ChatterBank1 min ago
Crash damage categories
Hi, I've got my eye on a second hand Golf GTi. It's in good condition and a great price and everything - however, the seller told me that it was Category C Accident damaged, and has had a full professional repair. Would someone be able to give me a few hints as to what Cat C damage actually is and whether it would cause me any problems? many thanks!
Category C and Category D Registered Cars
Answers
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A Category D car is one where the value of the car is between 60% and 100% of the value of the car - Insurance companies write them off in order to avoid the risk that the repair turns out to be more costly than first thought.
A Category C is where the value is less than the repair. Normally the Police have to be notified when a Cat C is returned to the road because they want to check it's not been ringed - I mean why would you spend more money repairing a car than what it's worth.
Sometimes it can be OK, maybe the damage was less than expected or maybe good second hand parts were used but I'd be asking a lot of questions about why somebody thought a Cat C was worth "professionally repairing" I'd want an engineers report and I'd want to know who repaired it and check them out.
If I've not put you off yet you might like to check these people out: http://www.autoligninspections.co.uk/inspections.html
They are based in Northamptonshire and are the only people in the UK authorised to inspect a car and have it removed from the HPI database
This page is motorbikes but it's the same thing:
http://www.motorcycle.co.uk/insurance_write_off.htm
Yes you're right it's VOSA not the police and whilst many Cat C repairs are done you do need to ask why when by definition the cost is more than the value of the vehicle - where's the profit for the repairer?
At the very least get an AA or RAC inspection done that you're paying for - not something that he produces.
just thought Id share my experience with you.
I had a lexus is200 which I, one day, on a rainy day lost control of on a slip road while accelerating to join the motorway.
The car spun a few times and ended up on top of the barrier.
visibly all i could see was the end bit of the exhaust hanging off. The insurers engineers did their assessment and decided there was more than 8k worth of damage.
The car was worth 7,500 so the insurers paid out. In all honesty all the damage could have been repaired for less than 2k max!!!
The way these insurers engineers work out the damage is very very generous to say the least.
The lexus was still driveable and all i would have had to get immediately repaired was the exhaust which i think could have been repaired instead of getting a brand new exhaust.
The way these guys work out the price is that if there is a small scratch on the bumper they will work out the cost to get and fit a brand new bumper. And with their labour costs no wonder the total ended up being over 8k.
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