Category D

pimento

Hi,

Can somebody explain to a novice exactly what a Cat D car is?

I've seen a couple for sale on Auto Trader that are just a couple of years old and are about £5k cheaper because they are 'Cat D'.
One says vandal damage repaired and the other says OSP replaced.

If I were to buy one, what are the implications?

Thanks

TrickyWicky

Usually minor / cosmetic damage that the insurer deemed to expensive to bother repairing so they paid out the value instead.

If it's a car thats a couple of years old though and substantially undervalued because of this, the odds are higher that the damage was more than just cosmetic / minor because a newer car would have a substantial value. You may find the car has structural damage / serious repairs (EG half the back end welded together).

On old bangers, cat D is normally a scrape / scratch / dent but on a newer car the insurers would need to be looking at £mega to consider writing it off. £mega indicates something more serious.

pimento

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201406245278211/sort/default/advert-type/Classified/make/mercedes-benz/radius/40/usedcars/postcode/ss54nw/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/transmission/automatic/maximum-age/up_to_4_years_old/page/1/model/slk?logcode=p

I suppose this can mean anything from bodywork to sugar in the tank?

forgotmyname

If you dont know what to check the dont touch them. It may have been repaired badly leaving you with future issues.

pimento

Yes, I know you're right but it does look like a bargain. Oh well.

Thank you.

redped

From Auto Trader - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/safety_and_security_centre/insurance_categories?category=d

forgotmyname

It maybe a bargain if you only care what it looks like on the outside and not underneath.

One of the car shows did a head to head crash test with 2 Ford Focus cars. One had been crashed and repaired and the other had not.

The repaired one came off much worse in the crash.

It was Fifth Gear.. Youtube clip here.. Skip to just past 1 minute to see the accident. But worth watching the whole clip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjxM9chAe1k

Hintza

Well interestingly the missus was hit whilst in our Cat D Panda a fortnight ago and it was written off again this time as a Cat C with a lot less damage than the first time but because the car is now 7 years older they have deemed it a Cat C.

Pay out of £1,600 (less than I paid 7 years ago), I then bought it back at 9% of payout value (£144) have replaced the headlamp and hit it a lot with a big hammer and it is back on the road again whilst I gather the new (salvaged) front panel, wing, bonnet and perhaps a bumper to repair.

Cost of repair according to assessor £2,300 cost of repair at my tame body shop £200 plus about £200 in parts.

tim9966

Have a look at http://www.copart.co.uk/c2/home.html It's where Cat D cars are sold before they have been repaired, with plenty of photos so you can see the damage they have had.

forgotmyname

I have posted some pictures of their cars listed and a CAT D isnt just minor damage sometimes.

pimento

Vandal damage implies that it wasn't in a crash, though, doesn't it?