Is it true that if you buy a car that was previously an insurance write off but has now been repaired...?

Question

that not every car insurance places will accept you?

Answer 1

There are 4 categories of write off, Cats A &B cannot be put back on the road.
Cats C &D can as they were written off because the cost of repair was uneconomic due to the cost in comparison to the value of the vehicle..
Insurance companies have a register of "written off " vehicles but there is not normally a problem with cat C & D

Answer 2

A car that has been a write off used to mean it wasn't put back on the road under any circumstances and if it was it was necessary to state this when selling...as the risk of being unable to insure it was very high. Write offs don't always happen however because the car has been totally toasted. Sometimes these happen when a car is older and isn't worth repairing as the repairs out price the value of the car.

Check with your insurance co., before even considering such a vehicle...investigate the reason for the car being classed a write off and then tread very cautiously...a vehicle that actually has been in a write off accident is almost without a doubt never the same again...in other words you could end up with something that is a lot more trouble and expense than it's worth.

Good luck

Answer 3

Richard K is wrong and TROLL is correct. If it is a Cat A or B then it is to be scrapped, but a Cat C or D is just deemed by the insurance company as too expensive to repair - but they include such insurance payouts as care hire etc in their estimates. So, if you buy a Cat C or D car it is perfectly legal (and possible) to repair it.
It does however HAVE to be declared to insurance companies as a repaired Cat C or D car. There is a check that can be carried out on a repaired car that some insurance companies insist on being carried out, but not all do.
In the UK there is even a program called Wrecks to Riches where they do these repairs so people can get a decent car at a cheaper price - obviously a repaired vehicle will be worth less than a 'clean' one.
Google "Wrecks to riches"

Answer 4

Been there done that ! My basic rules are these. 1. Cat C, D or X (A & B are not legal for rebuild !) 2. Repaired by either: a. Me personally b. A mechanic I know personally and trust implicitly c. A reputable company with experience in such work 3. Significantly cheaper (60 % value or less) Yes the insurance will pay out less as the market value of such cars is lower. As long as the job is done properly (all mine were DVLA inspected after repair for good measure ) and you go into the deal with your eyes open then not a problem. My view is that a huge proportion of race cars have suffered major even catastrophic damage and are then approved for racing after repair by the MSA and FIA etc and their safety rules are pretty strict ! Edit: what is with all this "you'll never insure it" and "you'll never sell it again" stuff ? I've owned 5 of these, sold two on with ease (mind you I live in a rural area where reliable transport is more of an issue than (s)nob value ?!?), scrapped 2 due to old age / mileage making them not worth fixing and I still drive one ! Never had a problem with insurance either, but I use a small local insurance agent so maybe they are more willing to do the leg work to find companies that will insure them ?

Answer 5

Not entirely true.....many cars are written off as being beyond economic repair by a body shop but may be repairable cheaply with even second-hand parts and a lot of DIY. It's all down to cost...if a £10000 car needs £8000 worth of professional repairs it will probably be written off but you may be able to keep it and repair it for £4000.
Every insurance company is different but as long as it is road legal there shouldn't be a problem.

Answer 6

ucantcme is wrong, in the UK if a car is classed as damaged/repairable when written off then it is fine, I have had plenty of D&R's and have never had any trouble getting them insured - that is why we have MOT tests - to make sure a car is roadworthy, and HPI checks to see if the vehicle has been written off previously, the only time a car is uninsurable is if the write off has been given on a spares only category - in which case the car would not be roadworthy anyway.

Answer 7

I have never heard of this. my brother brought a car that had been written off and repaired and he never had any trouble with insurance.

Answer 8

I never heard of that.
What company are you talking about?
Was the car totaled?
Water damage?

Answer 9

Hi,sorry have never heard of a car that was written off being sold unless it's illegal then no one will insure it.

Answer 10

A write off means that some insurance company wrote it off as it was beyond repair. It is suppossed to have gone to the wreckers for parts or scrap metal. It's not ever to go on the road again...EVER.