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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To buy a cat N car?

21 replies

Ellax · 19/04/2025 21:20

Could someone please help?

looking to buy a mini, found one for a great price but it’s a cat N.

this is what it says in the description:

‘It was previously an insurance claim, which required a full engine replacement. The replacement engine was sourced from Mintech Spares, with a verified mileage of 3,000 miles and a guarantee included. The body of the car wasn't damaged and is in brilliant condition.’

does anyone have any experience with this? I’m on a tight budget so if I could save the 4k it would otherwise cost me for a like-for-like that would be great but I have no experience with this.

thansk very much in advance

OP posts:
CalicoPusscat · 19/04/2025 21:21

I read the thread title and honestly thought you were asking if you should buy your cat a car 😆

Someone knowledgeable will be along soon

modgepodge · 19/04/2025 21:23

Yep sorry another one here who was interested in why a cat needed a car.

Boatsandtrains · 19/04/2025 21:24

I’m not sure, but would lean towards no. It could be a really expensive mistake.

Edited to add I might be more open if it had a new engine fitted, but a second hand one just seems to add to the risk?

Lemons1571 · 19/04/2025 21:26

Insurance is usually pretty expensive. Or uninsurable. Do you trust the review? I would be wary of an engine being a complete write off but the outer shell allegedly completely undamaged…

Shade17 · 19/04/2025 21:28

I wouldn’t necessarily rule out a Cat N car as long as I could see proof of the damage and the repair. I would be wary of this one, if engine replacement was covered by insurance then it’s not a case of mechanical failure and probably due to water ingestion. Not an issue in itself but I’d wonder if there’s another hidden water damage. It might’ve just been limited to the engine though, especially if it made it through the water before conking out.

Dmsandfloatydress · 19/04/2025 21:28

That's a Cat S isn't it as it's not superficial damage? I would happily buy a newer car cat N as insurance write cars off for ridiculous superficial damage. A replacement second hand engine... too much risk for me.

Original poster
Ellax · 19/04/2025 21:28

@Lemons1571 i thought so too at first but then I thought well maybe it wasn’t involved in an accident? Maybe the engine was just faulty. But can you make an insurance claim in such a situation? Surely that’s like a manufacturer fault?

OP posts:
Isthisrealomgwow · 19/04/2025 21:29

Two of my friends, both new drivers, bought cat N cars. Insurance was pretty cheap.
I looked into buying from copart a few months ago, from the research I did, the insurance seems slightly cheaper as the value is significantly lower.
It's a risk, but so is buying a used car.
However, our last car needed a new timing chain and turbo, hubby said better to drop a new engine in. He is a qualified mechanic and did not want to put a used engine in as it could have had the same or worse issues.
Due to cost we sold the car for spare or repair.

Tomikka · 19/04/2025 21:30

Category N means that the damage did not effect structural integrity / safety

It does drop the price, but could mean future insurance is high or much harder to get an insurer to cover it

Do some further research including getting instance quotes, the MOT history etc and if you do pursue them have a vehicle inspection such as by the RAC

www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/insurance/cat-n-car-meaning/#:~:text=The%20'Cat'%20stands%20for%20category,car%20beyond%20an%20economical%20repair.

Original poster
Ellax · 19/04/2025 21:32

@Shade17 thanks for this info that’s really helpful. Appreciate it! They haven’t provided much info as to what caused issue at all and have shown no photos of before.

I did come across another cat n car that had just had damage to one of the front lights and they’d shown before and after pics etc. it was a slightly less favourable car but I think if I do go with a cat n something like that is safer. Thanks again

OP posts:
dustyspring · 19/04/2025 21:33

My car is a Cat S, it's fine and I know which area was damaged, how (hit by another vehicle at a roundabout), and that it has been checked by someone I trust. Normally I would say buying a Cat N would be fine as it's superficial damage, but the fact that only the engine was damaged and not the body makes you wonder what happened. For example it could have been driven through water which would make me wonder if the electronics in the car still function as they should, if it's been sat for a long time with water trapped in places then could it have hidden rust? Or depending on the age of the car then maybe the previous owner didn't maintain it, it could have had no oil in it which would cause the engine to fail. If they didn't bother to maintain the engine then what else have they not looked after? If you could find out why the engine was replaced then maybe, but really I think it would be wiser to choose a different car with better history.

Original poster
Ellax · 19/04/2025 21:35

@dustyspring thank you!

OP posts:
doubleshift · 19/04/2025 22:14

Some Cat Ns yes - when you can see the damage. A new engine - absolutely not.
there could be all sorts of other hidden damage.

Blink1982 · 19/04/2025 22:19

I wonder if they put the wrong thing in petrol/diesel and that's why there's no outside damage....

ItWasntMyFault · 19/04/2025 22:19

My car is Cat N and is great - was obviously fully repaired before I got it and it meant I got a nearly new car a lot cheaper. I’ve had it 3 years now and there was no problem at all getting it insured.

inabubble3 · 20/04/2025 08:53

Our little run around car was an insurance write off (basically someone drove into the bumper, lights etc all over the floor). We fixed it up (£80) and put it back on the road as a cat n. Insurance wasn’t much more expensive. New engine sounds a little strange for insurance though. I think my point is maybe it doesn’t take much for a car to be an insurance write off so don’t let something being a cat n put you off.

DisplayPurposesOnly · 20/04/2025 08:56

I'd get it checked out by the AA or similar, as I know nothing about cars and wouldn't know what to look for myself.

Goballistic · 20/04/2025 09:18

My old horsebox had a new engine after the cam belt snapped it could be something that simple, there was no damage except to the engine and water pump

ntmdino · 20/04/2025 09:26

Dmsandfloatydress · 19/04/2025 21:28

That's a Cat S isn't it as it's not superficial damage? I would happily buy a newer car cat N as insurance write cars off for ridiculous superficial damage. A replacement second hand engine... too much risk for me.

The "S" isn't for "Superficial", it's for "Structural". Cat N is "Non-Structural".

EDIT: OK, I misunderstood your post. However, engine trouble is considered non-structural, because the engine doesn't have anything to do with the car remaining car-shaped under use.

The only trouble with Cat N cars is that they can be harder to insure - you'd need to declare it to your insurance company, and the premiums may be higher.

Hekett · 20/04/2025 09:37

I wouldn’t - when I did a quick insurance check on one last year it was extortionate! So we quickly ruled out any write offs….

Shade17 · 20/04/2025 13:43

Goballistic · 20/04/2025 09:18

My old horsebox had a new engine after the cam belt snapped it could be something that simple, there was no damage except to the engine and water pump

But that’s just mechanical failure, not an insurance claim.

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