What Is A Cat D Salvage Car?

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BMW 3 Series with light side panel collision damage

What is a Cat D salvage car? In short these vehicles are repairable salvage, with minimal damage, usually panel damage. Normally the damage isn't structural and in many cases it is economic to repair them however the insurer doesn't want to. Often this is because they are stolen and recovered vehicles where the insurers paid out on a claim before the car or bike was found. Unfortunately these days many luxury cars are being stolen to order by gangs with a view to transporting them overseas to sell on. As a result these vehicles have minimal damage and are a great buy if you are able to find one.

In other cases there may have been a problem obtaining new parts which hindered a quick repair. This can be the case for some grey imports where parts have to be imported from overseas. This is ideal if you want a good cheap car and are prepared to wait for the parts to come.

Cat D salvage cars and the VIC inspection: Unlike Cat C cars these vehicles do not need a VIC (vehicle identity check) inspection to return to road but they are recorded as 'Category D' with DVLA, HPI, AA, and the like.

So how much should you pay for a Cat D salvage car? As a rough guide refer to Parkers and check the value of the vehicle without damage and deduct 50%.

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