Tell DVLA about Category N
Discussion
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.
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
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.
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.
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.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
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.
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.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.
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.
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.
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.

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.
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!
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!
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