Cheeky 'Morally Grey' Insurance Question...

Amraam

Amraam

Amraam

Soldato
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Just curious, but say you buy a used car that has an engine remap. Curious to know how many declare it, and how many don't? What's to say you simply didn't know.

On the flip side - you genuinely buy a used car with an engine mod, you have a bump and they find out even if the owner knows nothing of it. Would you be covered?
 
Things changed a bit recently whereby insurance companies can no longer void you in a claim situation for things that could have been a genuine oversight.

If however they can get the slightest incling that you knew fine well there was a modification and didn't declare it you'd be in hot water.

I've never had the likes of a remap add more than about £50 onto a policy anyway
 
rodenal said:
Things changed a bit recently whereby insurance companies can no longer void you in a claim situation for things that could have been a genuine oversight.

If however they can get the slightest incling that you knew fine well there was a modification and didn't declare it you'd be in hot water.

I've never had the likes of a remap add more than about £50 onto a policy anyway
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In the past admiral have been arses. I had a RARB on VXR and they refused to insure it due to it being a "performance mod". I just chose not to declare it in the end, and left it on the car when I sold it... :D

Who do you insure with if I may ask?
 
...Admiral (lol), a multi car policy

The FN2 doesn't have any modifications but i've honestly had no problem with them accepting mods in the past, half the time I suspect it depends on specifically who you speak to on the phone
 
rodenal said:
...Admiral (lol), a multi car policy
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Ironically, they were the best (by far) on the VXR bar one other company and I can't even remember who they were. I was paying £420 at 27 with 5 year's NCB, which isn't too bad really. Quotes for an octavia ar at £330 ish, but start adding any performance mod and it more than doubles. It's crazy...

This is using comparethemarket btw.

rodenal said:
The FN2 doesn't have any modifications but i've honestly had no problem with them accepting mods in the past, half the time I suspect it depends on specifically who you speak to on the phone
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I spent a good 40 mins trying to explain to them that RARB =/= roll cage...
 
I declared the modifications on my car because they're pretty obvious to notice. But yeah I can see the "second-owner" problem.
Also apparently you're meant to declare things that were optional extras to the standard specification. But as the second/third/fourth/etc owner, how do you really know that leather seats and a different style of alloys were options chosen by the original new buyer?
 
Amraam said:
I spent a good 40 mins trying to explain to them that RARB =/= roll cage...
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Is that a stupid acronym made up by an owners club?

I've never heard of it before, and if I was guessing I'd have said rear anti roll bar....

If it is a roll cage, then I'm not surprised they wouldn't insure you.
 
I probably wouldn't bother declaring it. Either way, don't do what my dad did when he had his Forester, and declare the remap but not the custom stainless steel exhaust system because he didn't think it was a proper modification. :rolleyes:
 
I found that going with a good performance car insurer like Greenlight or Sky, with mods declared was cheaper than the comparison site returns with mods not declared.

I actually told my insurer that my car was mapped when it wasn't because it was cheaper (As i intended to get it done anyway)
 
Berger said:
Is that a stupid acronym made up by an owners club?

I've never heard of it before, and if I was guessing I'd have said rear anti roll bar....

If it is a roll cage, then I'm not surprised they wouldn't insure you.
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RARB = Rear Anti Roll Bar. It stiffens the back suspension (similarly to a strut brace). So no, nothing like a roll cage :D
 
Berger said:
Is that a stupid acronym made up by an owners club?

I've never heard of it before, and if I was guessing I'd have said rear anti roll bar....

If it is a roll cage, then I'm not surprised they wouldn't insure you.
Click to expand...

nope itsa the actual acronym for what you guessed :p

A few specialist p[laces I was looking at getting quote from stated that if I did remap the policy increase would be linked to the %performance increase.
 
Westyfield2 said:
I declared the modifications on my car because they're pretty obvious to notice. But yeah I can see the "second-owner" problem.
Also apparently you're meant to declare things that were optional extras to the standard specification. But as the second/third/fourth/etc owner, how do you really know that leather seats and a different style of alloys were options chosen by the original new buyer?
Click to expand...

This! I have no idea whats optional extra on some of the cars Ive had and I would consider myself "A car type person", ask my mum what optional extras she has and she probably say well Ive got a Tom Tom attached to windscreeen!
 
My mate had a 106 Quicksilver that he put a GTI lump in, thought he was so clever insuring it as the 1.4. Just false economy imo, if/when the ****hits the fan you will be in trouble.

I know a remap isn't an obvious modification like an engine swap, but if you are aware of it, it is probably best to let the insurer know and avoid any potential nightmares if the worse happens.
 
Imo if its an optional extra and thats how it left the factory then its standard, but i dont know how people are supposed to know what is and isnt standard on a car that had numerous owners.
 
Your insurance won't be void by not declaring mods. You will still be covered in an accident, but the insurer may then come after you to recoup the costs back. I assume they would need grounds that the undeclared modifications contributed to the accident though?
 
The insurance company chasing you for costs is exactly what voiding the policy is. They are obliged to pay out for third party costs but effectively the policy is not valid.

Similar to a drunk driver being involved in a crash, they may decide to come after you for all costs, though I would imagine you'd have to be pretty blatantly deceiving them for this to happen in an undeclared modification scenario
 
How would they actually discover if the car has a remap? Say you have a bump, and the fault is on the owner of a modified car - how would they find out it's remapped?
 
The reality is that they are extremely unlikely to even look - but if they wanted to and the car was in a fit state all they need to do is check either the flash counter on the ecu or the software version with the manufacturer.

I'd imagine you'd have to be either in a very high profile, contentious accident or have the car littered in other obvious undeclared modifications for them to look....but given the likely small to no cost increase why bother?
 
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