More than a THIRD of CAT N vehicles were scrapped unnecessarily in 2025

New research reveals 34.9% of Category N vehicles could have been repaired using modern SMART repair techniques according to Revive! Auto Innovations

Insurance companies preferring to ‘write off’ damaged vehicles rather than pay the costs to repair them

Previously Categorised vehicles can be worth up to 50% less than similar condition undamaged models and are more difficult to insure

Recent analysis of the current salvage vehicle market has shown that 34.9% of Category N vehicles could have been repaired using modern SMART (Small to Medium Area Repair Technique) processes.

Following a Freedom of Information request issued to the DVLA to reveal the number of cars written off last year, along with analysis of the salvage vehicle marketplace Revive! Auto Innovations, the industry’s leading SMART (Small to Medium Area Repair Technique) Repair firm found that of the 262,339 cars that were Category N (CAT N) written off in 2025, 91,556 were scrapped unnecessarily by insurance firms rather than being repaired through the brands cost effective services.

“It’s surprising to see the sheer number of vehicles sent to salvage auctions that Revive! could have repaired saving both the insurer and the owner a significant amount of financial and mental distress,” commented Mark Llewellyn, Managing Director of Revive!

Category N vehicles are those that have been involved in an accident or the owner has made a claim against their insurance, and the Insurer has assessed the damage to be greater than is economically repairable.

Revive!’s analysis of the salvage vehicle market showed that many insurance assessors overestimate the various factors that go into repairing a vehicle, including the cost of repairs, availability of parts and the significance of the damage incurred to the vehicle. Many of the vehicles that were assessed by Revive!’s team had only minor scrapes and dents that could have been easily repaired by the company’s network of over 250 IMI accredited technicians.

Instead, the vehicle was written off leading to a dramatic reduction in value should the car be resold following repairs. In many cases repaired categorised vehicles are valued at up to 50% less than undamaged models. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of categorised vehicles on sale, currently there are over 13,500 on Autotrader alone, with vehicles ranging from entry level Vauxhall Corsas to high end Lamborghini Huracans.

“It is strangely counter intuitive for car insurance providers to not explore all the options for repairing a damaged vehicle. Paying out on policies and categorising the vehicle for the most minor damage costs vastly more than a Revive! SMART repair would cost the insurance company. Especially when a Revive! repair can be carried out on the customer’s driveway in just a few hours, negating the requirement of a courtesy car while the repair takes place,” concluded Mark.

With more than 250 IMI-accredited technicians operating under 50+ franchisees nationwide, Revive! provides a fully mobile service for cosmetic bodywork and alloy wheel damage, enabling insurers general consumers and even dealerships to increase the value of their stock while avoiding the costs and downtime associated with traditional body shops.

For more information about Revive! and its market-leading Smart Repairs service, visit: https://revive-uk.com/.

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