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Insurance & Modifications - however small !
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NJSS
 


Member Since: 06 May 2009
Location: Catherington, Hampshire.
Posts: 10843

United Kingdom 2016 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 Landmark LE Auto Waitomo GreyDiscovery 4
Insurance & Modifications - however small !

I have two heavily modified cars, an MGB GT V8 and an MGA Convertible. My insurers have been advised in writing of the modifications & I pay an increased premium as a result.

I have minor mods to my Disco 4 & SL350, which have been declared & have not resulted in any adjustment of premium; things like non-standard wheels etc..

I have read a number of posts, on various forums, by people who have modified their cars, and have not notified their insurers.

I don’t want to preach, but am concerned that a number of people might be inadvertently generating big problems for themselves.

My advice, quite simply declare every modification, in writing, before doing them.

If you have undeclared mods on your car, declare them NOW!

Some quotes below:-

“UK law specifies that if your car has been modified, you must declare the changes to your insurer, even if you didn’t make the changes yourself. If you don’t, your insurance could be invalidated.”

Source: https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/blog/2022/06/...insurance/

“If you don’t tell us about any modifications, your policy will be declared void and any claims that you may have made will not be paid out. So, you must let us know before you get any modifications done.”

Source: https://www.axa.co.uk/car-insurance/tips-a...insurance/

“You have a legal requirement to declare your modified car to your insurance provider in the UK.”

Source: https://goshorty.co.uk/blog/what-modificat...insurance/

Good luck!

NJSS
  
Post #23447139th Aug 2023 1:54 pm
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LT
 


Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23866

United Kingdom 2016 Discovery 4 3.0 TDV6 Landmark LE Auto Santorini BlackDiscovery 4

Good advice. Thumbs Up
 2006 D3 HSE (Original & still the best)-GONE
2010 D4 HSE (A bit bling)-GONE
2014 D4 HSE (Almost too bling)-GONE
2015 D4 HSE (A heated what?)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Written Off)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Surely the last!) PD1881 rims-GONE
2017 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography (now semi-retired) 
 
Post #23447159th Aug 2023 2:04 pm
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nigethecat
 


Member Since: 11 Sep 2016
Location: Marnoch
Posts: 4252

Ukraine 2016 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 Commercial XS Auto Corris GreyDiscovery 4

I make the point when buying a new car of stating "as I did not buy the vehicle new I do not know if the vehicle was modified before my purchase however the vehicle has not been modified to my knowledge" as I have no idea what the previous owner may have done nor do I have the exact specification it left the factory with... it always seems like an excuse for insurance companies to drop claims whenever they feel like it.

There was case law a while ago stating that insurance companies cannot drop claims if the modification had no bearing on the accident or claim..
 I want to see the sweets before I get into your windowless van... I'm not stupid!

Corris Grey D4 Commercial SE 2016
Zermatt Sliver 2007 D3 SE manual (gone)
Indus Silver D4 HSE 2015 (gone)
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Post #23447169th Aug 2023 2:07 pm
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nigethecat
 


Member Since: 11 Sep 2016
Location: Marnoch
Posts: 4252

Ukraine 2016 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 Commercial XS Auto Corris GreyDiscovery 4

Interesting reading

https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/blog/2022/06/...insurance/
 I want to see the sweets before I get into your windowless van... I'm not stupid!

Corris Grey D4 Commercial SE 2016
Zermatt Sliver 2007 D3 SE manual (gone)
Indus Silver D4 HSE 2015 (gone)
Bonatti Grey D3 HSE 2006 (gone)
White D3 S (LHD) 2007 (gone)
Firenze Red D4 HSE 2014 (gone)
Black RRS 3.6TDV8 2008 (gone)
Rusty Green Defender 110 1997 (gone)
Black FL2 HSE 2013 (gone) 
 
Post #23447179th Aug 2023 2:14 pm
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Oxford-boy
 


Member Since: 07 Sep 2015
Location: Oxford
Posts: 1122

United Kingdom 2014 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 XXV LE Auto Causeway GreyDiscovery 4

Sound advice indeed.

On another (Audi) forum I am on Insurers have been known to search and indeed find a user's profile during the process of a claim they had made. Read into that what you will.

