As there are a couple of insurance businesses represented on here, I wonder if they might share some information on how vehicle modifications affect insurance premiums?

 

Presumably, so long as the vehicle is still road-legal after modification, people can do what they want to their vehicles.

However once modified, there is no obligation of any insurance company to to insure the vehicle.

Very often, there seems to be a "Computer says no!" attitude from mainstream insurers when it comes to modifications, which is where specialists like Adrian Flux come in.

However it would be useful if there were some sort of index that car owners could refer to when choosing modifications to their car, so that their performance, styling or audible modification doesn't make their car prohibitively expensive to ensure.

 

Yes, I realise that every vehicle & owner combination is unique, and is thus priced accordingly, but surely there is some sort of rule of thumb.

For example (and I'm making this up): Adding a sports exhaust adds 10% to the premium.

Another made-up example: Remap adds a flat 20% for just doing it, and then an additional 10% (compounded up) for every 5% power increase above the original vehicle power.

 

Are there rules, tables, whatever, or is it "Nah! We sort of make it up as we go along."?

Hi.

t's extremely difficult to give a proper indication of how much modifications effect insurance premiums.

As a general rule if you are dealing with a specialist modified insurance cosmetic modification wouldn't change a premium too drastically whereby performance enhancing ones would generally be higher,

Also don't necessarily thing having lots of modifications massively increases premiums in all instances as "enthusiast" owners generally are looked up favourably by specialist insurers.

Regards,

Dan.

 

Over the years I've had several cars "chip tuned" or fitted larger & wider wheels or fitted sports/custom exhausts or car audio systems - all declared to my insurers and not one increased my premiums or compulsory excess.

12 hours ago, DAN@ADRIAN FLUX said:

Hi.

t's extremely difficult to give a proper indication of how much modifications effect insurance premiums.

As a general rule if you are dealing with a specialist modified insurance cosmetic modification wouldn't change a premium too drastically whereby performance enhancing ones would generally be higher,

Also don't necessarily thing having lots of modifications massively increases premiums in all instances as "enthusiast" owners generally are looked up favourably by specialist insurers.

Regards,

Dan.

 

Thanks Dan.

 

10 hours ago, PetrolDave said:

Over the years I've had several cars "chip tuned" or fitted larger & wider wheels or fitted sports/custom exhausts or car audio systems - all declared to my insurers and not one increased my premiums or compulsory excess.

That's good to hear. I've found it either increases premiums, or more usually you get the "Nah, we don't insure modified vehicles.".

But it's VERY difficult to get a like for like comparison, hence the inability to draw up a table of modification costs.

Obviously there are algorithms to determine risk, but I suppose they are commercially confidential.