Would you buy a cat-d car??
Discussion
was8v said:
My sister bought a new car some years ago and a year later it was damaged (diesel on road)- chassis alignment proved it was still straight but it did require complete front end, windscreen radiator front crossmember and engine mounts etc etc all done by the insurance co. If that same crash occurred now 5 years later the car would be written off, bought at auction, repaired and put back on the road. That car I would hypothesise be better than a previously undamaged one, due to fresh paint and new radiator likely to last longer.....
I agree entirely with this sentiment - a repaired car, provided it is done properly, has newer parts than one which has never been in an accident. Got to be a good thing.monthefish said:
I was previously under the impression that:
Cat C = Not economic repair.
Cat D = Economic repair, but it was decided against for other reasons.
but I now believe that both C & D are both non-economic.
That certainly used to be the case - generally cat D because of hire car charges etc. whilst waiting for parts pushing the total over the value of the car so cheaper to pay out quickly and write the car off. Cat C, repairable but cost higher than car value. It may have changed, however.Cat C = Not economic repair.
Cat D = Economic repair, but it was decided against for other reasons.
but I now believe that both C & D are both non-economic.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
The cars shown were just some quick examples i found to link to this thread. Of course you would take care choosing a car and if it shows a repair then you would walk away, if only for cosmetic reasons. I have walked from a number of potential purchases because of poor paint etc, none of which were recorded although clearly had been in an accident of some sort. I would use the same buying considerations with a cat-d car as i would with any other car, the only difference is that i would be more informed.andyps said:
monthefish said:
I was previously under the impression that:
Cat C = Not economic repair.
Cat D = Economic repair, but it was decided against for other reasons.
but I now believe that both C & D are both non-economic.
That certainly used to be the case - generally cat D because of hire car charges etc. whilst waiting for parts pushing the total over the value of the car so cheaper to pay out quickly and write the car off. Cat C, repairable but cost higher than car value. It may have changed, however.Cat C = Not economic repair.
Cat D = Economic repair, but it was decided against for other reasons.
but I now believe that both C & D are both non-economic.
I am considering buying a cat d car myself, & if all the information is clear & documented I have no problem with this. Its a TVR Chimaera, & had light superficial damage & paint to the rear end. The owner has been honest & upfront about it, & with the adjustment in price it allows me to go for a more powerful higher spec'd model than I would otherwise be able to afford.
If it all checks out ok its win win as far as I can see.
If it all checks out ok its win win as far as I can see.
Speedracer329 said:
I am considering buying a cat d car myself, & if all the information is clear & documented I have no problem with this. Its a TVR Chimaera, & had light superficial damage & paint to the rear end. The owner has been honest & upfront about it, & with the adjustment in price it allows me to go for a more powerful higher spec'd model than I would otherwise be able to afford.
If it all checks out ok its win win as far as I can see.
Exactly.If it all checks out ok its win win as far as I can see.
Just be as thorough with your inspections etc, as you expect whoever buys it from you to be if/when the time comes to sell...
So... in summary, a CAT C or D car is nothing to be afraid of, so long as you inspect it at least as well as you would any other car purchase 
Lets just hope the general public don't cotton onto this and change attitude as our "bargains" will start to dry up...
One last note from me - most of the time a CAT C/D car will have lost its service book, so for some manufacturers that don't store info on a central databse (Nissan grr) its very difficult to track down where/when it was serviced - evidence of regular service is important in any purchase. VAG/BMW are very good in this regard and quick phone call will see you with a replacement stamped service book.
Lets just hope the general public don't cotton onto this and change attitude as our "bargains" will start to dry up...
One last note from me - most of the time a CAT C/D car will have lost its service book, so for some manufacturers that don't store info on a central databse (Nissan grr) its very difficult to track down where/when it was serviced - evidence of regular service is important in any purchase. VAG/BMW are very good in this regard and quick phone call will see you with a replacement stamped service book.
Edited by was8v on Thursday 16th September 21:56
I'm sure it has already been touched on, but here is my opinion.
It all comes down to when the car was 'categorised'.
Lets take a MY1997 £70k 7-series BMW as an example. If in 1998 the car was in an accident and became Cat C, then you have to think what the value of the car was at the time, lets say £50k. If the damage was deemed too expensive to repair then you can safely assume it was damaged pretty extensively.
If that same car were to become a Cat C in 2015 when it is worth £500, then you can assume someone may have knocked off a wing mirror or something.
It all comes down to when the car was 'categorised'.
Lets take a MY1997 £70k 7-series BMW as an example. If in 1998 the car was in an accident and became Cat C, then you have to think what the value of the car was at the time, lets say £50k. If the damage was deemed too expensive to repair then you can safely assume it was damaged pretty extensively.
If that same car were to become a Cat C in 2015 when it is worth £500, then you can assume someone may have knocked off a wing mirror or something.
was8v said:
So... in summary, a CAT C or D car is nothing to be afraid of, so long as you inspect it at least as well as you would any other car purchase
That's my opinion.
You need to look at each case individually.
If the car is a few years old, and some scrote drags a key along its pearlescent flanks, then the car could become a Cat C or D as the cost to repair at a main agent bodyshop was prohibitive .... I'd be happy to have that car, and live with a repair that might not be 100% factory fresh - All cars get paint at some point in their life.
A friend of mine had paint stripper poured over her 206CC. The only replacement parts it required was a new windscreen and headlight. There was zero structural damage. As the car was a 52 plate, it was written off. Whoever bought that car from the auction, and then put a few quid/hours into repairing it, would have got a really good value car for a fraction of market value for a "straight" car.
If the car is a brand new car, however, when it is involved in the incident that lead to it being a Cat D or C, then the extent of the damage is likely to have been higher, and potentially structural.
Bit of an old thread bump but been searching for a car for a while now and one has come up in exactly the spec/colour I wanted (which is extremely rare) but its a CAT D.
I'm not completely against buying CAT D's myself, I have already contacted the guy about pics/details of the damage.
My question relates to insurance, I assume you have to declare it is a CAT D to your insurance and what effect does this have, do alot of insurers flat out refuse to insure you or does it make a massive difference? Its not something you can do on comparison websites is it?
I'm not completely against buying CAT D's myself, I have already contacted the guy about pics/details of the damage.
My question relates to insurance, I assume you have to declare it is a CAT D to your insurance and what effect does this have, do alot of insurers flat out refuse to insure you or does it make a massive difference? Its not something you can do on comparison websites is it?
DoodoolTalla said:
2 years ago I had a accident (not my fault) and my insurance declared my car a CAT D write off. I kept the car and had it fixed. Touch wood its been perfect and i've had no problem. As long as its been professionally fixed there shouldn't be a problem really.
Therein lies the problem with monst Cat C / Cat D cars. They are very often repaired with used parts and often you wont know who did the work - of course the prospective seller will insist its been 'professionally repaired'.My thinking - rightly or wrongly - is that if corners havent been cut on the repair, then its unlikely to have been financially viable to do so.
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