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  • Land rover mods and insurance
  • spudgun1
    Full Member

    Im looking at doing a few minor mods to my Defender but am not entirely sure about the insurance implications of such an endeavour.

    Thinking maybe a snorkel, diff guards, underbody protection, front air locking diff and eventually a winch. Not going to go silly as it,s a family car.

    I have seen many super pimped Discos and Defenders bombing around with huge suspension lifts, fat tyres etc and wonder how much more on their premiums they must have to pay, that is if the have informed their insurers at all?

    parkesie
    Free Member

    Best bet would be to ask your insurer. Some mods may not attract a premium where some might.

    I did some mods on my old alfa engine suspension brakes made no difference. If id changed the alloys and bodykit etc they were more interested. Some insurers wouldnt touch it with the engine mods.

    Rockhopper
    Free Member

    You won’t be able to claim for the value of undeclared mods in the event the vehicle gets stolen or written off.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    i assume you seen the case where the guy was jailed recently for a dodgy home repair on his land rover resulting in death . IIRC his trailing arm broke off the axel causing loss of control.

    lift kits and such like put more stress on these areas.

    Id certainly be telling them.

    also lots of this is like bling for land rover -your making it more theftable and if its stolen your insurance wont want to know.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/4323665/Father-Nigel-Gresham-jailed-after-Land-Rover-crash-killed-his-four-children.html

    i do not agree with many of the points – but thats probably more to sensationalism in the reporting than actual court findings but makes you think before you go bolting on bits.

    footflaps
    Full Member

    Check insurance first, they have got a lot tougher on modded cars in the last 10 years, many will no longer touch a modded car (as I found to my cost with my V6 Golf).

    Ceebug
    Free Member

    I work in insurance and deal with a lot of modified land rovers. The type of mods you mention would not usually incur any terms. Anything performance enhancing (ie chips) or anything that will have a significant impact on handling (ie non standard wheels or raised suspension) would incur a premium load.

    Modifications will often not increase the market value (and therefore the amount that would be paid out in the event of a total loss).

    With regards to your final query – anyone who made a claim and was then found to have modified the vehicle and not informed the insurer would probably find their claim rejected.

    Saying all this though, the fact is all insurance companies will likely have different approaches, terms and penalties, so the only way to be sure is to question your insurer.

    Hope this helps.

    freeagent
    Free Member

    i do not agree with many of the points – but thats probably more to sensationalism in the reporting than actual court findings but makes you think before you go bolting on bits.

    Very sad story – but a warning to those ‘armchair expert’ car modifiers out there.. I knew a fair bit about this case (and about him) lets just say i’m not convinced he actually thought he’d done anything wrong…

    Ceebug
    Free Member

    Also, it’s worth saying that any modifications would need to be carried out by qualified engineers (if you are not one yourself)

    alfabus
    Free Member

    While out with his family his vehicle suddenly slewed off a narrow country lane at speed and plunged into the freezing river Willow at Tattershall Bridge, Lincs, killing Willow, two, Angel, four, and Thor, six, and Keavy, eight.

    Sad story, but I’d suggest he needed locking up for more than just his car maintenance skills; Those names are terrible, poor kids!

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