Are Cat N cars more expensive to insure?

Since October 2017, UK insurers have classified write-offs under the ABI code: Cat A (scrap entirely), Cat B (break for parts; the body shell is crushed), Cat S (structural damage, repairable) and Cat N (non-structural damage, repairable). A Cat N car was declared a total loss because the repair cost was too high relative to the car's value, not because it's unsafe. Once properly repaired, it can go straight back on the road. Our Cat S vs Cat N comparison sets out the full differences.

An insurer's main exposure on a car is the cost of repairs and the payout on a total loss. Because a Cat N car is worth less, a total loss costs the insurer less. That offsets the concern about the car's history. The result varies widely: some insurers add a loading, some charge the same as for a clean car, and some decline Cat N altogether. That's why shopping around matters more than usual. Start with our best rate on car insurance tips.

If a Cat N car is written off again, the insurer pays its market value as a Cat N car, which is typically 20–40% below a clean equivalent. You keep the purchase discount, but you never recover the clean-car price. If the car is financed, the gap between the payout and your loan balance can be significant. See gap insurance, and note that some gap insurers exclude previously written-off cars. Comprehensive cover (see comprehensive vs collision) still matters, because repair costs on Cat N cars can be high.

If you already have a conviction loading, for example a DR10 (see how long do motoring convictions stay on your licence), you may need a specialist insurer that accepts both your conviction and a write-off. That's a smaller market than either alone. Compare total cost (purchase price plus insurance) over the years you'll own the car, as in Ryan's DR10 and Cat N scenario. US readers will recognise the same issue as 'salvage' or 'rebuilt' titles. Insurers covering these are often non-standard auto insurance carriers, and drivers who need an SR-22 insurance filing face the same narrowing of the market. If no carrier will cover you, there's an assigned risk auto insurance plan. How a DUI changes the numbers is covered in how much does car insurance go up after a DUI, and what you can legally keep off a UK application is in do you have to declare spent convictions.