Although I admire the work that many do the retrofit of adaptive cruise control always seems to me to be a push too far. I'd love to have it and every time I read of a user on here fitting it I always ask about insurance. I've yet to see a positive response to that.

I've declared a long list of mods to my current insurer, NFU. My last insurer, Direct Line used to make a fuss about me fitting winter tyres. I wanted to and did, they wanted to charge for that. Madness...

In the end a forum user on here helped with some definitive MIB guidance that somehow Direct Line seemed to be unaware of...
 Jim

2014 Discovery 4 XXV SDV6 Causeway Grey
2016 Discovery 4 HSE Lux SDV6 Loire Blue - now gone 
 
Post #23447239th Aug 2023 2:49 pm
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Disco_Mikey
 


Member Since: 29 May 2007
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Posts: 20854

Scotland 2005 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE Auto Cairns BlueDiscovery 3

My old Skoda was purchased at 3 years old, from a main dealer

I owned it for 4 years before taking it for a remap

It was at that point I found out it had already been remapped

Would have made for an interesting conversation had it been a problem with insurance
 My D3 Build Thread

TDV8 Retrofit Build Thread 
 
Post #23447349th Aug 2023 5:04 pm
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Kummu24
 


Member Since: 16 Feb 2013
Location: Ayrshire
Posts: 384

Scotland 2015 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Auto Corris GreyDiscovery 4

Totally agree on the declare everything thing.

I hit a deer last month and my insurer is looking like they wont pay to restore the Dealer applied Gard-X paint protection on the replaced panels. Apparently I should have declared as a ‘mod’ something that amounts to not much more than a ‘right good polish’ prior to it being delivered new to me.

Have had similar issues with winter tyres and indeed the alloys they are mounted on. Thankfully over the last few years they have given up on both as long as the alloys are OEM LR and in a size specified for that vehicle

You’d think both these ‘mods’ would be seen as evidence of a driver who intends not to damage his car
 Corris Grey SDV6 D4 2015 HSE
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Grey Freelander 1 TD4 SE 2001 (Gone) 
 
Post #23447489th Aug 2023 7:21 pm
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epninety
 


Member Since: 12 Oct 2012
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 329

Wales 2005 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE Auto Java BlackDiscovery 3

Since there's no obvious way to spot something like chipping the ecu, if the fact has been hidden, then the insurance company would stuggle to void your insurance on that basis I think. (I mean, if it was done before your ownership. I know of at least one dealership that used to chip their demonstrator cars, for obvious reasons.)

There was a statement on the website of the financial ombudsman that gave some guidance on such things at one time, but I couldn't find it just now. This link sets some context though I think (though in this case the owner was clearly extracting urine) https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/decision/DRN9804307.pdf

Admiral once wrote to me, because I'd asked for an online quote for my D3 with upgraded brakes. Basically the letter said either send us £30 or sign this declaration that the brakes are standard. As it happened the brakes were still standard at that point, but I sent them £30 anyway and fitted V8 brakes all round a few weeks later. A few weeks before that, they had sent £30 to me, as they said I had one more years no-claims than I had declared, so it seemed a fair swap.

I have had one insurance company refuse to change a policy that insisted my standard 1978 Range Rover was a diesel, and another that my winch was in fact a wheelchair winch!

NFU asked me if my Ibex was modified, and demanded an engineers report when I did modify it. There are probably not two identical Ibex in existence, and when I asked precisely what they wanted in the engineers report for an engine swap, they had no idea. In the end they accepted a fresh MoT, with a signed statement from the tester that the engine swap appeared correct, written across the garages headed invoice.
  
Post #23447549th Aug 2023 8:34 pm
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SteveKK
 


Member Since: 11 Apr 2019
Location: North Herefordshire
Posts: 292

Ukraine 2010 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Auto Buckingham BlueDiscovery 4

When insuring my kit car I get asked if there are any modifications. My reply is always "give me the standard specification and I will list the modifications." In reality it is best to write out the full specification and ensure that they have a copy. I am sure insurers would deny receiving that detail, but it would be a starting point for any claim.

Regards,
Steve
  
Post #234477610th Aug 2023 7:43 am
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