Insurance advice
- Thread starter Richard29
- Start date
What's a "Cat N"? Is it a repairable write of or something? Wouldn't that pop up if somebody did a car check some time in future?
Just had a look online :-
"Category N car, is a term used by car insurance companies to describe ‘non-structural’ damage to a vehicle." "Non-structural’ means that a car’s structural frame or chassis have not been damaged in an accident."
Last edited:
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2016
- Points
- 144
- Location
- Spaldingski, Lincs
- Model of Z
- 3 litre Z3 pretending to be Italian exotica. Two previous E89 Z4s.
Yep, they will note it as an 'incident' and put it on the insurance database, so premiums will increase by around 30% for five years no matter who you go with. Ask me how I know!
Cat N as stated above is a non structural write off. Car can be kept on the road and does not require any furhter inspection even after repairs are completed. It does show up on the V5 and insurnace companies can be an issue. Adds about 20 pounds a year on average to the insurance. The Cat N notice is never removed for some reason. Bit suprising considering that in this case it was a dented wing and there is no notice if you completly strip and restore a car from ground zero.
In Ann-Maries case the insurance company refused to budge. She could have gone to her insurnace but that would just raise rates even more and most likely the would side with the other persons company.
Option 1 was Cat C complete write off. They would keep the car and make a cube out of it. They were pushing this and were offering really good money.
Option 2 was Cat N, non structural. Nothing happened but they sent her a nice check.
The insurance company would not entertain anything else even though we had seperate quotes and inspectons done. There was nothing structural to the car and it litterly was a dented wing. A new wing from BMW was around 700 pounds.
I use a really good body guy that has a paint booth in his back garden and works from home. He does really nice high end cars that are worth more then my house. He also refuses to work with insurance companies as they are a nightmare. You have to fit into his schedule but eventually he fit the car in and a week later it came back better then new with a few other touch ups done. Total cost was less then 20 percent what the insurance company paid out.
In Ann-Maries case the insurance company refused to budge. She could have gone to her insurnace but that would just raise rates even more and most likely the would side with the other persons company.
Option 1 was Cat C complete write off. They would keep the car and make a cube out of it. They were pushing this and were offering really good money.
Option 2 was Cat N, non structural. Nothing happened but they sent her a nice check.
The insurance company would not entertain anything else even though we had seperate quotes and inspectons done. There was nothing structural to the car and it litterly was a dented wing. A new wing from BMW was around 700 pounds.
I use a really good body guy that has a paint booth in his back garden and works from home. He does really nice high end cars that are worth more then my house. He also refuses to work with insurance companies as they are a nightmare. You have to fit into his schedule but eventually he fit the car in and a week later it came back better then new with a few other touch ups done. Total cost was less then 20 percent what the insurance company paid out.
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2016
- Points
- 144
- Location
- Spaldingski, Lincs
- Model of Z
- 3 litre Z3 pretending to be Italian exotica. Two previous E89 Z4s.
Yes and it will adversely affect the value being an insurance write-off, whichever 'category' it is. Traders are legally obliged to disclose a category vehicle when selling (but not all do of course). Private sellers aren't so the 'buyer beware' comes into it yet again!