Understanding written-off vehicle codes

What is a write-off?

A vehicle is considered a statutory write-off if it is declared as a total loss e.g. has severe structural or other damage or deterioration that prevents it from being driven safely on a road.

A vehicle is considered a repairable write-off if it has been assessed as being too costly to repair, but subject to state laws may be re-registered for road use if it has passed a vehicle safety and identity check.

Written-off Vehicle (WOV) codes explained

The written-off information can be broken down into three parts:

  • incident type,
  • damage location and
  • damage severity.

The code will be displayed, and then decoded in the square brackets that follow.

Using the above example of H14B [Hail | Whole vehicle | Light panel]

  • H = Incident Type
  • 14 = Damage Location
  • B = Damage Severity

Incident type

  • D Dismantled - Legitimate removal of components for use as parts.
  • F Fire - Damage caused by combustion.
  • H Hail - Damage caused by hail stones.
  • I Impact - Collision of some type with an object, for example another vehicle, tree or pole.
  • M Malicious/Vandalism/Stripped - Intentional damage, for example broken door locks, glass window or windows, paint, scratched or stripped of all or a combination of interior and exterior body parts.
  • W Water - Damage caused by water (fresh or salt) such as a storm, river or flood.

Damage location

  • 01 Passenger front
  • 02 Driver front
  • 03 Driver side
  • 04 Driver rear
  • 05 Passenger rear
  • 06 Passenger side
  • 07 Engine
  • 08 Roof
  • 09 Interior
  • 10 Front
  • 11 Rear
  • 12 Left rear
  • 13 Right rear
  • 14 Whole vehicle
  • 15 Floor pan (passenger front)
  • 16 Fire wall
  • 17 Chassis/structural rails (passenger)
  • 18 Floor pan (driver rear)
  • 19 Floor pan (driver front)
  • 20 Floor pan (passenger rear)
  • 21 Chassis/structural rails (driver)
  • 22 A pillar passenger
  • 23 A pillar driver
  • 24 B pillar passenger
  • 25 B pillar driver
  • 26 C pillar passenger
  • 27 C pillar driver
  • 28 D pillar passenger
  • 29 D pillar driver
  • 30 Engine block (cracked, fractured)
  • 31 Transmission case
  • 32 Differential case
  • 33 Axle housing
  • 34 Suspension (passenger front)
  • 35 Suspension (driver front)
  • 36 Suspension (passenger rear)
  • 37 Suspension (driver rear)
  • 38 Airbag front
  • 39 Airbag side
  • 40 Airbag curtain
  • 41 Seat belt pre-tensioner
  • 42 Battery Pack (NSW heavy vehicles only)
  • 43 Tow Point (NSW heavy vehicles only)
  • 44 Auxiliary Equipment (NSW heavy vehicles only)
  • 45 Hydraulic or other Lifting Equipment (NSW heavy vehicles only)
  • 46 Rollover Protective Structure (NSW heavy vehicles only)

Damage severity

  • A Heavy panel
  • B Light panel
  • C Heavy structural
  • D Light structural
  • E Unrepairable
  • F Major mechanical damage
  • G Minor mechanical damage
  • H Major stripping
  • I Minor stripping
  • J Major vandalism
  • K Minor vandalism
  • L Water (salt)
  • M Water (fresh)
  • N Burnt/blistered
  • O Smoke and heat
  • P Minor smoke