Top 10 cars most likely to have been written off revealed

Nearly a quarter of searches on the site this year returned a write-off warning, with the riskiest models being the Peugeot 208 Active and the Ford Fiesta Edge 60. Three variants of Vauxhall’s popular Corsa also made the top ten.

Why should you care?

If you’re in the market for a second-hand car, one thing you need to consider is whether or not any prospective purchases have been previously written off.

Category C and D cars, are vehicles that insurance companies have deemed uneconomical to repair, but many are fixed and then sold on privately.

There is nothing illegal, or immoral, in this if the seller is up-front about the car’s status as a cat C or D write-off - and it can be a great way to bag a second-hand bargain. But prospective buyers should be aware that not all sellers will be honest about, or even aware that, their car for sale has been written off during its lifespan.

It should be a concern for buyers due to the risk that repairs have not been carried out properly and also due to the fact that cat C and D cars are worth less and are potentially more expensive and more difficult to insure.

Head of Mycarcheck, Roger Powell, said: “Any previously written-off vehicle must be viewed with caution, especially when inspecting the quality of repairs. The implications of being involved in a further accident in a car which has not been properly repaired don’t bear thinking about.

“Even leaving the safety aspect aside, previous write-offs should generally cost a lot less than a like-for-like non-accident damaged vehicle. In a survey a couple of years ago, 79 per cent of My Car Check customers said they wouldn’t buy one. The flipside is that some buyers are happy to look at category C or D write-offs and use the data to push for a price reduction.”

Write-off warnings as a proportion of searches

Peugeot 208 Active

48.65%

Ford Fiesta Edge 60

48.57%

Vauxhall Corsa Limited Edition

40.60%

Honda Civic Es I-vtec

40.00%

BMW 116d Efficient Dynamics

38.89%

Nissan Note Acenta

38.71%

Ford Fiesta Edge

38.46%

Nissan Micra S Auto

37.84%

Vauxhall Corsa Sri

37.74%

Vauxhall Corsa Sxi Ac

37.74%