Are you familiar with a Cat D? Not to worry if you not as we’re about to fill you in and get you up to speed on the insurance category D.
What is a Cat D?
In simple terms, a Cat D (more commonly known as a Category N these days) refers to those cars that have been damaged, and where that damage would be uneconomical to repair. This means that the cost of repairing a vehicle like this would be greater than 50% of the vehicle’s total value.
It’s a shame that it has to come to this, especially when sometimes a vehicle may have only been slightly damaged, but the cost of repair is just more than the car is actually worth.
It’s also worth pointing out too that even if an insurer considers a car’s damage to exceed its value, that there’s nothing stopping you from having a go at it and fixing it yourself while saving yourself some money at the same time.
Buying a Cat D car
Now, this is a big one and a decision that will need to be thought through. Depending on your mechanical knowledge and your plans for one a Cat D car has been repaired, this may affect whether you decide to go ahead and buy one.
If you do decide to go ahead and buy one, it’s worth noting that even if it’s still in perfect shape and it’s cheaper than its market value, that it won’t be worth as much when it comes to reselling.
For many of us, the decision comes down to whether it’s cheap enough to buy a Cat D vehicle and fix it up to get it back on the road or whether we’d just be better of buying a second-hand car. If you’re no handyman, I know which one I’d rather choose.
However, if you do go ahead and buy a Cat D, definitely don’t forget to check that your car insurance company covers you for insurance write-offs like this.
How to check if a car is a Cat D?
It’s always a good idea before you go spending your cash on a car, to check that the car your after has never been declared as a Cat D. You’ll be pleased to know that if a car has been, then a car trader has to declare this as part of a sale.
Although, if you go through a private seller, then they don’t have to reveal this, so it’s definitely worth doing some investigating beforehand.
You can also check online to find out whether a car has ever been declared as a Cat D. They can cost, but if you’ve got your heart set on this particular car, then it shouldn’t matter if you’ve got to spend a couple of quid to find out.
If you have a Cat D car that you’re trying to get rid of, then you might find it a bit tricky at first as there will obviously be fewer potential car buyers. However, there are a few people that would be very open to taking this off your hands for you, us for one of them.
We can help you to sell your car quickly and easily. With minimum fuss and maximum service, we can help you realise the best price for your car, and it’s so much easier than selling privately.
Head over to our online valuation tool to find out how much your car could be worth.
