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What will it cost to fix, and what is it worth?
CarWorthUK estimates the repair cost and resale value of a UK used or salvage car before you buy or bid. Type the number plate and it pulls the vehicle details and real MOT history, then prices the likely repairs.
A plate in, a repair bill and a value out
Whether it is a salvage lot, a private sale or a trade-in, enter the registration, or make, model, year, mileage, gearbox and damage by hand, and CarWorth returns:
- Estimated repair cost: the likely repair items for the damage, with parts and labour ranges priced against current market listings
- Known model faults: common, model-specific problems to check for
- Market value: an indicative resale range for the car’s age, mileage and condition
- Chat: ask follow-up questions about any part of the estimate
Requires iOS 18.6 or later. You can also photograph the number plate instead of typing it.
The most you should bid, beside the listing
The add-on opens a sidebar next to the car you are looking at on Copart UK, AutoTrader, eBay or Facebook Marketplace. On a Copart UK lot it reads the vehicle, damage and salvage category itself; anywhere else, type the plate and press Look up.
- Repair cost built from the car’s actual MOT faults and its damage, with parts priced from live listings
- Resale value once repaired, and a suggested maximum bid on Copart after buyer fees and delivery, or the most you should pay on a fixed-price listing
- Structural-welding and corrosion warnings from the MOT history: the things photos will not show
- Live auctions: it follows the car on the block and shows the maximum bid you prepared, with a board of every lot you have estimated
Anyone weighing up a damaged or high-mileage car
Buyers
Know what a car is really worth, and what it will take to put right, before you make an offer.
Auction bidders
Go into a salvage auction with a maximum bid worked out after fees, delivery and the repair.
Traders and dismantlers
Quickly decide whether a car is worth repairing to sell, repairing to keep, or passing on.
UK salvage categories, in brief
An insurer that writes a car off records it in one of four categories. Only the last two can return to the road, and a car that has been written off keeps that record when it is sold.
| Category | What it means |
|---|---|
| Cat A | Scrap. The whole car must be crushed; no parts can be reused. |
| Cat B | Break for parts. Parts can be salvaged, but the body shell must be crushed. It cannot return to the road. |
| Cat S | Structurally damaged, such as the chassis or crumple zones, but repairable. It must be re-registered with the DVLA before going back on the road. |
| Cat N | Non-structural damage, such as cosmetic or electrical, but repairable. |
General guidance, not advice on a specific car. CarWorthUK asks for the category and takes it into account in the estimate.
An estimate to help you decide, not a valuation
CarWorthUK gives indicative figures, not a formal valuation, inspection or repair quote. Costs for damaged vehicles vary widely, and a description or photo cannot reveal hidden or structural damage. Always inspect the car and get a professional quote before you buy.