Insurance & Mods
Discussion
A friend says that if you have an accident and your insurance w-off / repair your car they will only pay for the car insured and not for any mods that have been put on the car.
From what I know they can void your policy and won’t pay anything.
Now what if you bought a car and didn’t know of these mods e.g. Air filters, different wheels/spoiler to the factory model.
Does anyone have any experience of this coming up when making a claim?
From what I know they can void your policy and won’t pay anything.
Now what if you bought a car and didn’t know of these mods e.g. Air filters, different wheels/spoiler to the factory model.
Does anyone have any experience of this coming up when making a claim?
It depends on the insurer, it would be extremely rare for an insurer to void your policy simply due to undeclared alloy wheels in all likelihood they would charge you the additional premium it it would have cost had you notified them.
If the MODS are contributory to the accident or there is heavy modification including ones that the insurer doesn't cover you could be looking at a voided policy (bar third party as they'll be covered fully).
If the MODS are contributory to the accident or there is heavy modification including ones that the insurer doesn't cover you could be looking at a voided policy (bar third party as they'll be covered fully).
Edited by ZOLLAR on Thursday 27th September 07:46
Lots of different issues:
1. Undeclared modifications; i) will the void the policy, ii) will they be paid for?
2. Declared modifications; iii) Will they be paid for?
i) They can't "void the policy" but the insurer can seek to recover their expenses from you. (i.e. they will pay out to an injured 3rd party, but then sue you.)
ii) Nope.
iii) Depends. Some policies will let you declare mods, but then will only pay for the cost of repairing to OEM standard. Other policies will let you declare mods and cover the replacement value of them.
HTH
1. Undeclared modifications; i) will the void the policy, ii) will they be paid for?
2. Declared modifications; iii) Will they be paid for?
i) They can't "void the policy" but the insurer can seek to recover their expenses from you. (i.e. they will pay out to an injured 3rd party, but then sue you.)
ii) Nope.
iii) Depends. Some policies will let you declare mods, but then will only pay for the cost of repairing to OEM standard. Other policies will let you declare mods and cover the replacement value of them.
HTH
You could be right I suppose, but what if your car got stolen/recovered the insurance could argue that your car only got stolen because of the expensive after market wheels and was picked out over the other standard cars in the area. You had not declaired the wheels to get a cheaper policy but your car was at higher risk of getting stolen because of the wheels.
Has anyone real life experiance of this sort of thing?
Has anyone real life experiance of this sort of thing?
This is a fairly recent one, fronting was an issue but non declared mods also formed part of the decision (sp?).
Ann Bissmire
Ann Bissmire
ZOLLAR said:
This is a fairly recent one, fronting was an issue but non declared mods also formed part of the decision (sp?).
Ann Bissmire
C'mon, if you've killed you friend driving like an idiot and have just been sentanced to 4yrs in prison you're not really going to care at all if you're car was legally insured or not. Ann Bissmire
I don't have any experiance with it but I can't see a policy being void for small modifications that aren't declared. Saying that, I would declare them just incase and if it puts your premium up try getting a third party policy.
StottyZr said:
I don't have any experiance with it but I can't see a policy being void for small modifications that aren't declared. Saying that, I would declare them just incase and if it puts your premium up try getting a third party policy.
It's the mods you dont know about that will get you. Did you know those alloys werent fitted to that model at manufacture?They're £1300 extra, your car is more nickable- it's been stolen we're not paying
StottyZr said:
C'mon, if you've killed you friend driving like an idiot and have just been sentanced to 4yrs in prison you're not really going to care at all if you're car was legally insured or not.
OP only wanted a case where the insurer had voided the policy due to modifications, the details of the case have no relevance.saaby93 said:
StottyZr said:
I don't have any experiance with it but I can't see a policy being void for small modifications that aren't declared. Saying that, I would declare them just incase and if it puts your premium up try getting a third party policy.
It's the mods you dont know about that will get you. Did you know those alloys werent fitted to that model at manufacture?They're £1300 extra, your car is more nickable- it's been stolen we're not paying
"In practice" - only reckless non disclosure (Bissmire, didn't bother to find out that the son's car had more mods than a bank holiday in Brighton) or inadvertant where that fact was material (so the insurer would not have offered cover had it known) AND relevant to the loss - and even then they may just ask for extra premium.
Too much (see saaby above for an example) shrieking nonsense abounds - "If you didn't know that the previous owner bought those hub caps from Halfords you will have your insurance voided". It won't.
out of interest what if you bought a car second hand told it was standard. (or didnt even ask just bought as seen)
when asked is it moddified you reply in all your knowing honesty 'no'
then crash it have it inspected and find it has been extensively modded. ecu, exhaust, brakes, the whole 9 yards. But as far as you honestly knew the car was standard.
Where would you stand?
I ask this as there must be thousands of cars out there with, induction kits, alloys, back box exhausts etc. That the owner has never even thought of.
Example - my mrs' work friend bought a 'standard' Clio, that when I saw it had a Peco back box, K&N induction kit, grooved discs, s
tty alloys, blacked out windows and i think some other tacky mods.
As far as she knew it was 'standard' she bought in faith according to the lad that flogged her this mule. Where would you stand if she had too claim as it would be as shocking for her as them I would guess.
when asked is it moddified you reply in all your knowing honesty 'no'
then crash it have it inspected and find it has been extensively modded. ecu, exhaust, brakes, the whole 9 yards. But as far as you honestly knew the car was standard.
Where would you stand?
I ask this as there must be thousands of cars out there with, induction kits, alloys, back box exhausts etc. That the owner has never even thought of.
