It is standard practice for insurance companies to require details of any deviation from the standard specification. Well how is that defined?
Boosted engine performance would clearly require reporting. But what about less obvious modifications such as the drilled and grooved brake discs HJ has included in his news column? What about spoilers, lowered suspension, wider low profile tyres etc etc?
Obviously there is an argument that spoilers, discs, tyres etc could improve handling and braking. There is a counter argument however that these modifications encourage a more spirited driving style.
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Some modifications are detrimental. My neighbour visited one the body repair shops run by a leading insurance company. There was BMW which had underbody damage from a speed bump. The insurance co. showed that the owner had lowered the suspension, result, claim thrown out.
Wider tyres are generally accompanied by large diameter alloy wheels, which are easily damaged and costly to replace.
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I rememebr many years ago, in our local paper, a girl's boyfriend had installed an extra rear fog light on the back of a Metro. there was only one in the bumper on the right except on top models, there was one on each side, and the lesser models had a blanking plate, he got one at a beakers yard and fitted it, but when she had a crash, the insurance company offered a reduced settlement because it had been modified. They were claiming it was a safety item etc... I can't remember how it ended, but it make me think before I modify a car too much.
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Hillman
I wonder what would have happened if the owner had notified the insurance company of the lowered suspension. Would the claim have still been thrown out?
C
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Obviously there is an argument that spoilers, discs, tyres etc could improve handling and braking.
Spoilers? The locals love the 'touring car' back spoiler, which looks like a bit of Meccano bolted onto the back. Now, i'm sure all the racing teams can do wonders with these things ... using wind tunnels, graduated spirit levels etc ... but to just slap one on, especially on a FWD car (!), without considering aerodynamic implications, is just asking for trouble, IMHO.
Tyres the same thing - slap on a set of groovy alloys and 16" tyres, where manufacturers fit 13s or 14s, and the "roll-and-slip" factor is going out of the window ...
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My insurance company asks "has no modifications to its engine, wheels, bodywork, interior or audio equipment" as do many others.
If this was interpretted literally, changing the radio cassette palyer to a CD player, fitting seat cover, a roofrack, or towbar, or adding a temperature guage, would all be seen as modifications.
My assumption has been that basic alterations and additions are not relevant, but what they are looking for is owners who have insured a basic model, but have kitted it out like a GTI, and/or attempted to alter the cars handling and performance, or have fitted very costly sound systems.
Never the less the thought that swapping a plastic steering wheel,for a more comfortable leather steering wheel from the same model range, might comprise insurance cover is a concern.
At the same time trying to discuss this with a call centre operative is probably like opening a can of worms.
My conclusion would be not to consider adding a temperature guage as a modification. What do others think?
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It does seem farcical when you can order a car from factory with 16" (standard) or 17" (cost option) alloy wheels and not need to declare it (after all, it's all to manufacturer specification and cme out of the factory like that) but that if you fit the same wheels a year later it's a modification. Ditto the suspension packages frequently offered by manufacturers.
Where would people stand on "Dealer Specials" where a new but slow selling low-spec car gets a set of manufacturer alloys and a multi-changer added to help shift it on?
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My last (!) W123 Merc had retro-fitted electric windows. I dutifully notified my insurance company, who noted it on the insurance certificate, but did not charge me any extra.
They also IIRC asked me about factory fitted extras, to which I replied I have absolutely no idea - and they didn't seem to worried!
I recall reading some debate on this site as to whether replacing a disfunctional Pieburg carb with a Weber constitued a notifiable change. Some readers recommended notification, some did not.
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I had always taken the view that manufacturers options (alloy wheels, CD upgrade, A/C even if purchased at the same time as the car (ie standard manufacturers option) should be disclosed to the insurance co. After all if you declare a 'Standard Carriage 1.5GL'
to the insurance co then that is all they are likely to pay out, if you bought the aforementioned car with alloy wheels and CD (from Standard Carriage) then the value of the car to replace is increased at best, at worse they might consider it an increased risk and refuse to cover the car.
regards
Ian L.
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As insurance is a legal contract I would always tell the insurer of anything that's added to or changed on a car. It's in my interest to do so as any deviation that an assessor can find could be used to reject the claim, as in the Metro rear fog light post above. The fog light probably had nothing at all to do with the incident but by not informing the insurer the driver broke the contract, voiding the insurance.
Take that a step further - if the Metro had smashed into your car, writing it off and injuring you, and then his insurer rejected the claim, how would you feel? A bit miffed maybe?
The other side of course is if you are blameworthy and your insurer refuses to pay the injured party. It's going to be a very expensive modification simply because it wasn't reported to the insurer. Not worth the risk of not telling them imo.
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It wouldn't be so bad if insurers were sensible about it. For every insurer that takes a reasonable view on a "modification" such as fitting an extra foglight into an existing wiring loom/bracket there is one that will charge you an extra £££ (insert ludicrous figure here).
The modification to my car is declared, fortunately the insurers in question didn't increase the premium.
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Good point ND, but 'reasonable' and 'insurer' don't really go together. :-)
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