Cat D write off, any info

Gary Coyle

Gary Coyle

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Anyone know anything about Cat D write offs, i know its the level with the least damage but how or if will it affect insurance etc, etc.
 
Shouldn't do, but you know what insurance cos are like, any excuse to raise the price.

Some cat d's aren't even listed as such, technically my car is a cat d as it was repaired after an accident, but because my insurance company didn't pay for it, the third party did, it's not listed as a cat d.
 
I'd have thought the best people to ask is your insurance company.
 
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Cat D isn't the level of least damage. It's the level of least cost as a proportion of car value. So if a new car is whacked it might be quite substantial but an older car might just be a dinged door.

They're also lower value for insurance purposes so another ding would write them off faster than an undamaged car. I'd walk unless you know for a fact all the damage and who repaired it and their repair was of a high standard. Too many bodge jobs about these days. I wouldn't touch one with a 20 foot pole when there are undamaged cars to choose from.
 
A category D is probably very little damage, could be as much as just replacing a wing, door and bonnet, no structural damage but other costs such as injury claims, car hire costs etc push up the bill making it uneconomical to repair and so the car gets written off as category D.
 
From knowledge, cat D is cosmetic / break in (laptop theft etc) cat C is when the panels have been dented usually but as a guide line it involves the cost to repair versus the vehicular value :)
 
From RAC website:

Write-off categories
Category A: scrap only. For cars so badly damaged, there are few or no salvageable parts. Should never re-appear on road.

Category B: body shell should be crushed. Signifies extensive damage, although some parts are salvageable. Should never re-appear on road.

Category C: the vehicle is repairable but the costs exceed the vehicle’s value. Can re-appear on road.

Category D: the vehicle is repairable but repair costs are significant compared to the vehicle value. Can re-appear on road.
 
Thanks guys, i know the car and its history, was just a rear bumper replacement and tailgate, nothing structural, i saw the car pre fix and gob smacked it was written off, repair receipts seen to the tune of £1200 on a £28,000 car when new, now just over 1 year old and for sale at £13750, there is also an RAC inspection certificate but ive checked with my insurance and they dont need one with it being a Cat 4, they only need a VIC for Cat 3
 
Are you sure that damage was the reason for the write off and something else hasn't happened to it? I'd investigate further as it just doesn't seem likely a £13k car would be written off for £1200 of repairs.
 
it seems strange that they would cat d a 1 year old car that cost 28k when new just dont add up in my eyes are you sure there only showing you the £1200 bill and not any more ?even saying it lost 10k in a year thats still a 18k car mate they would not write it off as a cat d was it on a jigg by any chance?
 
what car is it that would give us a idea of its book value and when was it a cat d
 
srichards said:
Are you sure that damage was the reason for the write off and something else hasn't happened to it? I'd investigate further as it just doesn't seem likely a £13k car would be written off for £1200 of repairs.
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The full list price of my car when it was brand new was about £28k, (no one but an idiot pays list price) I bought my car at just under 13 months old and it cost £18.5k The price he's being asked to pay is lower because of the fact it is now registered Cat D and the stigma attached. The cost of repair may well be just £1200 but all other expenses related to any other claims such as legal bills, car hire, injury claims etc. all push up the total cost. As the car is written off the insurance company won't be paying out for the repair which because insurance companies are paying will be higher than it really should. Repaired privately, corners are not necessarily cut but done for a much more realistic cost. Had the car been repaired through the insurance I reckon the repair bill would have been double at the very least. For replacing and painting an oem bumper, you are looking in the region of £800, and you're not going to get a replacement tailgate, plus transfer of wiper motor, glass and trim, plus painting for £400 on an insurance quote.
 
Cat D cars look good value but they're hard to sell on, it puts most buyers off so the saving is only worthwhile if it's a keeper.

