2023’s most-scrapped cars revealed

A new study has revealed that the Ford Focus was the most scrapped car in 2023 as figures show that more than twice as many vehicles were registered as scrapped in the year.

The Ford Focus, which was one of the UK’s most popular cars until recent years, was the most scrapped vehicle, with 42,637 examples being sent to the crusher in 2023, up until the end October.

It was followed by the popular Vauxhall Corsa and Astra, with 35,578 and 34,405 examples of each scrapped respectively. The Ford Fiesta (32,935) was the fourth most scrapped car, while the Volkswagen Golf (25,903) rounded off the top five.

The figures were obtained by the DVLA in a Freedom of Information request by Autocar, which showed that 798,363 cars and vans were scrapped between January to October, which equates to 2,626 vehicles every day being sent to the crusher. With just shy of 1.9 million new cars and vans being registered in the same period, it means twice the number of vehicles were registered than scrapped in the period.

A drop in the number of vehicles being sent to the scrapheap was also recorded compared to 2022, when 857,107 cars and vans reached the end of their life.

Autocar says this is a result of the cost-of-living crisis making motorists keep hold of their existing vehicles.

Autocar editor Mark Tisshaw said: “It is telling that nearly 60,000 fewer cars and vans were scrapped in 2023 than during the same period in 2022. The rising cost of living is likely to be a factor, prompting motorists to hold on to their vehicles for longer – a situation not helped by uncertainty among consumers over making the switch to electric.”