need attention. Older records may use Cat C or Cat D, so do not automatically translate those into a modern category without context.
A write-off search is not a full accident history
Damage may have been repaired privately or never entered the sources searched. A report without a returned write-off marker does not prove that the car has never been damaged. Salvage auction history is another type of evidence and is distinct from the insurance category itself.
What to ask about a repaired vehicle
Request repair invoices, dated photographs where available and an explanation of the work undertaken. Arrange an inspection appropriate to the damage and check how the vehicle can be insured before making a buying decision. A current MOT result is a separate dated test, not a certificate of every repair.
Where the checks fit in our packages
Our package page explains the included insurance-history search. Complete also includes a salvage-record search, with historical photographs only where returned and licensed. Keep the original record, seller account and inspection findings separate so you can identify what remains unresolved.
Your questions, answered.
Does Cat N mean only cosmetic damage?
No. It means the recorded damage was non-structural; the repair and current condition still need investigation.
Will a write-off check show every accident?
No. Unreported incidents and private repairs may not appear in the searched records.
Continue your research.
YOUR NEXT STEP
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