Category D...so what?

oHUTCHYo

oHUTCHYo

oHUTCHYo

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Am I right in saying Category D is an insurance write off or is it a stolen and recovered?

Either way - what implications does it have to a new buyer?

Im currently doing some reasearch in to Evolutions and Imprezas with a view to buying in May/June.

This FQ360 caught my eye with it being so cheap, http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1569027.htm

So - what implications does Cat D have? Potential for internal damage?
 
It means that the value of the repair was more than 60% of the car's value. In this case, that must have been more than "light" damage to cause at least £10k worth of damage.
 
IIRC Category D is where the repair cost is more than 60% of the vehicle's pre-accident value (hence why the insurance company have decided it's beyond economical repair) but less than 100% of the pre-accident value.

Thing to remember is that even if you're happy with the standard of the repair work, a potential buyer from you when you come to sell it will be put off by the recorded write off.
 
Thanks guys.

Westyfield2 said:
Thing to remember is that even if you're happy with the standard of the repair work, a potential buyer from you when you come to sell it will be put off by the recorded write off.
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I think this is maybe the answer I was looking for.

I'll be better sticking to non cat-D unless it presents me with a cost saving that will equal the loss when I sell it.
 
It can be relatively minor damage, depends what ther parts to fix it cost new from the dealer. Its not what you could fix it for its what a garage can do it for using all the genuine parts, not bits form a breakers. The big one is paintwork, I saw a nice supra that was written off because it was keyed, the cost of the repray would have been thousands. Also read somewhere a R32 golf had the interior stolen and that was deemed a write off too.

Also, I think you pay a premium to insure a car that has been recorded as a cat D, anyone confirm this?
 
Cat D (or C) makes no difference to your premium.

Don't forget repair costs include courtesy car costs. For instance the hire car bill for when my VX got Cat D'd was £10k alone. It really doesn't take much damage at all to write off most cars these days.
 
Building Candy said:
It can be relatively minor damage, depends what ther parts to fix it cost new from the dealer. Its not what you could fix it for its what a garage can do it for using all the genuine parts, not bits form a breakers. The big one is paintwork, I saw a nice supra that was written off because it was keyed, the cost of the repray would have been thousands. Also read somewhere a R32 golf had the interior stolen and that was deemed a write off too.
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Very good point. Dad's 5yr old Audi A4 Quattro was written off for needing a new engine (he, ahem, drove it through a flood). That was it, just a new engine. Insurance worked out the cost for a brand new engine from Audi and the Audi main dealer doing the the labour, and that must have been >60%. Funny how when we rung about buying the 'salvage' back it had already gone...
 
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ah yes you are right, the thing of it is if you buy it and end up having to claim for the car being written off for whatever reason the value will be minus a % because it was a cat D to start with........ does that make sense
 
For me personally, I would only ever consider buying a 'run-of-the-mill' car that is Category-D assuming it has had a good chunk sliced off the purchase price.
With 'performance' cars, not a chance, even with said discount.

BUT!
When you look at Munchers VX & its extensive rebuild diary into a (super!) car that is now far superior to other VX220s, you can quite easily accept the category listing.
 
I'd be dubious on an Evo and definitely take an AA inspector with me to give me extra piece of mind.

That said, i wouldn't even buy a non accident registered car off of someone who writes a car advert that badly.
 
Repair costs for Japanese imports (and I guess even though the FQ360 is an official UK car, it may as well be an import due to the low volumes) quickly become massive because it generally takes 3 months for a part to come by Japan as the manufacturers send them by boat. They have to factor in a courtesy car for the whole time and the likes of Helphire charge 40 quid a day.

As an example they tried to write off my GFs UK spec 200sx S13 after some guy reversed into the front wing. He was decent enough to leave a note, if he hadn't then we would've just bashed the wing out with a hammer so it's not rubbing and carried on driving for 3 months* but he insisted on going through insurance and thus had to pay to hire a 2 litre golf for that time. All that for a dented wing. She hated the Golf too as it was FWD.

As an aside she was actually quite lucky here as the Golf was written off a few weeks later after a dutch lorry driver realised he was in an exit only lane on the 50MPH SPECS controlled section of the M4 (Maesglass tunnels for those who know the area), then did a lane change without a blind spot check. The Golf was replaced with a Passat which she hated even more.

In conclusion, if you broke an Evo specific part, such as the front bumper, bonnet or intercooler, it'd probably end up being a write off.

* actually 6 months as Nissan accidentally sent a Frontera wing with a sticker on bearing the correct part number for an S13 wing
 
Cat C - The repair costs exceeded the value of the car, no more, no less. A £90 car with car cracked headlamp costing £100 would be Cat C.

Cat D - The repair costs exceeded the value of the car less the salvage value. A £500 car with a £350 repair, but the Insurer would get £200 salvage, so it would cost them £300 to total loss rather than £350 to repair.
 
Lum said:
They have to factor in a courtesy car for the whole time and the likes of Helphire charge 40 quid a day.
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Im guessing youve missed a 0?

My courtesy car that landed today is costing the third party insurer £248 a day.....it's absolutely mental.

When my mondeo was reversed into, I dont know how it wasnt written off....due to parts having to be specially ordered as it was RSAP'd, it took 6 weeks and my courtesy car at the time was £140 a day! That's nearly £6k, the repairs cost £900 and my car was only worth ~1500 :s
 
audi s5 sideswiped me with a bit of force in a carpark, nowt too major...possible bent axle, new wheel, dents and scrapes in rear quarter panel/wheel arch and rear bumper is a bit knackered. However, with no intervention from me bar a quick call to helphire i now have a 335i M-Sport coupe on the driveway....

1.jpg


picture taken just before they collected my 330i
 
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