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From stickers to spoilers, if your car has had any modifications that affect either its performance or its appearance, it’s important you let your insurer know about them. This will ensure that you’ve got the right amount of cover, should you need to make a claim.
Get the lowdown on how to buy insurance for modified cars, as well as what modifications affect car insurance with our comprehensive guide.
Modified car insurance is the same as regular car insurance; it just means your insurance provider has taken into account any modifications that have been made to your car.
Insurers will consider any changes that have been made to the look or performance of your car as a modification. This can range from something as simple as fitting parking sensors to more substantial alterations, such as bigger wheels, spoilers, or exhaust upgrades.
If you are in any doubt as to whether something will be considered as a modification, it’s always worth checking with your provider, even if it’s only for something minor like a roof rack.
If your insurer doesn’t know about any modifications to your car, and finds out about them in the event of a claim, your insurance may not be valid and your claim might not be paid.
Most car insurance companies offer insurance for modified cars. However, there are also specialist modified car insurance companies that may suit higher-spec performance cars with more modifications.
When you tell your insurer about modifications that have been made to your car, they will need to consider whether the changes will affect the risk posed by your car.
Insurance companies normally assess the risk of a car by checking what insurance group it falls into. Groups are numbered one to 50, with group one being the cheapest to insure and 50 the most expensive. Once a car has been modified – and is therefore no longer a factory model – this rating is invalidated, with insurers arguing they cannot vouch for the quality of the work or know whether it has had a negative impact on the car.
Before they can give you an accurate modified car insurance quote, insurers will need to consider the following:
This means that most modifications will increase the cost of your car insurance. However, there are some that shouldn’t have any impact on cost and a handful that could actually reduce the cost of your insurance.
You might also be asked to supply photos of your car’s modifications.
It’s important to note, however, that exactly how modifications are perceived and the impact they will have on your premiums will vary between different car insurers.
Modifications that can make car insurance more expensive | Modifications that can make car insurance cheaper | Modifications that shouldn’t affect your car insurance |
---|---|---|
Custom paintwork or other changes to the car’s exterior – including “go-faster stripes”, decals and sometimes even stickers | Engine downsizing | Correctly fitted tow bars |
Custom LED headlights or under-car neon lights | Brake upgrades | Correctly fitted roof racks |
Short-shift kits | Immobilisers | Tinted windows, so long as they are legal |
Replacement or reupholstered seats | Alarms | Personalised number plates |
Engine upgrades – such as engine control unit remapping or cold air intake | Speed limiters | Water cooling systems for your brakes |
Exhaust upgrades | Parking sensors | Sounds systems – unless they cost a fortune |
Lowered suspension | Dash cams | Dashboard upgrades |
Spoilers and valances | Catalytic converter cages | Custom or novelty gear knobs |
Roll bars | Novelty hubcaps | |
Alloy wheels or bigger wheels | ||
Adding a sunroof | ||
Wheelchair ramps |
When you buy comprehensive car insurance for a modified car, you will have the same level of cover as you would when you insure an unchanged car. It just means that the risks posed by the modifications to your car are factored into the price.
Comprehensive car insurance for modified cars will cover:
Some policies may also include additional windscreen cover, breakdown cover, motor legal protection and courtesy cars. However, if they are not included as standard, you can normally pay extra to add them on.
What is not covered by modified car insurance:
Your policy will only cover modifications that are legal. This means you won’t get cover for:
You will also not be covered for modifications that you haven’t declared to your car insurer, whether they are legal or not.