Polestar engine remap on V70 - what insurance companies?

[GrantA]

Originally Posted by Absolutevolvo

I would be very careful making recommendations like this on a public forum. Failing to inform an insurer of a modification is a serious matter and could lead to criminal prosecution. Inciting people to commit a crime is also a crime.

Personally I would not be so sure that a loss adjuster will not check a whether a car has been tuned as it is quite common these days and very easy to check. They are paid to minimise pay outs by insurers. That would be a very expensive position to be in, no pay out for a wrecked car, difficult to get further insurance and possibly a criminal conviction.

Of course it is illegal to make such recommendations but how many people on this Forum (and other Forums) have also recommended changing from 18" wheels to 16" for more comfort or the other way round. Perhaps one should change the brake pads from "everyday street pads" to "track day harder pads" if you drive fast all the time. The point I am making is that many people innocently change the spec of their vehicle without any thought for the implications to their insurance policy. If insurance assessors are hell bent on finding fault with a vehicle following an accident then they probably will find something if they take into account tyre sizes, lowered suspension, tinted windows, upgraded brakes etc - anything that was not original equipment and could be a factor in why the vehicle was in an accident in the first place even if the item was an improvement on original equipment.

It would be a very boring world if we all drove round in bog-standard vehicles that were just as they came off the production line. Also it is human nature to take a try and buck the system now and again even it is only fitting LED lights where the original were candescent lights.

[Absolutevolvo]

GrantA dont disagree its boring but a lot of law is. Not declaring modifications gives insurers a perfect way of disallowing claims I have seen it happen. Insurance law is very much heads they win tails the customer loses. Why give them a head start?

[Crockers]

Firstly it isn't ILLEGAL to fail to notify your insurance company. If it is can anyone point me to the statute on this.
Secondly it WILL invalidate your insurance on all bar road traffic act coverage.
Thirdly insurance companies will and do check the ECU on major claims.
If they invalidate your coverage they will pay out on 3rd party personal injury claims and maybe property BUT they will come after you for this. Is it really worth losing your home for this or just pay the extra £50 or so.

Oh and making suggestions on a forum like this isn't illegal either unless it is to incite terrorism or public disorder.

All IMHO of course

[pcp1234]

when i have rang Admiral, they told me its extra £45 to insurance so not that bad.

[Ninja59]

Originally Posted by Crockers

Firstly it isn't ILLEGAL to fail to notify your insurance company. If it is can anyone point me to the statute on this.
Secondly it WILL invalidate your insurance on all bar road traffic act coverage.
Thirdly insurance companies will and do check the ECU on major claims.
If they invalidate your coverage they will pay out on 3rd party personal injury claims and maybe property BUT they will come after you for this. Is it really worth losing your home for this or just pay the extra £50 or so.

Oh and making suggestions on a forum like this isn't illegal either unless it is to incite terrorism or public disorder.

All IMHO of course

not illegal in a sense to not notify your insurer true - directly, as it is a contract between you and them.

Failure to notify can be however be illegal though if you actually look differently,

Yes if involved in an accident they may void your policy and refuse the claim, which if there is a 3rd party they legally have to pay out BUT you get footed with the bill.

There is a bit following this though and is my BUT, your involved with a third party and they void your insurance means you did not have VALID insurance cover and leaves you open to failing to have insurance....which is an offence.

The other way to look at this is Fraud and misrepresentation as you would be being dishonest in regard to the information provided to your insurer, in so doing you have made a gain of the insurance and leave yourself open to criminal prosecution for fraud.

So both of you are correct really.

[Ninja59]

Originally Posted by GrantA

Of course it is illegal to make such recommendations but how many people on this Forum (and other Forums) have also recommended changing from 18" wheels to 16" for more comfort or the other way round. Perhaps one should change the brake pads from "everyday street pads" to "track day harder pads" if you drive fast all the time. The point I am making is that many people innocently change the spec of their vehicle without any thought for the implications to their insurance policy. If insurance assessors are hell bent on finding fault with a vehicle following an accident then they probably will find something if they take into account tyre sizes, lowered suspension, tinted windows, upgraded brakes etc - anything that was not original equipment and could be a factor in why the vehicle was in an accident in the first place even if the item was an improvement on original equipment.

