How will Modifications Affect My Car Insurance?

4 February 2021

If you’re fond of your car and have spent time and money modifying it then you should be aware of how this can impact your insurance cover.

The modification could be anything from a paint wrap, or new imported wheel rims, or changes to the engine and mechanics of the car. A car modification includes any changes that you made to your car since the original condition that was sold by the manufacturer. The word modification also includes those optional extras offered by your car dealer.

When we quote an insurance premium there are many rating aspects we consider but two of the key factors are:

Risk of theft: Modifications such as performance modifications increases the chance that your car is broken into or stolen.

Risk of an accident: Modifications concerning the look and performance of your car, as a higher accident risk. These modifications include engine changes, spoilers, body-kits, sports seats, etc.

Road accidents are engaged in over-taking, higher in speed, and other accident-prone activities. Thus, adding supercharger or turbo can increase the likelihood of an accident. Changing the critical parts need assessment by the insurance company as the overall control lies in the brakes. If you are upgrading brakes and suspension of your car the handling on the road will change.

Paintwork is another modification which is popular on classic vehicles. Getting your car’s paint changed can drastically change the look of your car, especially if adding complex racing designs and eye-catching patterns vehicles (angel wings or flames painted down the side!). This might seem one of the most harmless modifications that you do to your car but can be one of the most expensive to reinstate after an accident.

As a policyholder the client must disclose all the modifications that they make to the car. This will help us to analyse and modify the insurance terms accordingly and avoid any surprises at claim time.