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Whistonmarine



Member Since: 13 Jul 2021
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 58

United Kingdom 
CAT N to buy or not to buy?

Been offered a very nice (on the face of it) 2013 HSE, CAT N
Thoughts?

Post #413743 24th Oct 2021 4:03 pm
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IanMetro



Member Since: 11 Sep 2017
Location: Somerset BS21
Posts: 2747

United Kingdom 2014 Freelander 2 SD4 Metropolis LE Auto Fuji White

Although a category N write-off will mean that the car is structurally safe, there could be non-structural faults with safety-related parts that mean that the car is unsafe to drive. Examples include damage to brakes or steering components.

I think you need a full engineering inspection, as cars these days are very complicated, and safety systems may have been triggered so may not work when needed. FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 74k+ miles) (MY2015)

Post #413745 24th Oct 2021 4:10 pm
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Whistonmarine



Member Since: 13 Jul 2021
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 58

United Kingdom 

Stolen, recovered. Apparently needed a new door & a new ECU & a polish

Post #413746 24th Oct 2021 4:15 pm
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anglaslt



Member Since: 24 Dec 2008
Location: Vilnius, Lithuania
Posts: 184

Lithuania 2015 Freelander 2 2.0T HSE Lux Auto Havana

At least you know from CAT N that it's had no structural frame or chassis damage. Maybe you could ask for photos to confirm the extent of damage to the bodywork.

I guess it comes down to price. Residual value will be reduced, to sell will be more difficult and I believe insurance will be more expensive. driving on the right side

Post #413749 24th Oct 2021 4:30 pm
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Jack frost



Member Since: 21 Dec 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 796

United Kingdom 

Just be prepared for a big hit on it when you sell it ££££££££ unless you are going to drive it into the ground then it could be a good buy 👍

Post #413754 24th Oct 2021 6:16 pm
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Whistonmarine



Member Since: 13 Jul 2021
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 58

United Kingdom 

My thoughts too
I took the prices of 4 cars currently for sale, same spec, same age, with no history of damage & worked out the average
Suggested that a fair price would be 60 to 80% of that price.

Post #413755 24th Oct 2021 6:28 pm
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riverblanche



Member Since: 11 Apr 2019
Location: Retford'ish
Posts: 438

England 

Hi,

it depends when it was damaged and the value of the car at that time and the cost of repairs Question

if its recent then a value of £8k still takes some repairs to add up to istr about70% to write it off and a salvage value of 25-30% so about £2k and then what repairs are needed
full dealer repair may have needed a half side respray but a repair later just had a matching door?

it will always be worth 30% less but if your buying at a good price the older it gets the less money 30% is Whistle

Thumbs Up .
my first ever FL2 and I did keep it longer than most other cars!
But its now gone way up Norf

Post #413756 24th Oct 2021 6:48 pm
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Nodge68



Member Since: 15 Jul 2020
Location: Newquay
Posts: 1766

United Kingdom 2009 Freelander 2 TD4 SE Manual Rimini Red

I'll buy a can N if it's 30% of the current local price of a perfect condition equivalent vehicle.
Much more than 30% of the value, and it begins to make no sense, unless of course you're going to use it until you scrap it.

If you can get it for 30% of its current market value, then repair it and flip it, which is what I've done in the past. 2009 Rimini Red SE TD4. My daily driver.
Gone. 2006 Tonga Green i6 HSE.

Post #413765 25th Oct 2021 5:21 am
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dorsetfreelander



Member Since: 20 Jul 2013
Location: Dorset
Posts: 4336

United Kingdom 2014 Freelander 2 SD4 XS Auto Loire Blue

One of my sons recently accompanied a widowed relative to a dealer to negotiate a replacement for her car which her late husband had given her a few years back. He had been in the motor trade. The dealer looked at it for a Part Exch value and after some discussions in the back office asked if they could have a look at it in the workshop. It turns out that it had been a write off (I don't know the category) and they wouldn't touch it. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Post #413768 25th Oct 2021 9:06 am
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Whistonmarine



Member Since: 13 Jul 2021
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 58

United Kingdom 

Its getting more & more likely that the best option is to keep looking!

Post #413769 25th Oct 2021 9:17 am
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IanMetro



Member Since: 11 Sep 2017
Location: Somerset BS21
Posts: 2747

United Kingdom 2014 Freelander 2 SD4 Metropolis LE Auto Fuji White

Have a look at my post
https://www.freel2.com/forum/post413773.html#413773

You soon may need to prove that all systems have been checked by Manufactures Agent before getting insurance following a repair. FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 74k+ miles) (MY2015)

Post #413775 25th Oct 2021 1:30 pm
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RealBeale



Member Since: 13 Jun 2016
Location: Birmingham Great Barr
Posts: 881

United Kingdom 2007 Freelander 2 i6 HSE Auto Sumatra Black

Vehicles are written off when the insurance deem them not economically viable to repair. This does not always mean the vehicle isn't an easy, cheap repair. There are other factors that also come in to play. For instance, if you live in London, the cost of the repair may be far greater than elsewhere in the country,add to that the recovery and storage costs which will then spiral ever upwards.

