If you’re looking for a used car you’ll come across a range of acronyms and terms in a car’s description that describe the condition and history of the car in question.
There’s your usual mix of ABS (anti-lock braking system), 4wd (four wheel drive) and clim/cons (climate control) but then there’s also a list of abbreviations you won’t find on any manufacturer websites.
There’s gc (good condition), fsh (full service history) and t&t (taxed and tested). These are undoubtedly important additions to any used car advert and something which should be considered when buying your car, but they’re also identifiable upon seeing the car in the metal.
One slightly more concerning abbreviation that is found in some used car adverts is Vcar (or V, or V-Car).
It stands for Vehicle Condition Alert Registered Vehicle – and if the car you’re interested in carries the moniker, you might want to think very carefully about parting with a bundle of cash.
What is the V-Car register?
The V-Car register is a resource used by insurers and accident services to list when a car has been involved in an accident and classified as a write-off.
Write-off is an informal term used to describe a car that has been involved in an accident for example and damaged to an extent where the repair costs are larger than the total value of the car. It also applies to cars that have been stolen and not found; forcing insurers to pay out.
Once a car has made the V-Car register it can never escape the title, however it can be returned to the road. Cars with V-Car status are normally much cheaper than other used cars because they have had extensive repairs carried out are much more difficult to sell.
Insurance companies will also investigate whether a car has outstanding finance.
Are V-Cars safe to drive?
V-Cars can be safe to drive following repairs, however it is important to make further safety checks to ensure that the car has been returned to a fit and proper condition for use on the road.
A garage needs to carry out a standard MOT on a V car and pass it before it can go back on the roads; cars cleared to go back on the roads will require a new logbook from the DVLA. It is advised to only buy a V-Car if you know its history and are comfortable with the condition of the car.
Dodgy car dealers have been known to buy cheap V-Cars and dress them up with new paintjobs, new equipment and an enticing price; only for them to bits down the line.
Make sure you ask a dealer or private seller if the car has ever been written off - they are not obliged to volunteer the information but they will commit an offence if they fail to tell you when asked or if they lie about whether the car has been previously written off.
What cars make it onto the V-Car register?
All cars that are written off by insurance companies or seized by the police will make it onto the V-Car register, however not all will be able to return to the road.
Generally speaking, the category of the car’s write off will determine whether it can be repaired and put back on the road.
Write-off categories
There are four main ‘write-off’ categories in the UK ; plus an additional one singled out for those cars which have been damaged by fire or stolen.
Category A
Category A cars are not deemed fit to return to the road, no matter how much repair and work goes into returning it to a decent condition. The car and its parts will be crushed.
Category A cars should never return to the road.
Category B
Category B cars can have some use as spare parts but the bodyshell is deemed irreparable and should be crushed.
Category B cars should never return to the road.
Category C
A Category C car can be returned to the road despite the fact that it has been badly damaged.
The insurance company will have written it off because the repair costs would not have stacked up given the value of the car.
Technically – and from a safety perspective – it may have been possible to return the car to the road.
Category D
Category D cars can also be returned to the road and their condition is better than Category C models – some category D write-offs may have cosmetic damage only, but been deemed by an insurance company to be more valuable as a write-off.
Again the insurer will have decided that the repairs are too expensive in light of the total cost of the vehicle itself but there is nothing to prevent their return to the road following repair.
Category F
Category F cars are those that are deemed irreparable because of fire damage or cars that have been stolen and had their total loss payment covered.
That means an insurer has paid out for the stolen car so that – even if it has been bought by an innocent party – it can be repossessed immediately by the insurer to cover losses.
What if I buy a V car?
You may get an inexpensive car that is perfectly safe to drive, but you may acquire a problematic car with many problems.
Category C write-offs should be approached with significant caution.
Not only that, you may find it very hard to resale in the future, particularly as a part-exchange to a dealer.
Where can I check if a car is a ‘V Car’ or has been written off by an insurer?
You can pay for checks on cars that will flag up V Cars on one of the following links:
www.hpicheck.com
www.autocheck.co.uk
www.rac.co.uk
www.autotrader.co.uk