Yes they can.

From the RAC

Category A: scrap only. For cars so badly damaged they should be crushed and never re-appear on the road. Even salvageable parts must be destroyed.

Category B: body shell should be crushed. Signifies extensive damage, although some parts are salvageable. Should never re-appear on road, although reclaimed parts can be used in other road-going vehicles.

Write off categories are an insurance company led system, not law.

Ok, so how would you do it?

Well the RAC don’t know what they are talking about, just repeating the same old misinformation.

Repair, VIC check, MOT, tax, insurance. Legal! Insurance would probably only cover for scrap value of car though.

Here’s an example: http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/155617

Thats a Cat C robdob so can go back on the road after a VIC and MOT.
Cat A and B cannot be returned to the road.
Cat A is for burn outs and gutted vehicles. Only value is in the baled weight at a metal recyclers.
CAT A also applies when the vehicle has been involved in a serious RTA that has been subject to a death and also ‘contamination’ issues such as ‘human tissue’ in the vehicle…….

Cat B is where the vehicle is no longer safe to put back on the road and must be broken or crushed. These can only be sold to registered dismantlers with an EPA waste licence. They are actually sold as parts and are no longer considered as a vehicle. There is no economic consideration involved, purely a safety one. Vehicles that have been flooded are normally written off as a cat B.

Cat C is where the car is repairable but is not economic to do so. Think older cars and or ones where the chassis needs jigging.

Cat D is where the vehicle is repairable and would be economic to do so (cost of salvage + cost of repairs < Pre accident value) but the insurance company has decided not to repair the vehicle. This could be due to excessive storage or recovery costs, etc. “

This is directly from the DVLA and the ABI after a friend was left smeared around the inside of his new car by a lorry driver.

Well that’s an interesting read, and I’ll go all the way through it once I’m home, but from skimming it it was a mis-logged as a Cat C write off.

I knew about the VIC checks for cat Cs so it’s basically a case of getting to a cat b before the crusher gets it. Interesting.

Cat B’s you don’t normally even see that chassis as it’s crushed for scrap. And Cat A’s are usually too much of a mess to bother with.

Our old C15 is dead (boo!)

But it went on for another 8 years and ended up at 223,000 miles (yaaay!)

“Thats a Cat C robdob so can go back on the road after a VIC and MOT”

Read the thread. It was a Cat B.

Unfortunately you are wrong. Cat B can go back on the road. Categories are just for insurance purposes only.

Insurance companies have no jurisdiction to determine whether a car is suitable for repair or not.

my old vw t2 appears to be toast… 🙁

the last MOT showed the extent of corrosion i worried about….

If you read it – he bought it as a Cat C so under VOSA/DVLA it was fine to be bought and repaired.
He’d already repaired it, VIC’d it, MOT’d it and insured before being told it was a CAT B.
The fact he had a Log Book was the only reason he got round it – because it was sold/marked as a Cat C.
The insurers do have that jurisdiction though as they own the vehicle once it is categorised/paid out on and their assessors make that call at the time of inspection.
The ABI “Code of Practice” becomes a legal document when insurers sign up to it so its in their interests to ensure that they comply to it. Part of that is ensuring that V5’s are returned to DVLA and the vehicle noted as scrapped.
The “issue” is with dismantlers who pick up the vehicles on behalf of the insurers and all the documents – inc the V5 who then don’t pass that on.
It’s a practice that is rife and worth so much money that its turned a blind eye too. Ex-BiL was a senior risk analyst for RSA and was involved in loads of investigations over the years before he retired. Every time it went upwards in the chain – it got closed down.

Jef Wachowchow – Member
Nice to know my old 1971 VW Fastback is still going. Was my first car.
This comment made me chuckle ‘Non standard tyre sizes fitted due to suspension being very low’.
Good to hear its still being run in the same spirit!

Cool.

Mine never got any comments like that, even though it doesn’t actually have any suspension travel at all 😆

^ I sold my Fastback 24 years ago when I was 20. I’d love to know where it is now. I would probably offer to buy it.

Front end was always sat on the bump stops, it made for a little understeer.

Can’t wait to get home and find the picture of my Vauxhall Nova Invader to get the reg!

Well checking my current car it appears somebody somewhere has cloned its Reg and taken it for a MOT in Feb(which it initially failed)and the mileage is totally different,
which tallies up with me receiving a letter after taking it for is MOT in March asking for details as there appeared to be a discrepancy on the DVLA’s system.

The wifes car apparently failed on a worn CV joint at its last MOT but then apparently didn’t according to there details (And nothing stated to that effect on my paper MOT at home.

Think theres a few bugs in the system.

Should I be worried that my car doesn’t show up on the system?

If its more than three years old, yes!

Point of order; the VIC test scheme ceased to exist about a month ago. As you were

Evening. The 07 Xsara Picasso that I paid 1500£ for and drove from Manchester to Germany via Brugges and back passed its recent MOT no advisories. It was the best car I owned (and I’ve owned 3 Subaru’s). Anyone who says French cars are unreliable etc is daft. French people buy them in their droves. It’s VWs that are costly.

Interesting to see the old Pug I had still continues on with endless problems with the exhaust & emissions, plus a pile of other costly issues now 😆

I was glad to be rid of it. Current Honda on the other hand is bliss. Only thing the MOT ever shows is the usual advisory on tyre wear.

My old Passat estate’s still going too, now got 250K on.
I knew I shouda kept it!