Written off

How do I check my report for a written off vehicle ?

More information

If a vehicle has been 'written off' it has been in an accident or has suffered some form of impact, water, fire or malicious damage.

There are two types of 'written off' vehicles, a 'statutory write off' which have been written off and are unable to be re-registered and 'a repairable write-off' which can be repaired and re-registered if they pass a written-off vehicle and safety certificate inspections, however the laws vary from state to state.

For example after 31st January 2013, no written-off vehicle will be registered without an ‘Authorisation to Repair’, and vehicles that were written-off in NSW on or after 31 January 2011 and subsequently re-registered in NSW will also have notification on the Certificate of Registration that it was once written-off. Please check with your road authority for your state or territory for more details.

If a vehicle has been written off then you can still purchase it, but you should do some thorough checks to ensure that it's safe and use caution when purchasing a damaged vehicle as it may not be eligible for re-registration. Some vehicles that have recently been damaged may be in the process of assessment by the insurance company. The insurance company will not update the vehicle status to written-off until their assessment is complete, there it is possible for the vehicle to be sold during this assessment period.

Further Details - Written off Vehicle

See Written off Vehicle Code page to understand how to interpret written off vehicle codes.

Example - Written off Vehicle

An example PPSR report that has details of a vehicle that has had storm, flood damage, and then also been in a collision is below. This model of car is a substantial investment even purchased second hand, so the money spent on a VINNER report is worth every cent. Vehicles with no history will display 'no data' in the Written Off field

Example - Written Off Report

Worried that sports car you want to buy might have been repaired? Get peace of mind with a VINNER PPSR report

Example - Written Off Report #2