How many cars are running around that have been repaired by the insurance company, when, if they had been damaged elsewhere in the country would have not been repaired and would be written off ?
The damage to my Freelander 1 Td4 was purely cosmetic. Bolt off, bolt on. A wing, bumper and headlight - items I had anyway and luckily in the correct colour. An hour later and there was no indication it had ever been damaged. Cost me £2250 when the bottom book price was £7500. Sold it 10 years later for £3000 !
The difference was I wanted a facelifted Freelander 1 to turn in to a rally car. I could have paid at least £5000 for an ok base vehicle, then another £4000 for the safety equipment and fitting. But at sale time I would still have only gotten around the £3000 mark. So in 10 years I lost £3250 instead of £6000 had I bought a none written off car. Or £8500 had I bought my written off vehicle at book price !

Ask yourself how long you'll be keeping the vehicle. Then , how much you'll pay for it, and how much you would expect to sell it for in 5 years time.
Once it hits a certain age, it's resale price will bottom out anyway.
So , for arguments sake, let's just say a none recorded equivalent F2 is £10,000.
You get it for £7000, fully repaired.
You keep it 5 years .
The none recorded is now worth, say, £5000.
Yours would still sell for around £4000.
It's cost you £3000 over 5 years, or £5000 over 5 years for the none recorded.
You've had the same driving experience, nobody will be any the wiser it's been written off unless you tell them (obviously you would when it comes to reselling). So you're quids in !
BUT , it's all down to the standard of repair. I was lucky. But you really need to get an inspection done before you buy.

Post #413779 25th Oct 2021 3:19 pm
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Tigertim



Member Since: 23 May 2016
Location: Doncaster
Posts: 124

United Kingdom 2008 Freelander 2 TD4 HSE Auto Zermatt Silver

All my cars for the last 20 years have been category N and even S. I buy them direct from insurance salvage and have had some fantastic cars for a fraction of the retail cost . If you are quite handy and enjoy a challenge it’s really satisfying bringing a car back to life and saving a lot of money in the process , don’t get me wrong you do take a risk as sometimes there is unseen damage and faults but I’ve always took the approach that if I bought an absolute lemon I could always break it for parts to recoup the money .
I personally wouldn’t buy a car that someone else had repaired I only buy them in the untouched damaged condition then I know what I’m getting as there are lot of bad cars that might look great but you don’t know it’s damage history so best to buy damaged and repair yourself . My current two FL both cat N .


Post #413784 25th Oct 2021 4:28 pm
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RealBeale



Member Since: 13 Jun 2016
Location: Birmingham Great Barr
Posts: 881

United Kingdom 2007 Freelander 2 i6 HSE Auto Sumatra Black

anglaslt wrote:
At least you know from CAT N that it's had no structural frame or chassis damage. Maybe you could ask for photos to confirm the extent of damage to the bodywork.

I guess it comes down to price. Residual value will be reduced, to sell will be more difficult and I believe insurance will be more expensive.


This is just my experience .
Insurance - depends on the Insurer. There are specialists out there who deal with write off's. My insurer wasn't phased, as long as it was MOT'd and the VIC check done. It cost me no more to insure.
They shouldn't be more difficult to sell., either There will always be someone on a smaller budget and properly fixed vehicles become an attractive proposition for these people. As long as the correct inspections have been completed prior to a written off vehicle coming back on the market, it's just like buying any other used car. You always do your checks regardless.
As for residual value, as I've already stated above, once a vehicle is a certain age, this becomes less of a factor.
If you paid 1/3rd less than retail for it in the first place, and then sell it for 1/3rd less than retail when the time comes, you'll still be better off. Simple maths.

Retail. £9000

Write off saving 1/3rd . £6000 purchase price.

Sale price after 3 years:
Retail £5000
Write off price @ 1/3 less of retail $£3334 (approx)

Total loss over 3 years
Retail £4000
Write off £2666

Obviously just an example, not actual real world prices.

Post #413786 25th Oct 2021 5:17 pm
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Whistonmarine



Member Since: 13 Jul 2021
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 58

United Kingdom 

Looking very good
I was hoping they would call my Defender a CAT N, unlikely though

Post #413787 25th Oct 2021 5:18 pm
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