{"id":4424,"date":"2020-05-26T21:37:24","date_gmt":"2020-05-26T21:37:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carexamer.com\/blog\/?p=4424"},"modified":"2026-02-27T23:58:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T23:58:28","slug":"car-modifications-how-they-affect-insurance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carexamer.com\/blog\/car-modifications-how-they-affect-insurance\/","title":{"rendered":"Car Modifications & How They Affect Insurance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span>Estimated reading time: <\/span>6<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding out how car modifications can affect your car insurance is vital if you want to make sure everything is legal and safe. Whether you have been watching too many films or you spend a lot of time out and about, you\u2019re bound to see some car modifications from time to time. They\u2019re a really popular way of tinkering with your vehicle in what can be a relatively safe way, but a surprising number of common changes people make aren\u2019t particularly safe, legal, or even easy to do, and that can cause a huge number of problems. Even on top of all that, there can be further complications to car modification legalities too, and they often come from insurance policies. It can be really tricky to be able to do what you want in a way that’s safe, so whether you\u2019re looking to do some modifications yourself or
just expanding your knowledge, we have the info you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are Car Modifications?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The best place to start with any explorative topic is by looking at the very definition of what we are going to talk about. What exactly are car modifications? The ones that are accessible to the general public at least\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generally speaking, a car modification is any work that you do to your car that changes it from the stock state it was in as manufactured (minus replacements and repairs etc.) That covers everything from changing the bodywork all the way through to remapping, so it’s a big deal to make sure that you learn about what you\u2019re getting into. It\u2019s also worth noting that this can cover things like lighting and adjustments too, as well as the colour since this is used to identify your vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exhausts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Exhausts are often other first port of call for people\nchanging their car parts as it\u2019s fairly simple, cheap too, and doesn\u2019t really have\nmuch impact on your vehicle in any way aside from the noise that it makes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That in itself can be a big issue with the local authorities<\/a> though if it\u2019s too loud, so try to be considerate to some extent to make sure you\u2019re able to keep any modifications that you make (or face a fine). There\u2019s no real way to test this one though, so it can also be a good idea to think about how you are driving in residential areas and the longevity of your vehicle modifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tints<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Window tins are another cheap and easy way to add some edge to\nyour vehicle, whether it\u2019s for looks or for privacy, but that doesn\u2019t mean that\nthey are legal either. With this one, it all comes down to the specifics of the\ndifferent areas of your vehicle to make sure that it is legal to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legally<\/a>, you can do whatever you like to the rear windscreen and the rear windows of your vehicle. You have free reign here. The front windows and windscreen, however, do have some strict restriction that you can be pulled over for at any time. Your front windshield has to allow 75% of light to pass through it, and the front windows have to allow 70%. This is for safety reasons and you will be forced to take these off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spoilers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the much larger, more expensive and more dramatically obvious insurance impacting car modifications you can make to your bodywork comes from the spoiler set up you create. There are tonnes of spoilers out there that you can fit to just about any car after all (even if you can\u2019t really use them for their intended purpose in everyday life), but even these have some small restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You need to make sure that if a\nspoiler is something that you want to fit, that you can easily see anything you\nneed to. Make sure it doesn\u2019t obstruct your view and that it is fitted safely\nand correctly too. You don’t want this falling off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lights<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Light changes are fairly straightforward\nand really don\u2019t have much leeway at all. Your front lights have the be white, back\nhas to be red, and they can\u2019t be filtered as this will distort their colour and\nthus effectiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decorative lights like neon\nsetups underneath are fine as long as they aren\u2019t a risk to other drivers and\nthe tubing is concealed safely. Flashing lights aren\u2019t allowed though, so be\ncareful with this too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lowering <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another of the more complicated changes that you can make to your modified vehicle is the height of the car, and this effects car insurance too. It\u2019s really popular to lower the suspension of your vehicle to have it much closer to the road (even if incredibly impractical).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although this sounds like common\nsense, lowering your vehicle too much will actually make it dangerous to drive\nover bumps and speedbumps in particular. Although not illegal, it can cause a\nlot of damage and make it harder to justify with your insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remapping<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Remapping, although being a\ncompletely invisible modification, can still get you in hot water if you don\u2019t\ntake the proper precautions when getting things set up. In fact, this is about\nthe only thing you need to know here really.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As long as you have not altered\nthe integrity of the vehicle and you have paid the extra premium charge that increasing\nyour vehicle’s performance will likely incur, you’re all good to go. Just make\nsure you do state it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Respraying<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Because this has no impact on the safety or performance of your vehicle, there\u2019s not much need to do anything about it if you want to change the colour. You do however need to make sure that you change the colour of your vehicle in all necessary places like your logbook\/V5c.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although probably not necessary,\nit\u2019s always a great idea to speak to your insurance company about this one\nanyway as well as anyone else that has anything to do with your car.\nTechnicalities really matter with things like insurance and with cars too, so change\nyour details wherever you need to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Car Modifications and Insurance Premiums<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Almost all modifications that improve the value or performance of your car will result in insurance premiums going up (and a change in insurance group potentially<\/a>). That’s because it usually means that your car is much more likely to have an accident or incur crime such as thefts and break-ins to retrieve the valuables inside it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some, however, do actually have the opposite effect, by\nmaking your car safer and less likely to have incidents. Things like cameras,\nsensors, tow bars, trackers and even advanced alarm systems can all mean that\nyour insurance is much cheaper than it was at stock level. All of these protect\nyou\u2019re your car and make it less likely to need a pay-out from them, so again,\nit does make sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever you do, make sure that you let your insurance\ncompany know, or your policy won’t be valid, and you won’t receive the help you\nneed if something were to happen. If you’re unsure about the modifications of a\nvehicle, make sure you do a comprehensive check or speak to a professional who\ncan tell you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same goes for fitting these modifications in the first place too. Always do any work you need to the highest standard and ensure legality at all times. If in doubt when buying a used car – get a professional\u00a0pre purchase car inspection<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happy driving!<\/p>\n\n\n\n