Salvage my car: sell a written-off or damaged vehicle

Salvage means a car damaged badly enough that repairing it does not make sense, but which still has value in its parts and materials. That covers insurance write-offs in Categories B, S and N, cars damaged in a collision you did not claim for, and cars hit by flood or fire. Motor Salvage Group buys them across Scotland and England, collects them free of charge and pays by bank transfer to an account in your name.

A salvage price looks at the whole car, not only its weight: the make and model, age and mileage, where the damage is, and which parts came through untouched. A newer car with a crushed rear corner and a sound engine is worth more than its metal, and the quote reflects that. Send the registration, the write-off category if there is one, and clear photos of the damage.

As a rule, the cars we buy go to a licensed Authorised Treatment Facility partner, where usable parts are recovered and the rest is depolluted and recycled. When a car is scrapped, the ATF issues the Certificate of Destruction and notifies the DVLA. Our only base is in Fort William and we work entirely by collection. If your car has a mechanical fault rather than damage, see selling a broken car.

Write-off categories explained

Insurers give a category only after a claim, under the insurance industry's salvage code, which has used Categories A, B, S and N since October 2017. Category A cars must be crushed whole, with no parts reused. Category B cars have a body shell that must be crushed, but parts can be removed and reused. Category S means structural damage, and Category N means damage that is not structural. A car that was never claimed on has no category: it is simply damaged. We buy Category B, S and N write-offs and uncategorised damaged cars. We can still take a Category A car, but only to be crushed at a licensed facility, so it is priced on its metal. Tell us the category when you ask for a price.

How salvage cars are priced

A salvage price depends on the make and model, the year, the mileage, the extent and location of the damage, and which parts remain in good condition. Engines, gearboxes, alloy wheels, catalytic converters and undamaged body panels all add value when they can be recovered. The weight of the vehicle and the distance to your address also count; there is no separate collection charge. Send us the registration, the category if it has one and clear photos of the damage. The price we agree is the price paid, as long as the car is as described.

Selling a car after an insurance claim

If your insurer has paid out and taken the car, it belongs to them and they dispose of it, so you do not need us. If you chose to keep it, the settlement is usually reduced by the car's salvage value and the car stays yours to sell. The category stays with the car, so declare it when you ask for a price. If you decided not to claim, the car has no category and you can sell it to us as a damaged car. Either way, tell us which airbags went off and whether the car has been moved since the accident. Once the car is collected, tell the DVLA you have sold it to the motor trade, online with the reference on your V5C.

Flood, fire and storm damage

Water and fire damage can write off a car even when it looks intact. Flooded cars develop electrical faults and corrosion that are rarely worth repairing, and fire damage affects wiring, airbags and structural strength. We buy both. Tell us how deep the water reached or how far the fire spread, and whether the car has been moved since. Do not try to start a car that has been in deep water. Our driver brings a recovery vehicle, so a car that cannot be started or steered is not a problem, and the licensed facility handles any contaminated fluids.

What to send with a salvage enquiry

Good photos let us price a damaged car accurately without seeing it. Take one from each corner in daylight, then close-ups of the damage, the dashboard with the ignition on if it still powers up, the interior and the engine bay. Add the mileage, the write-off category and settlement letter if there has been a claim, and a note of which airbags deployed. Tell us where the car is, whether the wheels turn and whether it is at a home, a garage or a storage compound. With that, the figure we quote is the figure we pay if the car matches.

Not sure which service you need? It does not matter. Send us the reg and we will tell you the best route, or read how the process works.