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Can I get my Cat D car reclassified if it's now road worthy?
My Mercedes-Benz E-Class was deemed uneconomical to repair after being driven through standing flood water in December 2013. It was declared Cat D and required a new engine. It was subsequently repaired (replaced bent con rod) and been driving perfectly since. Does it now need to be reclassified under the new system about to come into force, and if so, how do I go about it?
Asked on 21 August 2017 by Michael Kane
Answered by
Honest John
In short, no. It will always have that history and it cannot be reclassified. It should not have been a total loss either, it should have been repaired as repair cost were less than the market value. How can you buy back salvage for a vehicle you already own? Their liability lies up to the market value. You could, however, still raise a complaint, as you have six years to do it. Your complaint would be that your insurer breached the contract of insurance by not indemnifying you for your loss. They should have either repaired your car, or provided cash settlement at the cost of repair. If the Financial Ombudsman Service agree, then the insurer would have to remove the categorisation. The insurer should have really placed a CAT B on the vehicle if they had wanted to total loss.
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