Salvage cars provide a great value for money to people who are mechanically minded. These cars especially provide the best value for money when it comes to cars categorised under Category N. Many people wonder how to remove cat N from cars and whether it is possible or not. In this guide, we will discuss everything about the cat N cars.
What Does Cat N Mean?
Up until October of 2017, category N cars were in the same category as category D. In 2017; there was a change in the classification of salvage car titles.
This change resulted in category C and D titles transforming into categories S and N. Hence, we are now talking about how to remove cat N from car.
While category S represents cars that undergo structural damage due to accidents and natural disasters, category N represents cars that undergo non-structural damage. Insurance companies write off a car as category N when the repairing costs of the car exceed the worth of the car.
This means that even though these cars are repairable, the repair will cost a lot of money. However, many people purchase a cat N car and repair it. Learn which is the worst car damage category in this guide!
Now that we have the answer to the question, “What does Cat N mean?” Let us discuss the other details.
Should you repair a Cat N Car?
Let us say you decide to buy a category N car through an insurance agent or auction, but can you repair a cat N car? According to the car laws in the UK, it is okay to drive a Cat N Car after you repair it.
Insurance companies write off a car as cat N after making sure that repairing this car will cost more money than the value of the car. You can salvage the car if you do not want to go through with the repair.
Is Repairing A Cat N Car Worth It?
Whether it is worth repairing a cat N car or not depends on the person who purchases it. It is worth it if you have good knowledge about cars and can fix all the problems by identifying them. But the most common advice will be to scrap your Cat N Car.
The problem is, even if you repair a cat N car, it will not be worth much. So, if you have plans on selling the car in the future, be ready to encounter a high drop in price. You can consider purchasing a cat N car if it is one of the expensive car models available in the market.
If you plan on driving the car yourself, you must always get an independent car background check done before purchasing. The background check will let you know whether the car is stolen or has any sort of payable financial deals from the previous owners.
You can also find out whether the car has been repaired before or not. If yes, then you can find out information about the repair, the repairer, and the cost of repair. These factors will majorly impact the decision of whether it is worth repairing and purchasing the car or not.
Most people think repairing is the answer to how to remove cat N from car. But once your car classifies as Cat N, it will be there until you scrap it using a car scrapping company.
Is It Possible To Get Insurance On A Cat N Car?
In simple words, yes, it is possible to get insurance on a category N car. But the truth is, getting a cat N car insurance will definitely cost more than a new car as premiums are higher. That is why the majority of insurance companies straight up refuse to insure a cat N car.
However, it is not impossible to get a category N car insured if you are ready to bear the high premiums. Do not forget to inform your insurance agent that the car you want to get insured is categorised as category N; otherwise, it can invalidate your insurance policy.
Does Category N Affect Insurance?
A common question we get is, “Does Cat N affect insurance?”. Yes, cat N cars do affect insurance. As we discussed in the section above, you will notice that the premiums of a category N car insurance compared to a new vehicle. This is because insurers see written-off cars as a risk; thus, they charge a high premium to offset the risk of the car.
However, it is not a fixed rule, as you might find a few companies that offer insurance at a reasonable premium rate for category N cars. Before insuring a cat N car, it is a better idea to look around insurance companies near you and check the premium rates.
What Happens If Your Own Car Gets Written-Off As Category N?
Although you can purchase a few category N cars, it is also possible to have your own car written off as category N after an accident. The insurance company will seize your car if they decide that your car is not worth being repaired after an accident. They will pay you an amount as compensation after seizing your car.
The insurance company will then sell your car or just scrap your car in order to recover some of the loss. But if you are ready to pay for the repair of your car, then you can ask the insurance agent to sell your car back to you.
Keep in mind that you can buy back category S and N cars from your insurance agent. The cars written off under categories A and B are not salvageable and will not be sold to anyone under any circumstances.
Does A Category N Car Need A New Ministry Of Transport Certificate?
Although it is not a bad idea to have a Ministry Of Transport (MOT) certificate, it is not required. According to the DVLA , a category N car does not require a certificate from the MOT in order to be back on the road. This is because, in the majority of cases, category N cars do not become completely unworthy of the road.
The main condition of a category N car is that the repairing cost must outweigh the value of the car. This means that generally old cars can get written-off under category N due to something as simple as minor damage.
You definitely do not want to pay for a full new Ministry Of Transport test and certificate if the damage to the car is nothing more than a scratch. This is the reason why the DVLA and the UK law does not make it mandatory for category N cars.
Even though it is not necessary to get an MOT certificate, it is never a bad idea to get an inspection done if your car suffered more damage than slight cosmetic damage. It is better to get this test done if your car experiences an engine, mechanical, or electrical failure.
It is completely fine if you do not wish to get a full MOT test done, but the least you can do is get an independent inspection done. This will help you to repair the car fully before putting it back on the road.
How To Remove Cat N From Car?
People who decide to purchase a cat N car often wonder how to remove cat N from car, so let us answer that for you. It is impossible to remove cat N classification from a car according to the law. Removing this classification is completely illegal.
Once a car gets written off under car damage category N, this classification is permanent for life. Although this might sound irritating to the buyer , it makes complete sense if you think about it. Nobody wants to purchase a car without knowing whether it was written off at some point or not.
Can I Purchase A Cat N Car Back From My Insurance Company?
As we mentioned above, the insurance company usually keeps the car when it is written off under any of the damage categories. Out of categories A, B, S, and N, only category S and N cars can be sold to others. Category A and B cannot be sold to anyone, no matter what the price.
Insurance agents sell these category S and N cars through auctions. So, if you think that you can bear the repairing costs of the category N cars, then you can talk to the insurance company to sell the car back to you. Make the necessary repairs on the car before putting it back on the road.
People with Category A and B cars scrap their vehicles for compensation as it’s not possible to sell their car.
Should You Buy A Cat N Car?
Whether you should buy a category N car depends on the car and your intention of purchasing it. Generally speaking, the cars categorised under category N are some of the best salvage cars you can purchase. The cars categorised under other categories usually suffer a lot of damage due to an accident or natural disaster.
However, the amount of damage that the category N cars suffer varies a lot, mainly due to the conditions of this category. These cars either have noticeable mechanical, engine and electrical issues or have something as small and simple as a scratch. You can buy a category N car after considering all the necessary factors of the situation.
What Do You Need To Prove That You Have Carried Out The Necessary Repairs?
When an insurance agent or company writes off a vehicle, a mechanic will provide a detailed report on the damage of the car. As the owner of the car, you will also receive a copy of that report. Hold on to that report and make the necessary repairs in order to return the car back to the road.
Why Can We Not Buy The Cars Categorised Under Other Categories?
Cars that are written off under categories A and B are usually the ones that are damaged beyond repair. These cars go through scrapping as soon as they are written off. Category B cars usually have a few recoverable parts that the scrappers recover before scrapping the rest of the car. These parts are usually sold to others as extra parts.
Cars categorised under category S are the ones that undergo structural damage to a certain extent. The repairing cost of these cars costs way more compared to the worth of the car during the time of the accident.
The chance of category S cars being roadworthy even after repair is low. Hence, contacting salvage car companies to scrap category S cars is a wise decision.
Conclusion
No matter who we ask about how to remove cat N from car, the answer will always be the same. Once a car gets written off as category N or any other category, it sticks to the car throughout its entire life.
Contact We Buy Any Salvage Cars if you are considering scrapping your Category N vehicle.