Free call0800 058 8087Get a quote
Call freeGet a quote

Accident damage

Scrapping an accident-damaged car

After a collision, a flood or a fire, the question isn’t always whether a car can be fixed but whether it’s worth fixing. Damaged cars can be valued and collected as they stand.

Get a quote
Call 0800 058 8087
An assessor with a clipboard noting damage beside a car with a crumpled wing

Accident damage

Damage changes the sums

Modern cars are full of sensors, airbags and crumple zones designed to absorb an impact once. Replacing them after even a moderate crash can be costly, and hidden damage often only shows up once a repairer starts work.

If you’re not claiming on insurance, or the car was written off and returned to you, scrappage turns a damaged car into a straightforward collection rather than a long-term problem on your drive.

Before collection

  • Make sure the car can be reached by a recovery vehicle
  • Mention deployed airbags or missing wheels
  • Remove personal items if it's safe to do so
  • Keep any police or insurance reference numbers

Types of damage

What counts as accident damage

  1. 01

    Front and rear impacts

    Crushed bumpers, radiators, headlamps and crumple zones.

  2. 02

    Side impacts

    Damaged doors, pillars and sills, which often affect the car's structure.

  3. 03

    Flood damage

    Water in the engine, electrics or interior, which can cause faults long after the car dries out.

  4. 04

    Fire damage

    Burnt wiring, melted plastics and heat-damaged panels.

How it works

The full circle

Four stages take an unwanted car from your drive to a new life as recycled material. Here’s what happens at each one.

  1. 1

    Value

    Enter the registration and the postcode where the car is parked. The details go to a licensed buyer who covers that area, and they come back with an offer.

  2. 2

    Collect

    Agree the offer and pick a day. The car is collected free of charge from a drive, a street, a car park or a garage, wherever it happens to be.

  3. 3

    Scrap

    The car goes to an Authorised Treatment Facility, where fluids, the battery and hazardous parts are removed safely and the paperwork is completed.

  4. 4

    Recycle

    Reusable parts are recovered, and the shell is shredded so the steel, aluminium and other materials can be made into something new.

Questions

Accident damage: questions

Straight answers to what people ask before scrapping a car.

Can’t see your question? Read every answer or call 0800 058 8087.

Can a car be collected if it can't roll?

Mention it when the buyer calls. Recovery vehicles have winches, and the collector will plan for a car that can't be pushed or steered.

The car is still at a garage or recovery yard. Is that a problem?

No. Use the postcode where the car is now, and say who has it, so the collection can be arranged with them.

Is there a charge for collection?

No. Collection is free wherever the car is in the UK, there are no admin or hidden fees, and turning down an offer costs nothing.

How quickly will I hear back?

Usually within about an hour of your details reaching the buyer. If you haven't heard by then, call us and we'll follow it up.

What we scrap

Other situations we handle

Choose the situation closest to yours for what to expect.

MOT failuresWhen the repair list costs more than the car is worth.Insurance write-offsCategory A, B, S or N, with or without the insurer's paperwork.Mechanical failureEngines, gearboxes and electrics past economic repair.Non-runnersCars that won't start, won't move or have been off the road for years.Salvage carsCars worth more for their parts than as a whole.Old and unwanted carsThe car that has simply reached the end of its life.VansSmall and medium vans, in any condition.

Ready to scrap your car?

Get an offer from a licensed local buyer in minutes, with free collection whenever suits you.

Get a quote
Call 0800 058 8087