What's a Cat D car?

thepurplegoldfish

Apologies if I'm asking a silly question.

I've seen this car

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-PEUGEOT-206-SW-HDI-XT-GREY-DIESEL-ESTATE-/320730592398?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4aad08748e

And for me it ticks all the boxes, but I don't know what Cat D means and how it effects the owner. Can someone give me a quick education?

Delboy11

Its a damage repaired car. Cat D is usually very minor damage.

A Category C or D write-off is one that insurers consider unecomonical to repair but one that could, given enough time in the workshop, be repaired and returned to the road.

Category A and B should never be returned to the road. A Category B write off is one that is so badly damaged it can only be used for the salvaging of spare parts, while a Category A is one that is sent to the crusher.

kev_min

probably nothing to worry about if the price is right ......

Category D Repairable salvage. Minimal damage, probably not structural, but insurer does not want to repair, even though it might be economic to do so. Often stolen and recovered after claim has been paid. Or it maybe a vehicle where parts are difficult to obtain so a quick repair is unlikely. Does not need VIC inspection to return to road. Notification will appear in your vehicle history check


more details here http://www.datachecks.co.uk/insurancelosscategories.htm

scheming_gypsy

it's been written off by the insurance company, a cat C or D is nothing major and can be anything from stolen recovered to not economical to repair.

Category A and B are pretty much mangled cars and should never see the road again but a C or D is where the car is still roadworthy but needs a bit of work first. So it could have been stolen and paid out for and then put back or the road, or it's been in a bump and when the cost of parts (brand new, fitted by an authorised garage and resprayed etc), hire car and any other costs have been included are over x% of the cars value; it's not feasible for the insurance company to spend the money so they write it off. Then somebody else buys it and puts it back on the road.

Shouldn't usually have any issues with a cat C or D but it should reflect in the value, so don't pay full price.

paddedjohn

you can pick these up for about 2.5/3k but this being a cat d would devalue it by 25/30%, dont pay over the odds because you will lose out when you come to sell it again.

forgotmyname

Cat D when it was 3 years old, I would say a bit more than just cosmetic damage.

Part-Ex to clear with no warranty. You need to get someone with a bit of knowledge to check it
out properly.


Maybe a bargain but then again it could be a poorly repaired death trap of a money pit awaiting a buyer.

Hintza

forgotmyname wrote: »

Cat D when it was 3 years old,

The problem insurers have is that claims can escalate and if it is diffcult to ascertain TOTAL repair costs then it is sometimes cost effective for them just to sell as salvage.

Then the car can be repaired using second hand parts as opposed to new parts wth savings of about 70%-80% on the parts.

This is why I am now only buying CatD cars but I have the work done so I can ensure it is done to standards acceptable to me. Not sure I would buy someone elses newly repaired Cat D.

scheming_gypsy

forgotmyname wrote: »

Cat D when it was 3 years old, I would say a bit more than just cosmetic damage.

So highly likely it's a stolen recovered, but seeing as it was 5 years ago it's pretty unlikely it's a poorly repaired death trap

rodenal

As above Cat D is normally relatively minor damage with (I believe) no chasis damage - At 3 years old it may have had every panel vandalised or been stolen / bumped on every panel then recovered etc.

The best thing to do is ask for details and pictures if available. Just make sure the car is valued appropriately for having been a Cat D repair as it'll be more difficult to sell on.

I have no real clue on the value of these so unable to advise, but check autotrader, ebay etc then knock 30-40% off for a Cat D

fivetide

Here's a two year old Cat D car (assuming link works)

The damage at that age is not likely to t-cut out as forgotmyname said.

Get it checked over to make sure the repair is decent. Also, remember, pay less for it, tell the insurance (who might actually charge you more although some won't touch them anyway) and if you have a smash expec tthe insurance to also pay out less for it.

http://www.copart.co.uk/c2/onSaleResults.html?_eventId=getLot&execution=e2s2&lotId=20249331&returnPage=SEARCH_RESULTS

5t.

jase1

See if you can catch the programme "Wrecks to Riches" which is regularly repeated on the Discovery channels on Sky... these give an excellent guide to a typical Cat-D repair job. Quite involved work, and all too tempting to cut corners I'd say.