Buying a car that has had an insurance claim on it

juan_kerr_3

Hi folks,
I'm thinking of buying a car that has had an insurance claim on it, which says........" This car has had an insurance claim..V-CAR ( CAT D )
It is an auction, and the owner doesn't know what it means as it's been thrown up on the HPi check.
Can't see any signs of repairs anywhere.
Does anybody out there know what it means and if it is serious
Thanks
regards
bill

blue_haddock

The car has been written off at some point in it's life - Unless you know what you are looking for i would say walk away.

mummytofour

Cat b.c.and d can be repaired and sold on somtimes they need to be inspected first, cat a must be crushed. (im pretty sure)
I had a 205 which had been written off, due to a dented wing, it was sent for scrap where a clever lad bought it for £25 and sold it on to me for £400 i loved that car and was very happy to pay £400 the guy that sold it to me was even happier!

blue_haddock

Category A cars are damaged to such an extent they are only fit for crushing, Cat B cars are not allowed to be repaired but can be sent to scrap yards to be dismantled. Cat C cars can be repaired and put back on the road but now need an inspection from the VIC before they will be allowed back on the road. Cat D cars can be repaired and put back on the road, these do not need the VIC Check.

A lot of older cars are Cat D - they are uneconomic for the insurance company to repair due to their low value but for someone willing to buy parts from a scrapyard and do the work themselves they can be good value. Also if a car is stolen and the insurance company pay up for it then afterwards the car is found this is usually a Cat D write off too

A written off car will never be worth anywhere near the value of an undamaged car and without a thorough inspection by someone who knows what their doing you could be buying big problems.

cc25

Buying a Cat C/D insurance 'write-off' is not necessarily a problem. For example, a car could be 'stolen/recovered', and have little or no damage. For an insurance company to declare a car 'written off' is purely a business decision based on their view of the costs of repairing the car, compared to the car's pre-accident (or pre-theft) value.

I would not pay as much for a Cat C/D car (compared to a car with a clean HPI check), especially if there is no record of why the car was written off, and no evidence of satisfactory repairs. It is a negotiating point in the buyer's favour. If you are not sure, walk away, or at the very least get an independent car inspection report. There are plenty of second-hand cars for sale.