When adding safety features to a car, do you have to declare the add-ons from the manufacturer as “modifications”? For example, safety features like lane assist, blind spot monitoring, assisted braking are optional extras. When I add these as modifications, the cost of my insurance goes up around £90. This seems weird, because I expected it to go down?

But surely if they are factory fitted items, they are not modifications?

You have to declare the spec of the car which may include these features, but I wouldn’t class them as mods. Best to be honest as it may impact on any claim. Also I’d call those features driver aids rather than safety features and I can see why needing/using driver aids may push premiums up.

They’re not mods.

But I do know people that informed insurance about fitting winter tyres on to steel rims rather than the standard flash alloys, and also got an increased premium, presumably since their computer can’t cope with modifications that reduce desirability, and increase safety.

I always get asked by directline to declare factory fitted options.

These are over and above a ‘standard’ build and increase the value of the car, cost more to repair and make the car more desirable to theives.

But they are standard options to the car. Our question set is’any non-standard mods’ ie not designed/fitted by the manufacturer.

I’d not declare factory options to the insurer. Yes they increase the value of the car but, you’ll tell the insurer the total value wont you?

I thought maybe it was some sort of risk compensation factor added on.

Not sure how a thief knows I’ve got blind spot monitoring or assisted braking though. Maybe if I had some spinning rims 😀 …

But I do know people that informed insurance about fitting winter tyres on to steel rims rather than the standard flash alloys, and also got an increased premium, presumably since their computer can’t cope with modifications that reduce desirability, and increase safety.

I think the problem is people seeking insurance themselves describing something as a ‘modification’. Modifying something is altering it beyond its original specification. If i flick through the manual for my car/van there are a range of wheel and tyre variations including different rim size and tyre profile and including winter tyres all of which are within the the design and spec for the vehicle. So if I change rims and tyres it came with for another set that within that spec for the vehicle then I haven’t ‘modified’ it – its still within the manufacturers specification.

Its not ‘the computer’ failing to cope – the question is ‘has the car been modified’ and people have answered ‘yes’ when in fact the answer is ‘no’

So if I change rims

Unless factory supplied, thats a mod not an option

It’s strange they have the safety features as specific modifications.

How do they know the car has them in order to account for them.

@maccruiskeen I was thinking along the same lines. Anything that’s a “mod” bumps your insurance. Regardless of whether it’s a massive engine fitted in your garage, or a time machine that automatically stops you ever having an accident. The two are not the same at all in terms of risk, but the only difference seems to be by how much it gets put up by!

Anyway. You never see Mods on Cars. So it is a silly question. Mods are always on scooters except for Drac and Cougar who ride fine, gleaming white stallions.

Going to the other extreme, I had an MX-5 which I supercharged myself with a USA sourced kit. 130bhp became 180bhp.

As long as the value of the mod was less than £2000 they were happy!

I have a s/h car which has loads of “toys” on it. I have no idea which are “optional” extras and which are standard, so how can I declare them?

I thought Nationwide (who go through LV) recently said winter tyres are accepted at no extra cost.

Winter tyres / wheels

https://www.abi.org.uk/Insurance-and-savings/Products/Motor-insurance/Winter-tyres including linky to those who do and don’t charge.

Think the issue with swapping to winter tyres and being classified as mods (at least for those that I know that had an issue) was more to do with steel rims as replacement for alloys rather than different spec tyres. And any mod must surely be a positive cost.

PS my winter tyres are on the original alloys.

gobuchul – Member
I have a s/h car which has loads of “toys” on it. I have no idea which are “optional” extras and which are standard, so how can I declare them?

It’s your responsibility to work out what’s on your car and declare it. If you don’t, then don’t be surprised if your insurance is void in the event of a claim.

It’s your responsibility to work out what’s on your car and declare it. If you don’t, then don’t be surprised if your insurance is void in the event of a claim.

Isn’t there something about it being material to the claim.

So if I don’t declare a new stereo, and then the stereo gets nicked, I’m in trouble. But if I don’t declare that I’ve fitted a roof rack (go on, who’s done that?) and then someone bumps into me in a queue, then the mod has made no difference to the claim so they can’t refuse to pay out.

Isn’t there something about it being material to the claim.

Thats how I understood it. Its rare that insurance is completely void but it may impact the amount paid out if the false declaration is related to the claim.

Isn’t there something about it being material to the claim.

So if I don’t declare a new stereo, and then the stereo gets nicked, I’m in trouble. But if I don’t declare that I’ve fitted a roof rack (go on, who’s done that?) and then someone bumps into me in a queue, then the mod has made no difference to the claim so they can’t refuse to pay out.

Something like that – it’s a while since I worked in insurance.

Being ignorant of the fact that your car has had its BHP boosted by 50% may be more relevant than not knowing if your little roof spoiler was standard or not.

When I worked in sales it was barely believable how many bog standard Mercs were on the road. 😆

Thats how I understood it. Its rare that insurance is completely void but it may impact the amount paid out if the false declaration is related to the claim.

Yeah – I said ‘void’ simply for brevity but you’re right. Of course, if you’re lying about mods and optional extras to keep the cost of your insurance down then you’re probably lying about other things as well. (You said 5000 miles per year and really do 20000? Car garaged every night when the garage is actually a junk room? Forgot to declare the two SP30s? It all adds up and there tends to be a point when the company will void it. Probably when they realise that Mum’s Renault Clio is actually a heavily modded 17 year old boy’s daily drive? 😆 )

Is disappointed

Partner website

It all adds up and there tends to be a point when the company will void it. Probably when they realise that Mum’s Renault Clio is actually a heavily modded 17 year old boy’s daily drive?

Oh yeah, absolutely. But failing to declare that your car has the optional full size spare wheel or heated wing mirros isn’t going to let the insurance co ignore your claim for a bumper scrape in a car park.

The insurance company can normally ask the manufacturer what the spec of the car was as it came out the factory including optional extras, i’ve never had an insurance company ask that question and it would be impossible to know what was standard and what was an extra past the first owner who specced the car.

I had a discussion with Direct Line about the heated windscreen fitted to my car, specifically regarding what happens if/when I use their replacement service with a crack or chip. After a bit of faffing ( speaking to supervisor etc.) I was told as they did not have that as an option on the modification screen and it was a factory fit option they wouldn’t either load the premium or charge more than the £75 windscreen excess in the event of a claim. I did ask for that to be put in my notes.