Example - my mrs' work friend bought a 'standard' Clio, that when I saw it had a Peco back box, K&N induction kit, grooved discs, s
tty alloys, blacked out windows and i think some other tacky mods.As far as she knew it was 'standard' she bought in faith according to the lad that flogged her this mule. Where would you stand if she had too claim as it would be as shocking for her as them I would guess.
Noger said:
Too much (see saaby above for an example) shrieking nonsense abounds - "If you didn't know that the previous owner bought those hub caps from Halfords you will have your insurance voided". It won't.
I know that and you know thatbut where's the line?
What really does count as mods? and what doesn't?
Harry Crotch said:
out of interest what if you bought a car second hand told it was standard. (or didnt even ask just bought as seen)
when asked is it moddified you reply in all your knowing honesty 'no'
then crash it have it inspected and find it has been extensively modded. ecu, exhaust, brakes, the whole 9 yards. But as far as you honestly knew the car was standard.
Where would you stand?
I ask this as there must be thousands of cars out there with, induction kits, alloys, back box exhausts etc. That the owner has never even thought of.
Example - my mrs' work friend bought a 'standard' Clio, that when I saw it had a Peco back box, K&N induction kit, grooved discs, stty alloys, blacked out windows and i think some other tacky mods.
As far as she knew it was 'standard' she bought in faith according to the lad that flogged her this mule. Where would you stand if she had too claim as it would be as shocking for her as them I would guess.
I'd be pretty surprised that it wouldn't be either picked up by the owner that it isn't standard or at least a friend or family member.when asked is it moddified you reply in all your knowing honesty 'no'
then crash it have it inspected and find it has been extensively modded. ecu, exhaust, brakes, the whole 9 yards. But as far as you honestly knew the car was standard.
Where would you stand?
I ask this as there must be thousands of cars out there with, induction kits, alloys, back box exhausts etc. That the owner has never even thought of.
Example - my mrs' work friend bought a 'standard' Clio, that when I saw it had a Peco back box, K&N induction kit, grooved discs, s
tty alloys, blacked out windows and i think some other tacky mods.As far as she knew it was 'standard' she bought in faith according to the lad that flogged her this mule. Where would you stand if she had too claim as it would be as shocking for her as them I would guess.
but what if the person is not savy with cars. Ok say it looks totally stadard. no blacked out windows but the wheels are a moddest size. Hypothetically under the bonnet has been tweeked with ecu, and all sorts but looks very much stock.
Ast this is easily atchieved.
If they havent asked and not been told.
Who would be at fault? Would they go down the chain of owners asking 'did you mod this car?' then hold them at account?
Or just say void? or go benefit of the doubt. I know this is very broad but it just interests me.
Ast this is easily atchieved.
If they havent asked and not been told.
Who would be at fault? Would they go down the chain of owners asking 'did you mod this car?' then hold them at account?
Or just say void? or go benefit of the doubt. I know this is very broad but it just interests me.
I had an accident a year or so ago in a modded mk5 golf gti - c330bhp, alloys, brakes, intake, exhaust, fuel pump etc all aftermarket.
i had declared everything apart from the an uprated intercooler, just forgot to add it, was a wee bit worried as heard rumours of undecalred mods voiding insurance. They were ok though they just would not cover that part, if it had been a big turbo or nitrous then im not sure they would have been so kind.
best bet is too declare them all, or just a buy a better car you dont need to mod
i had declared everything apart from the an uprated intercooler, just forgot to add it, was a wee bit worried as heard rumours of undecalred mods voiding insurance. They were ok though they just would not cover that part, if it had been a big turbo or nitrous then im not sure they would have been so kind.
best bet is too declare them all, or just a buy a better car you dont need to mod
caymanjames said:
i had declared everything apart from the an uprated intercooler, just forgot to add it, was a wee bit worried as heard rumours of undecalred mods voiding insurance. They were ok though they just would not cover that part, if it had been a big turbo or nitrous then im not sure they would have been so kind.
best bet is too declare them all, or just a buy a better car you dont need to mod
that was the point best bet is too declare them all, or just a buy a better car you dont need to mod
How do you declare all the things you didn't know about?
PAULJ5555 said:
A friend says that if you have an accident and your insurance w-off / repair your car they will only pay for the car insured and not for any mods that have been put on the car.
From what I know they can void your policy and won’t pay anything.
Now what if you bought a car and didn’t know of these mods e.g. Air filters, different wheels/spoiler to the factory model.
Does anyone have any experience of this coming up when making a claim?
When I insured my modified Golf GTi, I declared the mods which were on the car at the time (sports exhaust, alloys, chip, lowered suspension) but I later fitted non-standard air filters, sports shocks and a few other bits. I had 2 accidents in the car (both times I was rear-ended by another car so non-fault) and I was never once asked about the mods. In the first accident, the exhaust was replaced like for like despite my insurance policy stating standard replacement. From what I know they can void your policy and won’t pay anything.
Now what if you bought a car and didn’t know of these mods e.g. Air filters, different wheels/spoiler to the factory model.
Does anyone have any experience of this coming up when making a claim?
As far as I know, it depends on your policy. I'd always thought that standard replacement for mods was the norm for insurance but I have heard that you can get a policy which replaces mods like for like though I don't know how this would work. I think I was lucky and the garage doing the work simply bought a new sports exhaust instead of standard.
I do remember a case a few years ago where a girl bought a Golf GTi with alloy wheels which she didn't realise weren't standard, wrote the car off and the insurance wouldn't pay out based on that and I am aware that insurance companies can and do find reasons not to pay out but I don't know any more than that.
Sorry, probably not that helpful to you but that was just my experience.
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