Panel damage not worth repairing but car fully roadworthy

Reciprocater

I have the chance of an old car with an area of long standing panel damage. I believe a previous owner lost an argument with a gate post and for various reasons never bothered repairing it. I suppose by strict definition, because of the car's age, it is Category D but it has never been recorded as such. The car has passed several MOT's in this condition as there are no safety issues with the panel indentation. Apart from this admittedly large unsightly blemish, the car is as solid as the proverbial rock and I am assured it will pass the next MOT without problem and would be the workhorse I require. Previous threads do not quite match these circumstances, Any comments on any aspect of this potential purchase for my perusal? Thanks.

Notmyrealname

What do you want us to say? There is no legal requirement to claim on insurance or inform your insurers if you do damage to your own car. Cars only get given Cat D when the insurance company write it off. Nobody else issues Cat D.

Its a bit of panel damage, nothing more. You may get some corrosion there in the future but apart from looking a bit rough there's nothing else to it.

scotsbob

Reciprocater wrote: »

I am assured it will pass the next MOT without problem

If the seller is teling you that, then agree to buy it once they have put it through the MOT.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

as long as no sharp edges are sticking out it will be fine.

you never know you could slip you hand behind the panel and pop it out just leaving a few scrapes you could touch up with a touch up brush!

getmore4less

I run around in a beat up old car, not worth fixing any of the dents scratches

Hit a deer a few years back and the bumper is held together with matching cable ties.

If the price is right whats the problem?

Wig

AFAWK the new MOT rules coming into force in April will not fail a car just because of a big dent

If the damage was done by the current owner, if he asked his insurance co. to repair it and they made him an offer and he refused that offer then it is probable that it is registered as cat D.

I don't know of anyway to find out for free if it is cat D -possibly phone DVLA and ask them- but if it is cat D then some scumbag insurers will not insure it and will void your insurance when you make a claim regardless of the fact that it is roadworthy... AXA insurance for example.

mikey72

Axa online do state on the initial quote page they don't insure cat D's, so at least they make it clear upfront.

shane-23

0300 790 6802 - The DVLA - car enquires

If the car is catagory D its classed as a damaged car but usable on the road but with a valid MOT and TAX disc,

also think about this
can the owner produce you the full V5 if so on the front at the bottom in special notes it will state what CAT it is if recorded

i recently bought a 2002 van and previous person said it will fly a MOT, well WRONG, failed on brake system, handbrake, 3 tyres, exhaust needs fixing and a few other bits

consider it but call the DVLA with the reg mark and they give u all the details u need and its free, state u looking to buy as they pass details on for free

shane

Wig

mikey72 wrote: »

Axa online do state on the initial quote page they don't insure cat D's, so at least they make it clear upfront.

The problem being that cat D is not stated anywhere, you have to ask for it by paying for an hpi check, which a car buyer shouldn't have to do. It is not on the V5. It is possible that DVLA will tell you on the phone (it would be nice if MSErs would confirm this for a cat D).

Many people don't know they even have to look for this, the result is there are 1000's of uninsured vehicles on the road where the owner has paid for insurance cover, but come claim time the insurer will say "not covered".

It would be nice to know what view the ombudsman would take over this cover refusal. But even so, a lot of people refused cover would not complain to the ombudsman.

It should be ruled by the ombudsman that refusing cover merely because of a cat C or D history should be disallowed.

Notmyrealname

Wig wrote: »

The problem being that cat D is not stated anywhere, you have to ask for it by paying for an hpi check, which a car buyer shouldn't have to do.

It might not be recorded. It is possible to write a car off to CAT A and it not be recorded.

TBH the whole thing is a farce. Like a MOT is no guarantee of the condition of a vehicle once its left the ramp at the test station, a clear HPI check does not mean it hasn't been in an accident sufficient that itwould have been a CAT C or D write off. =A clear HPI check merely means there is no recorded accident, not that there hasn't been one. That is why when I bought my new car, even though it is a year old and from a dealer I still inspected it for signs of having a shunt. There was one I looked at on Ebay which was HPI clear but from the photos it was obvious that every panel from the B post forward was one shade lighter than the rear half of the car.