If you buy it make sure it comes with pictures of the damage so when you sell it on you can show a potential buyer the damage was minimal

I know a guy who bought a cheap rs4 cat D

Looked a simple fix, headlights, wing,bumper, suspension

When he got it all back together the crash had upset all the electronics, cost him as much as a straight one by the time he was done
 
I had an M3 that had been Cat D very early in it's life. I knew the owner, I knew the guy that put it straight, and I had seen the damage. An offset front end impact that pretty much tore the front corner off, needing a new front chassis leg/subframe putting in, everything that hold the wheel, etc etc. I got it cheap, it was straight as an arrow and drove beautifully. Insuring it wasn't a problem, although I was made aware that a payout in the case of a total loss (again) would be 'significantly less' than market value.

I think there are very few people who can make money by buying a cat D or C car and putting it back on the road, but buying one that's now fixed, providing you're very confident in it's history and what was done by who, if it offers a good saving and you're going to keep the car to get your monies with from it, good savings are there to be had. It will be hassle to sell on until it's really cheap, at which point it becomes irrelevant.
 
Gary Coyle said:
Thanks guys, i know the car and its history, was just a rear bumper replacement and tailgate, nothing structural, i saw the car pre fix and gob smacked it was written off, repair receipts seen to the tune of £1200 on a £28,000 car when new, now just over 1 year old and for sale at £13750, there is also an RAC inspection certificate but ive checked with my insurance and they dont need one with it being a Cat 4, they only need a VIC for Cat 3
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I'd be wanting check the boot floor isn't creased in that situation, depending on the type of vehicle.
Probably worth getting it checked over properly if you are still interested.
 
I had the opposite problem. A couple of years ago I had a minor accident and decided to repair my BMW535 myself as going through the insurance's repair would have been deyond economic repair (1 new bumber and a wing sprayed =£2500!!). They gave me £600 & I repaired it for £300. All fine until I went to sell it and found I couldn't re register it because it was cat D. The insurance compnay hadnt told me and I had the car MoT twice.
I had to have the car examined by DoT before they issued me with a new log book (I was taking a personal plate of prior to selling it).

Cat Ds are ok as long as you can check the repair work was done and you understand its cheap and you will sell it cheap. Look for the original insurance paperwork for the list of damage and the reason it wasn't repaired. Don't buy an unrepaired one unless you're in the trade
 
yours must have been a CAT C , there shouldn't be any checks needed on a CAtTD

Category A: Cat A cars are the most badly damaged of all. The severity of the damage means the car can only be sold for scrap and its parts recycled.

Category B: Cat B cars are not allowed back on their road and the car's main component, the shell, must be crushed. Usable parts, however, can be sold and used on other cars.

Category C: Cat C cars can be put back on the road, but the cost of the repair work will be more than the value of the car. Once the work is complete the car must be subject to a Vehicle Identity Check (VIC), although this only aims to ascertain that the car is legal.

Category D: Cat D cars will have sustained damage that will cost less than the value of the car to repair. Once the vehicle has been repaired, it is not subject to a Vehicle Identity Check.
 
Shine On said:
I had an M3 that had been Cat D very early in it's life. I knew the owner, I knew the guy that put it straight, and I had seen the damage. An offset front end impact that pretty much tore the front corner off, needing a new front chassis leg/subframe putting in, everything that hold the wheel, etc etc. I got it cheap, it was straight as an arrow and drove beautifully. Insuring it wasn't a problem, although I was made aware that a payout in the case of a total loss (again) would be 'significantly less' than market value.

I think there are very few people who can make money by buying a cat D or C car and putting it back on the road, but buying one that's now fixed, providing you're very confident in it's history and what was done by who, if it offers a good saving and you're going to keep the car to get your monies with from it, good savings are there to be had. It will be hassle to sell on until it's really cheap, at which point it becomes irrelevant.
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That's funny... I had an M3 which I wrote off many years ago :) Mine was side impact though (crash barriers - both of them!) otherwise I'd be checking whether you knew me!!
 
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