What is a Category C damaged car?
When a car is involved in an accident or otherwise damaged in the United Kingdom, insurance companies will examine the car’s condition and assign it a rating based on the damage. These categories can impact whether the car is able to be insured in the future and if the car can even be resold or salvaged. A Category C rating is a fairly common one, as the car is damaged, but can still be used. A Category C car may be used again as it is, or repaired or used for parts and scrap.
How categories are decided
The categories of damaged cars go from A to D although there is also a category X. Category A is the most serious and means that the vehicle is essentially impossible to repair and cannot be resold, only crushed. Category X means only minor damage, and the vehicle can still be resold and insured with almost no problem. Categories B through D are more severely damaged cars, that insurance companies may decide are still serviceable with repairs, but it is too expensive to do do.
Category B cannot be resold, but parts can be pulled out for resale, while Category C and D cars can be repaired and resold, but may not initially be able to be insured. Adjustors from the insurance company will come, or use pictures, and inspect the car and assign it a category based on the damage, cost of repairs and the input of a qualified mechanic.
What a Category C means
A Category C assignment means that the car has been damaged, but can still be repaired. However, the cost of repairs will likely exceed the cost of vehicle itself and most insurance companies will not pay for repairs. In addition, until repairs are made, many insurance companies will not insure the car, and some will not even if the car has repaired because there may still be some structural damage. In order to get a Cat C vehicle back on the road it must have a Vehicle Identity Check (VIC), which may remove the Category C classification, but the record will remain on a car’s data check.
If you’re looking to sell your Cat C or D vehicle, please contact us today for a no obligation quote.
