After hours or days of looking for the perfect car, you might spot the car you’ve been after at a much cheaper price than the rest.

It looks ok, with a decent mileage but then you spot CAT N in the fine print. What does this mean, and is it still a car you should consider buying?

Before you click off the tab and resume your search, we’re here to explain what these sorts of categories mean, so you can make a more informed choice when it comes to your next car.

What are car write-off categories?

When a car is written off, the insurance company will assess the reported damage and determine whether the cost of the repair outweighs the cost of the car and will then decide what category of write-off the car is.

If a car is only worth £500, even the most minor structural damage can lead to a write-off because of the cost of parts and labour needed to fix it.

However, a supercar worth hundreds of thousands of pounds might not be written off for similar damage, even if the actual repair costs more.

What do CAT A, B, S and N mean?

All write-offs are not created equal. The severity of them ranges from Category A to Category N, even if they’re all write-offs in the eyes of the insurance company. They are determined by the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

Here’s a breakdown of the categories:

Category A: The car is beyond repair and must be crushed. This would be in the event of a very severe crash.

Category B: The car body must be crushed, but some parts can be sold. This would be in the event of a severe crash.

Category S: The car can be repaired following structural damage, such as a bent chassis or collapsed crumple zone. This would be in the event of a more minor accident. In this case, the owner or insurer has opted to not repair this vehicle even though it could be.

Category N: The car can be repaired following non-structural damage, such as to the electronics, steering, or brakes. This is the least severe write-off and probably the most common.

Before 2017, the categories were previously known as A, B, C and D respectively.

Buying a written-off car

A Cat S or Cat N car is usually cheaper than a car that has never been written off, but is it all positive?

Well, Cat N cars are usually your safest bet. The damage sustained isn’t structural and is usually easier to repair. It might only be cosmetic or electrical, meaning that you’re getting a significantly cheaper car with very little drawbacks.

While Cat S cars may have been repaired, there’s a lot of variation in the amount of damage sustained with Cat S cars. Some Cat S write-offs may have only received minor repairs, but others may be in need of whole chassis repairs. Doing your homework on a Cat S car is very important because it might cost more money in the long run, particularly if the repair wasn’t completed to a high standard.