Can I get my Cat S car repaired?

I recently had a minor collision with a wall in my Ford S-Max. I decided to claim via my insurance company. They sent my car for assessment and it's come back as a Cat S - so a structural write-off.

If I wanted to cancel my claim and get the car fixed myself, is this possible?

They have valued my car at £6,400 market value and have deemed if I want to retain as salvage a further £2,048 will be deducted (minus my £400 excess) so I could end up with £3,952 left to repair the car.

If I have £3,952 to repair the car myself, what else needs to be done to get me back on the road?

Asked on 23 May 2022 by Ian Henderson

Answered by Lawrence Allan
It is very difficult for us to say what is required to fix your car if it is a Cat S car. Often, insurers will consider a car a Cat S write-off if the estimated repair value is more than 50 to 60 per cent of the car's total value.

However, it is entirely possible that if the structural damage is serious enough you could end up paying more than the amount you have left to repair the car.

We'd recommend getting a bodyshop to inspect the car yourself and see if their findings match up with that of the insurers.

You can also challenge the valuation given to your car for free by contacting the Financial Ombudsman service
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