It would be a very boring world if we all drove round in bog-standard vehicles that were just as they came off the production line. Also it is human nature to take a try and buck the system now and again even it is only fitting LED lights where the original were candescent lights.

There is an assumption that you know the right and honorable thing to do if you make a "modification" or think that it might be a modification the thing to do is contact them BEFORE making any changes saves lots of hassle.

As for innocently making a change there is no such thing. If an item comes of and is replaced with OEM or OEM specification then it is not a modification before anyone mentions changing tyre brands so long as it came off 205/50 R17 93W and was replaced with 205/50 R17 93W it is exactly the same.

Human nature to try and buck the system, and if something happens and you get ratted out you loose your insurance ha!

End of the day it all depends on your insurer as i have said numerous times some are more mod friendly than others it all depends if they are a mainstream dealing with many people that simply use a car to get from a to b or a specialist that is used to modded cars.

[Gissur]

Why are insurance companies so strict in the uk?

I can do what ever I want to my car and my insurance stays the same.

[Ninja59]

Originally Posted by Gissur

Why are insurance companies so strict in the uk?

I can do what ever I want to my car and my insurance stays the same.

It depends what your insuring and how the rules work. Some insure the person or car in the sense they don't take account of person either/or vehicle.

Over here both are taken into account. So changes t the vehicle means changes to the consideration for variation of the contract of insurance something a modification would be.

[Gissur]

Originally Posted by Ninja59

It depends what your insuring and how the rules work. Some insure the person or car in the sense they don't take account of person either/or vehicle.

Over here both are taken into account. So changes t the vehicle means changes to the consideration for variation of the contract of insurance something a modification would be.

Both person and vehicle are insured by my insurance company (Sjóvá).

A friend of mine put a 4.2l audi q7 engine in a vw bora and his insurance stayed the same, my dad modified a landcruiser and put 38inch tyres on it and his insurance stayed the same.

[GrantA]

Originally Posted by Ninja59

There is an assumption that you know the right and honorable thing to do if you make a "modification" or think that it might be a modification the thing to do is contact them BEFORE making any changes saves lots of hassle.

As for innocently making a change there is no such thing. If an item comes of and is replaced with OEM or OEM specification then it is not a modification before anyone mentions changing tyre brands so long as it came off 205/50 R17 93W and was replaced with 205/50 R17 93W it is exactly the same.

Human nature to try and buck the system, and if something happens and you get ratted out you loose your insurance ha!

End of the day it all depends on your insurer as i have said numerous times some are more mod friendly than others it all depends if they are a mainstream dealing with many people that simply use a car to get from a to b or a specialist that is used to modded cars.

Okay lets take this one step further, in UK you see a lot of boy racers with "mod'd" cars (all fitted innocently or rather in ignorance ), lowered suspension, body kits, LED lights on the dash and under the car, wide wheels (different from the OEM), blacked out windows (and I mean blacked out not tinted). Do you think for one minute these youngsters go running to their insurance companies to say "I'd like to fit tinted windows" or "I want to ditch the original wheels and fit BSR 19" wheels to my Corsa but you can't tell it's a Corsa 'cause I've taken off all the decals but I do have green LED lights in the front grill". I very much doubt it. They will gaily (sic) drive around until they hit someone - then what happens? They will most likely only be insurance TPFT, if they are insured at all, but will their insurance pay out for the other vehicle? Hopefully, because it is most likely none of the mods could be called "performance mods" but at what point does the insurance company decide that a particular mod is okay? Is it a colour change to the car body, wheels, spoilers (front or rear), ECU remap, tinted windows, different wipers, fatter/lower/wider/thinner tyres, custom steering wheel, Recaro or similar seats, 4 point harness, roll cage, etc the list is endless. I would like to see a comprehensive list of "mods" that would nulify an insurance policy if the insurer was not informed prior to the mod being carried out or an increase to the annual cost if you asked first.

Or is the answer simply to write the insurance company first, before you fit the mod, you wouldn't want to just phone them as they could later deny the conversation took place. Would the insurance company actually reply? Has anyone actually done this, write to the insurance company, and what was the response? I would like to remap my XC70 and not say a word to anyone but I am now thinking should I???