Fancy buying a crash-damaged car?

It used to be that cars that were damaged in an accident were categorised as A, B, C or D. But now this has been redesignated to categories A, B, S and N. The idea is that the new categories make this easier to understand. But, whatever you call them, would you be wise to buy a Category N car, one that has been in a serious accident? We run the numbers.

The main thrust of the new lettering system is to focus less on how much the car would cost to get fixed but more on the condition of the car, given that cars are getting more complicated. The ABI – Association of British Insurers – regulates the salvage codes for car insurers, and it supports the new category system because ‘it reflects the increasing complexity of newer vehicles which can make it harder for damaged cars to be safely repaired’.

So let’s look at those four categories in more detail, explaining what they mean.

Category A

These are seriously damaged cars that are only good for being crushed for scrap. They’re the scrap cars.

Category B

In this case B stands for Break. These cars are damaged beyond repair but instead of being crushed they can be broken so parts can be salvaged or recycled.

Category S

The S is for structural damage. Cars with structural damage can be repaired and sold on, but obviously you would be wise to get such a repaired car properly inspected, since a loss of structural integrity is potentially dangerous.

Category N

Similar to the old Category D, this is for non-structurally damaged cars. So it’s damaged and then repaired and sold on, so it’s a car that you could buy. However it’s worth bearing in mind that this category may indicate that the car hasn’t been structurally damaged, but it could still have taken damage to safety-critical parts like suspension or steering.

Buying a Category N car may well look tempting as the price will be significantly lower than a non-damaged car, and it may look undamaged to your eyes if the repair work has been carried out professionally. But before you leap towards what looks like a real bargain, here are some things you should consider first.

1. Don’t buy privately

A private seller is under less legal obligation to spell out what work has been carried out, whereas a dealer has to declare everything known about the vehicle.

2. Question everything

So what sort of damage was inflicted? Is there a description, are there photos? What parts were changed? What work has been carried out? You don’t have a right to know how the car became damaged, although some smart questions might give you a rough idea of what actually happened.

3. Pay for an inspection

Part of the attraction of a car in this category is the cheap price, so you might balk at paying £200 for a proper inspection. But the AA or RAC or Dekra or Autolign will all carry out a proper inspection that might save you a heap of money – and might save you having an accident down the line.