What Do the ICBC Status Definitions Mean?

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Has your car, truck or SUV just been in an accident? Are you trying to determine the status of your vehicle after a collision? Has ICBC changed the status of your car based on a recent accident or claim? Was your vehicle involved in a fire, flood, or crushed by a fallen tree? ICBC status definitions can be tricky to understand. Does a rebuilt status mean you have to rebuild your car before insuring it? What does salvage status mean?

In this article we discuss the various types of vehicle status definition in BC, and what they mean to the value of your car, truck, SUV or van. Thus, helping you discern if it’s better to scrap your car for cash or sell it as a running vehicle.

The 5 Types of ICBC Vehicle Statuses

In British Columbia, and all across Canada, every vehicle is given a status to describe the general state of the vehicle and whether it qualifies to be licensed. Vehicles are given a status so that they can be tracked, although it’s mostly for insurance and resale purposes.

There are five types of ICBC status definitions that can be given to a vehicle:

1.Altered Status

altered-status-ICBC

This status is given to a vehicle that has been significantly modified after its manufacture. The vehicle must pass an ICBC inspection to gain this type of status.

An example of this type of modification would be a vehicle with a suspension height altered by more than 10 cm. Or a one type of vehicle being partially converted to another, or combined with another.

The altered status is also used to describe homemade vehicles to indicate that they have been inspected and are structurally sound. So, even if the modifications seem outrageous, as long as the vehicle meets the safety requirements, ICBC will consider it to be road worthy.

2.Normal Status

When a vehicle doesn’t have an assigned ICBC status of rebuilt, salvage, non-repairable or altered, it is considered to have a “normal” status. It simply means that nothing has affected the vehicle’s current state whatsoever, be it an accident, fire, flood, or any sort of modifications.

The designation of “normal status” is a term used for the purposes of vehicle registration. A normal status does not mean the vehicle has never been damaged or is in good mechanical condition, it simply means that nothing that has potentially happen to the car affects its ability to drive and operate as it once did. A brand new car naturally has a normal status.

3.Rebuilt Status

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The rebuilt status is essentially an upgrade from the salvage status. Once a salvage vehicle is repaired and passes its inspection, it is given the rebuilt status.

This is where many vehicle we purchase fall into because they’ve been involved in accidents, and have been rebuilt to get back on the road.

There’s nothing wrong with owning a rebuilt vehicle. You just need to be mindful that with anything that gets rebuilt, the potential for future problems is much higher. It’s not because the craftmanship is subpar, it’s because it will never be as structurally sound as it was before the accident.

This title is often applied to vehicles that have been involved in floods, fires, and fallen trees or other falling objects. The vehicle itself is still in running condition prior to the accident, but needs repairs due to crushing, burning, or being severely water-logged.

4.Salvage Status

cash for scrap cars

The status of salvage is given to a vehicle that has been written off in an accidental loss, but has the potential to be repaired or reconstructed. The vehicle must be repaired and inspected before it can be licensed or reinsured. Also, there are key components that can impact ICBC’s decision to assign this title.

Things like a bent frame can typically result in a write-off, but in some cases, depending on the severity, can be considered salvage. A great amount of work would need to be done to get these vehicles back on the road, and often times the owner doesn’t want to invest that much on an older vehicle. That’s where the scrap car removal services of More Cash For Scrap comes in handy.

We buy vehicles in any condition, with ANY prior history; even an accident or total loss. We know the true value in the cars we scrap, so when you use our scrap car removal services, you’ll always get MORE cash for scrap cars in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.

5.Non-Repairable

This status is given to a vehicle that has been written off or otherwise totally decommissioned. Also, it cannot be repaired due to structural or safety impairment, and can never be re-licensed or insured. A non-repairable vehicle may be used only for spare parts or scrap. These are the cars we buy a lot of.

cashforscrapcars

Get MORE Cash for Damaged Cars in Metro Vancouver

We buy damaged, junk and scrap vehicles with any type of status associated with them. Even if your vehicle has been given the status of non-repairable, we are always happy to make an instant cash offer on it.

We Buy Vehicles With:

  • Collision damage
  • Fire, flood, leak damage
  • Extreme weather exposure damage
  • Paint damage
  • Mechanical issues
  • Electrical problems
  • Dead engines & transmissions
  • Missing catalytic converters
  • ICBC write-offs
  • ANY unwanted vehicle for ANY reason!

Whether it’s a write-off, badly damaged, or simply has REALLY high kilometres, we’ll buy it. Unlike some scrap car buyers in the Lower Mainland, we provide free towing, same day scrap car removal, and MORE cash for scrap cars in ANY condition.

Get an Instant Offer on Your Scrap Car Today

If you want to sell your junk car for quick cash, contact our team of scrap car removal specialists today. We always offer MORE cash for scrap cars than any other scrap car removal company around.

Simply provide us with the make, model, year, and condition of your vehicle. If you can retrieve the number of kilometres on it, let us know that too. Then, give us the pickup location of your car. Our team will make you an INSTANT cash offer right over the phone.

If you accept our offer, we’ll arrange for our free towing service to come collect your car. This can usually be done the same day, but we are always happy to book a specific day and time if you’d prefer.

Our driver will load your vehicle onto our tow truck, then pay you cash in hand before leaving. It’s really that quick and easy! Call us today and find out why we are the #1 scrap car buyers in all of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.

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About the Author: scrapcar

Since 2005, we've specialized in turning our customer's scrap cars into quick cash. We buy vehicles in ANY condition and with ANY issues. We pay MORE cash for scrap cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans than any other scrap car removal company in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, and Vancouver Island. If you want MORE cash, same day free junk car towing, and a reliable scrap car buying service, you want More Cash For Scrap.