Modifying Your Car May Increase Your Premium

Posted on May 18, 2015 by WebTeam

Research carried out by MoneySupermarket.com has revealed that by adding certain optional extras to your car may result in a significant increase in your car insurance premiums.

By having certain modifications carried out to your car you could see your car insurance premiums rise

Your car insurance premium may increase as a result of having certain modifications carried out to your car

For instance, there are some drivers that would love to have their car have that little bit extra power when they are motoring along. However, you should be aware that by turbocharging your car you could see your premium rise by almost as much again. We are sure that you will agree that this is a significant increase.

So, by having such an optional extra fitted, it may not only increase the cost of your insurance but you will also have to pay for the parts and labour to have your car turbocharged and you may end up paying more for fuel if the modification results in you getting fewer miles to the gallon.

If you had the gearbox modified, you may find that your premium rises by almost a half again – no small sum. Some motorists have modifications made to the bodywork such as having wheel arches, flared wings and bulges to the car bonnet fitted but these could result in your premium rising by over 40%. Remove some seats, fit a roll cage and roll bars and your premium may go up by over 30%. Even by having a satellite navigation system fitted could see you paying an extra 14% per annum for your car insurance.

There are possibly quite a few motorists that have modifications carried out to their vehicles and do not think to notify their insurance company of the changes. If they were to subsequently have an accident in the car they may find that the insurance company refuse to meet their claim.

There are of course other modifications that can see premiums reduce such as by having an alarm system or parking sensors fitted.

So, if you are considering modifying your car, speak with your insurer to find out if there would be any impact on your premium and if you do decide to have the work done let them know immediately so that the premium can be adjusted to reflect the modifications.