What is a Cat C or Cat D?

Car write offs are usually split into four separate classes, hierarchical in increased severity from A to D. Whereas A and B are usually written off to irreparable injury to the car's body or parts, class C and D write offs are typically a result of money viability - actually because the price of repairs is on top of the worth of the used vehicle. Note:- From 1 October 2017, the categories S and N have replaced the old C and D categories It is essential to confirm the write off problems before we purchase a used car. The crucial component that we at Car Analytics offer using our full vehicle check is to indicate our customers about the condition of the car which includes "Loss Type and Category" as per our records. We provide FREE Vehicle Check Reports on a monthly basis, over 75K+ reports to the used car buying community, we take pride in providing the best-in-class services along with the most comprehensive reports in UK for an affordable price.

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Category A

            Category A is the most dangerous state wherein the car is meant for scrap and ought to never be driven again.

Category B

            A used vehicle which is in Category B that has endured broad harm should never be driven extensively, albeit a few sections can be rescued.

Category C

            If a used car has been in higher degree accident, it's going to be written off as a result of the value of repairs that will definitely exceed the worth of the automobile.

It is now a Cat S listing from October 2017 and was called a Cat C listing, if it's expensive to repair as a result of a "structural injury" to any part of the vehicle along with the chassis.

You can use the vehicle once again if it’s repaired to a road condition.

Category D

           Category D may be a write-off wherever the vehicle can be repaired however the prices are deemed too high, relative to the vehicle’s worth.

The British Insurers’ Salvage Code Association dictates that cat A and cat B cars don’t have availability of spares and therefore the body shells are crushed. Write-offs in Cat C and D are often sold on by the insurance firm.

They can then be repaired and replaced on the road, as long as they pass a Vehicle Identity grant with the DVLA wherever necessary.

Category S

Vehicles in category S are known to have "Structural damage" (wherein the vehicle's outer frame or chassis is damaged). 

Category N

Vehicles in category N have “NO structural damage”, with just the outer frame requiring attention.

Both categories S and N can be repaired, but category N will be far easier to recover than an S class vehicle.

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What do S and N categories indicate?

            A Category S vehicle is a car, motorbike or minivan possessing structural damage– items such as chassis and suspension. While category N class vehicles can safely be repaired and put back on the road, category S Class vehicles must be re-registered with DVLA before being put back on the road.

A Category N vehicle consists of all non-structural damage, such as lights, infotainment and heated seats. Unlike Cat S cars, there is no need to re-register it with the DVLA – though you will still need to inform that your car has been written-off.

How does it reflect in the V5C?

            Updating DVLA about these write-off categories means that buyers will have a better idea of the type of damage sustained in the vehicle they intend to purchase. The V5C logbook  will now be marked with an ‘S’ to indicate the car has been put to be salvaged, so that buyers will be alerted to cars with a write-off history.

Is it okay to buy a Category S or N?

            We always recommend that you approach with caution for Category C or D, the same rule goes for S and N.

Insurance is highly likely for such cars as it comes off as an expensive task to carry out, Category S and Category N cars are particularly hard to resell since it is risky to even consider buying them, then there’s the cost of remodeling the chassis and overcoming the structural damage and internal issues to correct before it can be sold off properly.

It is best to take the advice of a qualified mechanic to inspect the concerned car before investing your time and money in it.