SHOU LD YOU BU Y A WRITE- OFF?
It pays to be cautious if you’re considering buying a written-off car, but don’t be put off entirely, because you could pick up a bargain
Some written-off cars might have only light damage that can be repaired satisfactorily
£2.54bn
The amount UK insurers paid out in claims between 1 July and 30 September 2023 – up 21% on the previous period.
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Claire Evans
claire.evans@haymarket.com
WHEN YOU’RE BROWSING used cars for sale online, you might come across some that are significantly cheaper than the rest, and they could have a ‘Cat N’ label next to their listing. Cat N is one of four write-off categories introduced in 2017 by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), which regulates the salvage code for car insurers. While your immediate reaction might be to steer well clear of these cars, you could be doing yourself out of a bargain.
When cars are involved in accidents, a significant number of them get written off by insurance companies, because repairing them would cost more than they are worth. The reasons for this are twofold: more expensive and sensitive technology is being fitted to cars, and garage overheads are rising due to high fuel prices and inflation. As a result, a minor shunt that would once have cost a few hundred quid to fix is now likely to total more than £1000, once the repair work and the recalibration of systems are factored in.