Cat D write off cars.

[dirty_sanchez]

I'm looking for a new car and have found a good example which is listed as a Cat D write off, which has been fully repaired. As I understand it, Category D means that the car was written off by an insurance company because it had superficial damage which lead them to believe that the cost of the claim was going to exceed the value of the car.

 

Is this right, and does this mean that providing the car passes an MOT that it's totally road worthy? Does CAT D extend to structural damage to the chassis or it it just literally scratches and dents in the bodywork?

 

What impact does it have on insurance? I understand that it will impact the resale value, but what checks do I need to get done on it?

[TonyTNT]

If they are Cat D then I am sure by law they need to be signed of by the ministry of motor or something like that, I'm sure any mechanics can confirm this.

I have had 2 cat D's both had to be signed off so if you contact the DVLA they will let you know who you need to confirm this with. Both cars have been fantastic (touch wood). As for insurance just check the small print as some insurance companies will not insure you.

[havarantagain]

If they are Cat D then I am sure by law they need to be signed of by the ministry of motor or something like that, I'm sure any mechanics can confirm this.

I have had 2 cat D's both had to be signed off so if you contact the DVLA they will let you know who you need to confirm this with. Both cars have been fantastic (touch wood). As for insurance just check the small print as some insurance companies will not insure you.

Its a vic inspection I think its called, its a separate document needed to obtain a mot.he will have to go to a dvla centre by appointment pay the fee for the inspection and hope they are happy otherwise no mot.

[BRANDS]

Insurance companies declare cars a write off if the repair cost is approx 70% of the pre accident value - its all about economics - once re-registered on the road after being repaired & passing an mot -the car should be ok. If the car was in an another accident & was a write off again the M.I.A.F.T.R (motor insurers anti theft & fraud register) would note it was a previous write off and Insurers will take this into consideration when making you a settlement offer.

 

Hope this helps

Edited September 10, 2009 by BRANDS
missed words!

[god knows]

You get what you pay for with a Cat D car. It really depends on how old the car is and what mileage was on it when the damage occurred. For example, if a 52 plate Fiesta with 60k on it needed a door and a wing, plus labour and paint, it would probably be written off, because the car is worth less than £2000 and the repair, done properly at a reputable bodyshop, would cost more than half the value of the car. An 07 Astra wouldnt. If you can, steer clear of cars on the hit list. Remember, its your nearest and dearest driving them and cars, like people, are never the same after an accident.

[Michael Howard]

You can repair a cat d or a cat c write off and return it to the road. Its A and B that must be crushed. Damaged chasis tend to be cat b's. You see cat d's needing a new bodyshell but not chasis.

 

C is uneconomic to repair (ie repair costs at full reputable bodyshop prices) exceed pre accident value.

D is that repair costs don't exceed the PAV but repairs plus salvage value do exceed the PAV (ie constructive total loss).

 

So D's will tend to be newer cars where the residual salavage is still a few grand rather than a car with a pre accident value of only £2-3k will more likely be a cat c as the repair costs will be proportionately higher and the salvage will much less.

 

All the info is on the ABI website. http://www.abi.org.uk/Information/Codes_and_Guidance_Notes/40510.pdf

 

Always seemd to be that if you plan to keep a car for a long period then the fact that its resale is less because it was a cat d isn't so important as you won't be looking to sell it on.

 

Unless you're in the trade and are not paying for the labour then there's certainly no easy cash to be made. I have seen a few on autotrader when once you pay proper bodyshop repairs you aren't saving yourself much if anything which then begs the question well why not just buy a decent one to start with. But if you get a cheap one and get it properly repaired and properly checked then I wouldn't be concerned about driving a death trap.

 

Often welding 2 cars together is cheaper than repairing so thats another option (not recommended!).

[dirty_sanchez]

Thanks for the advice guys. Reps all round.

[Alan Sex]

She can write off my car any day!