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Cat N car, full HPI report, but no details shown. - Scoodle

Hi.

I'm considering a Cat N car, which the seller - a dealer - claims they don't understand how warranted this category, as when they received it, it only required a polish to remove a light surface scratch on one wing. No dents, no touch-up, nothing.

I carried out a full HPI check using 'totalcarcheck', and this confirms it was Cat N on the 27th Nov '23, but "Not stolen/not salvage/not anything". Literally no explanation.

The car did have personal plates with its first owner in 2020, added when a month old, and reverted to its original number when they sold it in Feb '22.

What the heck can I do to try and find out what happened?!

Thanks.

Cat N car, full HPI report, but no details shown. - leaseman

Immersion, or partial immersion in water, especially sea water, will render a car a Cat N write-off. This may not involve bodywork damage, but will have longer-lasting catastrophic effects. And the date would coincide with a number of reported floods and tidal surges.

Just speculating!

Cat N car, full HPI report, but no details shown. - badbusdriver

Immersion, or partial immersion in water, especially sea water, will render a car a Cat N write-off. This may not involve bodywork damage, but will have longer-lasting catastrophic effects. And the date would coincide with a number of reported floods and tidal surges.

Just speculating!

Indeed, and precisely why I wouldn't touch an insurance write off.

As a Cat N, there certainly shouldn't be any structural damage. But the possibility put forward by leaseman, especially in the absence of any actual info from the seller, should at least give you pause for thought.

As I said I wouldn't go there personally, but for the OP, if in any doubt, walk away. Its just not worth it.

Cat N car, full HPI report, but no details shown. - Scoodle

Thank you both.

Ah, that's something that hadn't crossed my mind!

Is there really no way to find out the cause? Seems remiss of the whole HPI procedure, and quite astonishing that such info isn't recorded somewhere.

I appreciate your reservation re Cats, but I am open to considering them provided I know what the damage was, and how well it's been repaired. My second-to-last car was a Cat D (non-structural), and was bought with the above provisos; it was a snip and gave great service for 5 years before I then sold it on at half the typical price to someone with the understanding. Still going strong.

Is it worth trying an alternative HPI service, do you think?

Thanks.

Cat N car, full HPI report, but no details shown. - skidpan

Is it worth trying an alternative HPI service, do you think?

Thanks.

Its worth buying a genuine risk free car.

Cat N car, full HPI report, but no details shown. - leaseman

Contacting the Keeper of the car at the point of write-off and trusting that they will tell the truth would probably be your only option. Was it local to where you are currently?

If it was kept within 50 miles from the Irish Sea, then Storm Debi or Ciaran back in November could be the cause!!

Cat N car, full HPI report, but no details shown. - Andrew-T

Contacting the Keeper of the car at the point of write-off and trusting that they will tell the truth would probably be your only option. Was it local to where you are currently?

Not sure how you discover the previous owner unless that dealer gives you sight of the V5 ?

Cat N car, full HPI report, but no details shown. - leaseman

I guess you would ask to see it, as any due diligence in buying a used car (number of keepers, Hire car? etc.) would entail.

Cat N car, full HPI report, but no details shown. - Andrew-T

I guess you would ask to see it, as any due diligence in buying a used car (number of keepers, Hire car? etc.) would entail.

You would have to assume [a] that the dealer has it and [b] he admits to it and agrees. DVLA won't reveal anything these days, as you know.

Cat N car, full HPI report, but no details shown. - Adampr

The dealer is telling you porkies. They probably bought it from Copart and would have been told exactly what the issue was. Walk away.

Cat N car, full HPI report, but no details shown. - veloceman
Some HPI checks can include pictures of damage. I think Car Vertical is one. Quite expensive tho and no guarantee they will have them.
Cat N car, full HPI report, but no details shown. - bathtub tom

Not sure how you discover the previous owner unless that dealer gives you sight of the V5 ?

I think you'll find the V5 doesn't include that info now.

Cat N car, full HPI report, but no details shown. - madf

MOT history will show if car as been off the road for a long time..(And condition at MOTs)..

Cat N car, full HPI report, but no details shown. - Andrew-T

Not sure how you discover the previous owner unless that dealer gives you sight of the V5 ?

I think you'll find the V5 doesn't include that info now.

It might if the dealer has been given the whole document.

Cat N car, full HPI report, but no details shown. - Scoodle

Hi everyone - thank you for your replies.

Further info: The salvage co who handled it and sold it to this dealer was HKR.co.uk. I have seen the photos they had of the car, and it shows a fully intact car, with one light scratch on the wing! No explanation for the Cat N.

Also, the dealer says it was owned by Enterprise car Rental, and my TotalCarCheck report would support this, as the mileage is confirmed using one MOT (it's a 2020 car), and others by RMI and BVRLA, the latter being the UK trade body for companies engaged in vehicle rental, leasing and fleet management.

How the HECK can I find out what the CAUSE of the Cat N was?!!

Cheers :-)

Cat N car, full HPI report, but no details shown. - De Sisti

Hi everyone -

Further info:,,,, the dealer says it was owned by Enterprise car Rental,,,,

How the HECK can I find out what the CAUSE of the Cat N was?!!

Cheers :-)

Could you contact the car rental company? Surely they would have kept some records of damage to one of their vehicles?

Cat N car, full HPI report, but no details shown. - leaseman

More questions than answers!

Enterprise do not buy used cars. The mega discounts they receive on new cars makes that a no-no.

Enterprise are unlikely to put a cherished plate on a car.

First MOT only shows mileage at 3 years old. Any "haircut" would have been undertaken before that

Was it, perhaps, stolen and recovered at some stage?

Cat N car, full HPI report, but no details shown. - Orb>>

A couple of years back a customer bought a jaguar. when he went to the main dealer they refused warranty as car had been flooded.

In your case if you desperately REALLY want it pay for an engineers report.

Might save some weeping later ???

couple of hundred quid?