These were the 10 most written-off cars in Britain in 2023

Have you ever looked at an insurance write-off (otherwise known as a ‘Cat N’) and been tempted? Of course you have, because some of the criteria for what would condemn a car to Cat N status are often seen to be quite… soft.

Recent research from eBay, which surveyed a total of around 2,000 people, found that 42 per cent of them would feel ‘safe’ buying a Cat N car or van. Most would even be happy to restore the vehicle to road-worthy condition on their own.

But that also got us thinking: which cars make up the bulk of the UK’s armada of write-offs? Here’s your rundown of the 10 most written-off cars in 2023.

Did you know: the Audi A3 is fast approaching its 30th anniversary in 2026? Click here to read our review of the current model.

Amazingly, Ford has built over eight million Transits since its introduction in 1965. That’s around 375 per day for over 59 years straight. Click here to read our review of the current model.

Not-so-fun fact: the now-retired Volkswagen Up is actually bigger than the very first Polo. Click here to read our review of the current model.

Did you know the original 1er was available in as many as 10 trim levels? What scenes! Click here to read our review of the current model.

Possibly-fun fact: the all-new Nissan Qashqai is inspired by… Japanese samurais. A bit. Click here to read our review of the current model.

Possibly-obvious fact: with over 16 million units shifted over seven generations thus far, BMW’s mid-sized saloon is one of the best-selling of all time. Click here to read our review of the current model.

Did you know Volkswagen once built a Golf powered by a massive W12 engine? Spoiler alert: it didn’t really work that well. Anyway, click here to read our review of the current model.

Definitely-fun fact: in the 2001 British Touring Car Championship, a Vauxhall Astra won 25 of the 26 races that calendar year. Blimey. Click here to read our review of the current model.

Did you know the original Fiesta concept was named the ‘Bobcat’? Doesn’t quite have the same impact, we’d proffer. Click here to read our review of the now-retired seventh generation.

Did you know that in Britain last year, an average of 20 Ford Focuses were written off per day? No, you probably didn't, but you do now. Click here to read our review of the current model.