Interesting. So the bottom line is
And what about 3rd party liability coverage? Say you cause $50,000 worth of damage to the property of others (cars, buildings, whatever) as well as writing off your own car. The insurance company send someone to inspect your car for the write off… notes you have an aftermarket exhaust.
Does the company then invalidate your insurance, flag you for misrepresentation and refused the $50k payout for 3rd party damage?
This can’t be that uncommon with all the modded domestics booting around. Isn’t exhaust, intake, tune one of the first things new Mustang owners do?
Exactly. And to answer your previous question, it was a blanket refusal to cover any modified vehicle, no matter what. Didn’t matter which vehicle is was (Honda Civic, S4 Avant or Toyota Echo, etc.) nor what the modification was (exhaust, short shifter, coilovers, 200 hp forced induction). To them, it’s all the same. When I was asking for a quote, I didn’t tell them what the mods were or what kind of car it was, just said “modified car” and they would nearly hang up on me (i.e. “No, we don’t cover modified vehicles, bye. Click”).
So yeah, it sucks…
Good question. I hope never to find out (don’t see myself causing such a massive accident any time soon unless my accelerator gets stuck, my clutch won’t disengage and my brakes fail all at the same time).
I am also intending not to cause a large amount of damage! But shit happens, especially when the ice comes. Losing my car one can accept but being flagged for misrepresentation and not being able to get any insurance again… tricky.
To hell with canada. I just asked my friend’s sister, who is an agent for State Farm, if they insure modified vehicles, and she said yes, but they will not cover the modified parts, which have to be insured separately.
That’s State Farm, one if the biggest insurance companies in the US, and they don’t give any fucks about mods.
Actually, it’s just Ontario. Apparently in BC you can get a modified car insured. Lots of speculation/stories/heresay/conjecture on the same subject:
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=423180
http://www.jdmrides.ca/forum/car-insurance-covers-modified-vehicles-ontarioi-t101846.html
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?57674-modified-car-insurance
There are a few brokers (Lant, Zehr) that will deal with modified cars (Hagerty being the main underwriter).
It is unrealistic to refuse to pay a claim because of an exhaust on the car. It’s one of those things that insurers look at, then evaluate their reputational risk (being labelled a hassler on payouts is a huge kick in the value of your brand’s bollucks)
It’s unrealistic for any mods really unless it’s a car with nitrous and the guy was street racing and the guy had filled out in writing a survey that said his car was not modified and that he would never modify it in the future.
I swear I’m on the verge of taking the K&N filter out of my Jeep right now.
But well within their rights, if what I’m reading here is correct…
lol you made it look like that’s my original post
Aye. You’ve got to put stock into how hard your insurance company can and will fuck you.
My Father was called to the bar in 1970 and has paid by his estimation $150,000-$200,000 in premiums to the bar disability plan since then. In December 2011 he had a hip replacement. The insurance co denied his disability claim because he answered a couple emails on his blackberry from the hospital.
That K&N is coming out of my Jeep.
Last I checked, BC was a single insurer Province (i.e. the insurer being the actual Province). I don’t believe that’s changed. Different set of circumstances. They also pay way less for insurance. Personally, I’ve always found insurance companies way more despicable than banks and banks are already quite despicable.
BC is apparently a nightmare for insurance.
Lol pay less?? How much are you guys paying for insurance? We just have one company, ICBC, and they suck. Noone likes them. I’ve had an outstanding injury claim with them for like 2 years, with a lawyer, and they are still dinking me around. Or maybe my lawyer sucks…
I pay $2000/year and that’s considered to be on lowish side.
That seems good to me, I pay about $3000/yr. I opted for a lot of coverage though.
Are you guys talking for one car?
I pay $2050 / year for 08 RS4 + 09 A4 Avant…2 drivers.
My rates went down about $700/year when I moved out of the city.
LOL. yes just for my a4.
$1250/yr for the B6 S4, fully comp out here in the boonies
$1200/yr for the C4 S4, 3rd party only ($2000 car). Go figure!