So, I wanted to set up this thread and get a few opinions on cat s cars. Would you buy a cat s car? Would you buy one if there was a substantial saving over buying one which hadn't been damaged? Are they even safe?
Anybody can buy and “repair” cat S cars. Bear that in mind because there’s a LOT of cowboys out there.
Potentially, a Cat S car could be a good buy at the right price. However, it totally depends on the car, the damage received and (as stated above), who has done the repairs and with what parts. Take a look at some of Mat Armstrong's YT channel, and see some of the cars he's done. I can't recall what checking is done after recommissioning these days, there used to be vehicle checks. Cat N is non structural as opposed to Cat S with structural (chassis etc.) damage. A Cat S car may be harder or more expensive to insure, that may affect your buying decision.
As it happens my Dad's 4x4 Octavia is a Cat S. You've really got to look at the specifics of each car. His had been in a prang that had 'damaged the chassis and crash structure,' the actual damage was bumper, bonnet, one headlight, one fog light and and teeny tiny bit of deformation to the corner of the chassis in front of the wheel arch. The chassis damage was tiny, the repair had been to cut that section out and weld a new piece in from another car. The guys he bought it from were near Lincoln, they'd practically written a bible about the car and the repairs they'd done, including pictures and part invoices etc. He bought it on the strength of their record keeping more than anything. The only problems it's had is all 4 wheel bearings failed quite quickly, most likely because the car had been sat still for months. Other than that it's been fine since he bought it in 2017. So yes I'd buy one if I was confident it wasn't a wreck with a new coat of paint.
There's a lot of variation as to what could have been damaged and still categorised as an S, and they only need to pass an MOT and be re-registered with the DVLA to go back into circulation. Personally I'd only trust a Cat S vehicle after checking what the damage was, and was happy the repairs had been completed properly. Unlike a driver's history, Insurers generally don't ask (or check) about a vehicles history at point of policy inception. Vehicle history is checked at point of claim, ie when valuing an accident damaged vehicle to assess if it's repairable or not then a previous cat S will be worth less so will be written off again at a lower value threshold, or if stolen you'll get paid a lower amount.
Yup my mums is a CAT S due to small front parking bump doing the bumper crash structure, so not major at all, the car is a mint SLK just old with high mileage so insurance wrote it off, we bought it back and fixed it because you couldn't find one in as good knick with all the options or as well looked after, she's had it since '06 from nearly new and didn't want anything else despite me telling her not to bother and just get a new one. I personally probably wouldn't buy one though, unless I knew it well, though even without a classification a car could be dodgy, as people can repair some real battered stuff without ever seeing an insurance claim, so it does mean much really if think about it and if it is labelled as a CAT S there are at least some details, or and indication that it needs further scrutiny.
I think that's one of the few situations in which it is worth going for a cat s. My dad's car is a cat s and my last was. Both have random issues that just drive you up the wall so my choice is to avoid them now unless it was for something like paint damage
Have a look at salvage rebuilds on YouTube. They do them up and sell them. They did one recently that was cat S and it was held together with glue and wood screws. Proper cowboy job.
Just watched it the Fiesta. It really needs to be regulated doesn't it!? I think for peace of mind best to avoid them unless you could 100% trust that it has been fixed properly but even then I think I'd still prefer the straight car.
I'd have one, but with a couple of conditions; 1, it was still a wreck and I was doing the work 2, only because I keep cars until they die, so I know I won't be loosing out by selling it 3, I watch far too much legit street cars and Sam Crac on the Youtube
Cat.S on a cheap car can make sense, as long as you know it was recent damage. They renamed the categories a few years ago, but their assessments remain the same, roughly: Cat N (previously Cat.D) - Cost of claim between 60% and 100% of value Cat S (previously Cat.C) - Cost between 100% and 200% of value Cat B - Cost between 200% and 400%, ABI insurers won't let you keep these, breaking only Cat A - Irreperable/contaminated (e.g. human remains etc) The ABI don't explicitly publish these figures, but came from an insurance assessor I was dealing with a few years ago. The S/N rules also allow cheaper repairs to be escalated from N to S if it's a structural part, e.g. a sill or chassis leg that needs repairing, often very do-able. Hence a cheap car can be a Cat. S quite easily for a simple nudge that requires bumper, headlight, paint etc. But equally it could've been in a massive shunt when it was young.
Many thanks for posting that @Krikkit. Genuinely interesting info that explains a lot about the insurance/repair system. My Audi A6 had 2 accidents in a year and the first one they offered me 2 prices, a higher one where it would have been listed as a write off, and a lower one which I took with it unlisted and retained the car. Now I see how they were able to do that. Almost exactly a year later, I was run into and it was written off, but again I was able to keep the car. I ran it for a couple more years before the number of things wrong with it became too expensive to sort.
Very welcome, I had no idea either until I really with an insurance claim which I was disputing due to the quote of how much the repairs were. In the end it didn't go any further, and the car was written off as a cat B, but the process and speaking to the non-call-centre-type professionals was very useful. Under the ABI rules you can buy back a cat S or N, but they won't sell a B to the public (or they shouldn't at least, but it does happen occasionally). Usually it's a bargain for minor cosmetic damage where an hour of swapping some 2nd hand parts will repair the car, when you've already been paid and keep using it for a few years.
