Cat S and Cat N are UK insurance write-off categories used to describe repairable vehicles that have suffered either structural or non-structural damage.
When it comes to buying a new car, knowing about the history of your new wheels is key as it can impact your insurance costs. To learn more about how to save on car insurance, check out our dedicated piece. One of the things to check with a new car is whether it has been written off in the past. As part of your checks, you might come across different classifications of write-offs, like Cat S and Cat N, but are not sure what they mean. We've broken down each classification so that you know what to look out for when purchasing your next car.
Cat S and Cat N are UK insurance write-off categories for repairable vehicles. Cat S means the car has suffered structural damage to its frame or chassis and must be professionally repaired and pass a new MOT before returning to the road. Cat N means the car has suffered non-structural damage, such as to electrics or body panels, and can return to the road once repaired and declared roadworthy.
Summary: An insurance write-off occurs when a car is too damaged to repair economically and is instead settled by the insurer based on its market value.
An insurance write-off is when a car is damaged to a point where it is either no longer roadworthy or repairing it makes no financial sense. In a write-off, your insurance company will pay you the current value of the car instead of repairing it. In order to know how serious the write-off is, your car will be assigned to a specific category. We’ve taken a look at each below.
Summary: Cat S means a car has suffered structural damage to its frame or chassis but can return to the road after professional repair, re-registration, and a new MOT.
A Cat S car can be driven on the road again but will need repairs to make it roadworthy. The S itself stands for structural damage, but it can be repaired. Damage will likely have occurred to the chassis or suspension, but the important thing is that it can be fixed. For Cat S vehicles, the owner must notify the DVLA and re-register the vehicle before it can legally return to the road. Not doing this could lead to you receiving a fine. AutoTrader have listed some of the more common category s write-offs.
Summary: Cat N means a car has suffered non-structural damage, such as to electrics or body panels, and can return to the road once repaired and declared roadworthy.
Cat N cars have suffered damage, but these aren’t structural. However, if the car is to be driven on the road, it will need to undergo repairs. For Cat N vehicles, the DVLA must be informed of the write-off, but the vehicle does not usually need to be re-registered. AutoTrader has detailed some of the more common examples of a Cat N write-off.
Cat N cars have suffered damage, but these aren’t structural. However, if the car is to be driven on the road, it will need to undergo repairs. Again, the car will need to be re-registered with the DVLA, or you could face a hefty fine. AutoTrader has detailed some of the more common examples of a Cat N write-off.
The key difference is that Cat S involves structural damage and stricter legal requirements, while Cat N involves non-structural damage and simpler return-to-road processes.
|
Feature |
Cat S |
Cat N |
|
Damage Type |
Structural |
Non-structural |
|
Safety Risk |
Higher |
Lower |
|
Repair Required |
Yes |
Yes |
|
New MOT Required |
Yes |
Not always |
|
DVLA Re-Registration |
Yes |
No |
|
Logbook Marker |
Permanent |
Usually none |
Summary: Buying a previously written-off car can be safe and cost-effective, but only if the vehicle has been properly repaired and professionally inspected.
You can buy a car that’s been written off in the past, but you should always request an inspection before making the final decision. Cars that can be bought after undergoing a write-off fall in the categories C,D,N, and S. Therefore, when it comes to making a car purchase, if you notice a previous write-off, it is best practice to request a full inspection of the car to make sure all previous issues are resolved. Alternatively, you can bring a mechanic with you to inspect the car in person.
Write-offs happen, and this doesn’t necessarily mean that the car is ruined. For Cat A and B, the car is unfortunately unrecoverable, but for the other categories, C,D,N and S, the car can get back to being road ready. If you are about to buy a car and spot a past write-off, don’t panic. Order an inspection of the car to make sure all previous issues are corrected, and if they are, you can go ahead and buy your car!
A Cat S car is one that has suffered structural damage, but this damage can be repaired, and the car can return to the road (provided the repairs are made).
If you are looking for a cheap option, a cat s car can be good. With a cat s car though there are plenty of risks that you need to weigh up. The two main issues are:
A cat s car has suffered past structural damage, and you don't want this to repeat itself. If you are looking to buy a cat s car, check over the car as many times as possible, and seek mechanical opinions about whether this car has recovered from its previous write-off.
Cat s cars are more expensive to insure. This is because cat s cars have previously suffered structural damage, and the risk of this happening again leads to higher insurance costs.
There's no set number, as it depends on the state of the damage the car suffered, plus personal factors about yourself and your driving history. Nevertheless, it will cost more to insure a cat s car vs a non-cat s car.
Cat s isn't bad, as long as the previous structural damage has been repaired. This is a big if, and something you should seriously consider before buying a cat s car.
It should appear in the 'special notes' section of a car log book, and will mention that the car has suffered previous structural damage. If this is the case, conduct thorough checks with the help of a professional to make sure the issue has been fixed.
A Cat N car is one that has suffered non-structural damage, but this can be repaired, and the car can return to the road (provided the repairs are made).
Cat n does impact car insurance. Even though previous damage is non-structural, this still represents a risk to insurance providers. In most cases, you will be able to get insurance on a cat n car, but some providers may refuse insurance altogether. Even if you were to get insured on a cat n vehicle, your insurance costs will be higher than for the same car without a cat n status.
You can't remove cat n from a car once it's registered. This stays with the car forever, and removing it is illegal.
Cat s stands for structural damage, which is when the car needs significant repairs to get back to being road worthy. Cat n stands for non-structural damage, where the issue isn't as serious, but repairs are needed to get the car back on the road. Cat s cars are harder to insure than cat n cars, and face higher premiums.
You must declare a cat n car to your insurance. Failure to do this can lead to severe penalties.