What Counts As A Car Modification?
And what to keep in mind when it comes to invalidating car insurance
You’d be surprised how easy it is to find your car insurance invalidated.
There are fairly simple, sometimes superficial changes that you can make that you’d never think to declare.
However, not declaring these changes, and having what is technically a modified car could see any insurance claims thrown out – which could lead to a lengthy appeal to the Financial Ombudsman – which may still not go your way.
So to make sure you aren’t getting caught out, here is a guide covering what constitutes a modification and the impact it can have on your insurance policy.
The need to know
Unfortunately, as one might expect when it comes to getting an insurance claim, the bar for what counts as a car modification is incredibly low.
There are the obvious changes like engine modifications, but things like alloy wheels which increase a car’s value could also count as a modification.
Essentially, any change – no matter how small, even if it’s a superficial interior change, it could invalidate a claim.
Rather than providing a big list of changes that would constitute a claim being thrown out, the best practice would be to assume that any change – right down to the adoption of an air freshener – might invalidate insurance, so to avoid any nasty surprises you should check with the insurers first.
Big and small changes alike
To give you an idea of how superficial and non-performance related invalidating changes can be, consider that switching out your sound system could invalidate you on theft claims.
According to experts at Which? the FOS have upheld claims for a sound system being upgraded – similar to alloy wheels, it makes a car more desirable and likely to be stolen.
If you have proven knowledge of any upgrades of this nature, it is crucial to let your insurer know.
The slippery slope of ill-fitting car mats
Finest Car Mats have warned that there is more skirting of quality assurance practices when it comes to interior upgrades like car mats.
Low-grade car mats are a big one. Bad car mats will easily slip and fray up over time, which can potentially obstruct the pedals.
Colin Boyd, Motoring Expert at Finest Car Mats notes that “You should always invest in good mats. A loose or slipping mat could have some really dangerous consequences”.
For example if you drive a Kia, you should get a specialised Kia car mat that are tailored to your model.
The same goes for other products. Seatbelt clips are one of the most important aspects of safety, and a poorly made alternative can fail in an emergency.
Another common one, particularly as we approach Winter, is fluffy – but poorly-fitted – steering wheel covers.
Like the car mats, you should really be going for something model specific, otherwise they may slide during use.
The list goes on, unfortunately, with these poorly made products all potentially invalidating your insurance.
Remember, if you aren’t sure, ask
If you are making a change, and don’t want to have a claim denied, it’s always worth checking.
Even if you are told that a change does not constitute a ‘modification’ it’s still best to check and have a paper trail for the future should your insurers try to pull a fast one!
