Tell DVLA about Category N
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anonymous-user

Original Poster:

77 months

Friday 3rd March 2023
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The initial message was deleted from this topic on 08 December 2023 at 23:17

littleredrooster

6,139 posts

219 months

Friday 3rd March 2023
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Cat ratings are (as far as I'm aware) an insurance-only thing, unless the vehicle has been scrapped as a result. I've had several Cat cars in the past and am not aware of any DVLA/DVSA involvement.

Mr Tidy

29,368 posts

150 months

Friday 3rd March 2023
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It was many years ago but when I was dealing with motor claims for an insurer we used to notify HPI and DVLA of any CAT status.

Somehow I'd be amazed if the insurer hadn't done it.

sixor8

7,818 posts

291 months

Friday 3rd March 2023
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You can't inform them of a category N. The reminder on the DVLA website is there in case you still have the V5c for a car that has been written off and scrapped and they want to remove it as a road going vehicle from the database.

Matt_E_Mulsion

1,745 posts

88 months

Saturday 4th March 2023
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Don't worry about it, as long as you've had it re-MOT'd or whatever they requested you to do, just carry on as normal.

sixor8

7,818 posts

291 months

Saturday 4th March 2023
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Insurance companies apply the write off categories, nobody else. If a car is repaired and put back on the road, a replacement V5c will have to applied for and it will contain a statement typed on it that the car has been repaired. If the original V5c was never requested from you, it suggests that it wasn't actually written off?

The precise wording has changed over the years and those that get a car inspected to show it has been repaired to a good standard will still have a statement on the V5c to that effect. Of course, there are regularly cars that go through salvage companies without, somehow being categorised. Car that have substantial damage but are repaired without being 'written off' are very common too, they have no 'category.'

Even in the days of cat C and D before it became S and N, the V5c rarely (IME) states the actual category, just a statement that it has been accident damaged, repaired, inspected etc.

Cat N is the lowest category and doesn't require any kind of id check or post repair inspection (other than MoT as required) because it is 'N'on structural.


Edited by sixor8 on Saturday 4th March 11:02

E-bmw

12,215 posts

175 months

Saturday 4th March 2023
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sixor8 said:
Insurance companies apply the write off categories, nobody else. If a car is repaired and put back on the road, a replacement V5c will have to applied for and it will contain a statement typed on it that the car has been repaired. If the original V5c was never requested from you, it suggests that it wasn't actually written off?
^^^^ Wot 'e said.

That is my understanding anyway.

OutInTheShed

12,995 posts

49 months

Saturday 4th March 2023
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sixor8 said:
Insurance companies apply the write off categories, nobody else. If a car is repaired and put back on the road, a replacement V5c will have to applied for and it will contain a statement typed on it that the car has been repaired. If the original V5c was never requested from you, it suggests that it wasn't actually written off?

The precise wording has changed over the years and those that get a car inspected to show it has been repaired to a good standard will still have a statement on the V5c to that effect. Of course, there are regularly cars that go through salvage companies without, somehow being categorised. Car that have substantial damage but are repaired without being 'written off' are very common too, they have no 'category.'

Even in the days of cat C and D before it became S and N, the V5c rarely (IME) states the actual category, just a statement that it has been accident damaged, repaired, inspected etc.

Cat N is the lowest category and doesn't require any kind of id check or post repair inspection (other than MoT as required) because it is 'N'on structural.


Edited by sixor8 on Saturday 4th March 11:02
But AIUI, Cat N is not 'write off' in most flavours of that loosely defined variable term, it's a damaged car which the insurers have paid out on.
I think there may be consequences to being 'cat N' if the car happens to get damaged again, its card is marked so insurers will be less than generous paying out again, the presumption tending to be it was nor repaired 'as good as' and its market value would be generally reduced.
So, it's in some insurance database, even if it's not shared with DVLA?

I think there are cat N vehicles which get restored to better than new and have agreed value policies, but that isn't the 'run of the mill'.

The highest categories are clearly shared with DVLA.

littleredrooster

6,139 posts

219 months

Saturday 4th March 2023
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sixor8 said:
Insurance companies apply the write off categories, nobody else. If a car is repaired and put back on the road, a replacement V5c will have to applied for and it will contain a statement typed on it that the car has been repaired. If the original V5c was never requested from you, it suggests that it wasn't actually written off?

The precise wording has changed over the years and those that get a car inspected to show it has been repaired to a good standard will still have a statement on the V5c to that effect. Of course, there are regularly cars that go through salvage companies without, somehow being categorised. Car that have substantial damage but are repaired without being 'written off' are very common too, they have no 'category.'

Even in the days of cat C and D before it became S and N, the V5c rarely (IME) states the actual category, just a statement that it has been accident damaged, repaired, inspected etc.

Cat N is the lowest category and doesn't require any kind of id check or post repair inspection (other than MoT as required) because it is 'N'on structural.
I've had 3 (4?) Cat cars/bikes and nothing was on the V5, most recently about 5 years ago. In all of the cases, it was only ever AT or HPI that flagged anything up.

sixor8

7,818 posts

291 months

Saturday 4th March 2023
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Perhaps they were cat N, or not actually written off? Stolen recovered?

I've had 2, a Peugeot 206 LHD to use abroad, a MGF and my folks had one, a repaired Ford Fiesta. All of them has similar statements on the V5c about being repaired. scratchchin

I also had a repaired Thunderace that had nothing on the V5c but I was never 100% sure if it was at a salvage auction because it was repaired, or repossessed or seized. It's a bit of a minefield really.

Mr Tidy

29,368 posts

150 months

Sunday 5th March 2023
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Like I said it was along time ago that I was dealing with this but we only ever notified HPI and DVLA for cars that we insured, never cars owned by third parties.

If that hasn't changed you may find that if you claimed from the other person's insurer it won't appear - which is a result!

jgmadkit

553 posts

272 months

Sunday 5th March 2023
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The categorisation can only come from the insurance company. Chances are they just haven't got round to updating it yet if they specifically told you it will be a cat N. Cat N also doesn't show on the V5 but Cat S does.