A total of 798,363 passenger cars and light commercial vehicles (LCVs) were scrapped between January and October, new research suggests.

Data obtained via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) reveals that the Ford Focus was the most scrapped car this year, with 42,637 cars being taken off the road.

It was followed by the Vauxhall Astra and Vauxhall Corsa, with 35,578 and 34,405 scrappages respectively, according to Autocar.

Seven of the top 10 most scrapped cars in 2023 were hatchbacks, and those seven models made up a quarter (25.2%) of all vehicles removed from the road. 

The 798,363 cars and LCVs scrapped between January and October equates to 79,836 per month or 2626 vehicles every day.

In comparison, 1,889,758 new cars and LCVs were registered during the same period. This means that more than twice as many cars and LCVs were registered than were scrapped in the UK during this period. 

New data from the Department for Transport (DfT) shows that, as of the end of September, there were 41.3 million licensed vehicles in the UK, an increase of 1.4% compared to the end of September 2022.

The scrappage figure represented a drop compared to 2022, when 857,107 cars and LCVs were scrapped in the same period.

Despite the expansion of London’s ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ), which prompted some drivers in the capital to scrap their non-compliant cars in favour of more environmentally-friendly ones, the cost-of-living crisis appears to suggest drivers holding onto older vehicles this year, with nearly 60,000 fewer cars were scrapped compared to last year. 

Top 10 most scrapped passenger cars 2023

Make / Model	Total
Ford Focus	42,637
Vauxhall Astra	35,578
Vauxhall Corsa	34,405
Ford Fiesta	32,935
Volkswagen Golf	25,903
Vauxhall Zafira	16,898
Renault Clio	15,955

Source: Autocar