Should one declare Mazdaspeed dual-sport exhaust, Eibach lowering springs, Winter allow rims to their insurance broker?

I have heard stories where insurance companies void your insurance if something happens to your car, and they discover you have parts that were not declared (i.e. they'll find every way to not pay you )

 

I have never declared and I have had several aftermarket parts stolen and was reimbursed. The fact is that most OEM parts cost more than the aftermarket parts so you just get the money and buy aftermarket. Now if you have Volks or HRE's something then you should declare.

 

THanks for your opinion, but yout didn't really answer the question.

 

As long as it is declared then it will be fine, but your insurance will go up to cover the cost. When my car was stolen I had to fight like crazy to get money for my aftermarket ****. I had SOME receipts in the car, but it was stolen so how was I to prove it and most stuff I bought didn't. Only thing I told them about was wheels and intake. I didn't want my insurance to go up.

From what I understand you will be covered in an accident, you just won't get your aftermarket costs back, only blue book value of the car if it is written off. They have to pay. If you are worried, then let them know.

 

The issue is that I heard some stories, where insurance companies blamed for example that the guy had a modified exhaust and lowered springs, which made the car not roadworthy and unsafe, and hence the accident was NOT covered at all (because those parts were not reported as well)

 

LOL...that's a crock! As long as you are buying stuff the is approved, then you will have no problems. If your car blows up because of a turbo for example and kills someone, then YES you are fucked!! LOL

If you are worried call your insurance broker and tell them. For what you have on your car I wouldn't bother.

 

Chances are if you let your insurance company know you have aftermarket stuff in your car the harder time they will give you. Very few insurance companies will want to deal with you if you have aftermarket parts installed.

If you are buying MS parts they are considered OEM and the insurance will cover it, Just take pictures etc.

 

I have the receipts for the MS exhaust.

Now about how the Eibachs? They're not OEM, but they're definitely approved to be safe for use on the car.. now what?

 

YES take pictures and keep receipts when you can.

*** it! For the cost to replace them, I wouldn't bother cause I'm sure they will only jack up your price of insurance. If you are in an accident they will NOT use that as an excuse. Again it's up to you and what you feel most comfortable with. I wouldn't bother.

 

Footman... it depends on the nature of the part.

When I got my car my insurance company made me bring my car in to get pictures taken of it. They wouldn't really tell me what it was for when they asked me to go, but in talking with the guy who took the pictures he was saying that it was to ensure that the car hadn't been modified. He also went on to say that a number of insurance companies will not insure heavly modified cars as there's a greater risk that the person will get into an accident (racing or whatever).

That being said any MS part should be covered under insurance as it's a dealer option. Springs also shouldn't matter in this regard as they don't really add more power. The only way I could see an insurance company blaming road safety on springs would be if some ******** decided to cut the spring rather then getting proper ones. In the case of an exhaust, good luck to them for trying to prove that it alters the safety of a car. There are tons of beaters around with custom exhausts for the pure fact that you can't get the original anymore, or it's just too damn expensive and those POS are still insured. Aside from the more agressive rumble it's not doing too much else. As for the winters.. again.. that's something really hard for them not to cover... you got them for the sole purpose of being better prepared for the winter conditions (there by increasing safety). Just take the pics and be done with it.


They're mainly looking for guy's who've completely tweaked the car to a point where all the car doesn't really function as it was originally intended (usually bumping up the HP a fair bit... can you say turbo / supercharger).

In your case I wouldn't even bother reporting any of the changes. If your car gets stolen then just look for a dealership which will swap out the stockers with the MS stuff... you drive an 8... they're going to give you pennies to replace it in any case.

 

Footman,

I know from personal experience, insurance companies freak out when you mod a car "beyond" the "safety" evelope. Meaning anything that changes the original OEM engine, or ride height is when they'll freak out the most.

Ride height seems to be the big issue for any insurance company. This mainly implies to anyone with coilover systems. Just having springs is not enough to cause concern. Unless of course they're not offered by the OEM company. Such as your Eibachs. I'm sure they're the same ones that are offered by mazdaspeed, but because you didn't get them from Mazdaspeed, they might hassle you over it.

I had insurance with Liberty Mutual but it was practically worthless if I ever got into a crash. My car was beyond the allowed modifications. Mainly my coil over system and my bigger turbo. I stayed quiet until I got an insurance broker.
At the time there was only 1 company covering modded cars and that was Pilot.
They required I have the car appraised with a list of all the parts the car has.

I pay a tiny bit more for the convience of being fully insured.

There is one big claus that no insurance company will tolerate. You are not allowed to change any passive safety device the car originally came with. So if you were thinking of changing your steering wheel (which at the time was a big thing to do), they will not cover you if you got into an accident.
Majority of insurance companies won't cover you if you installed a roll cage into the car.

There is alot of fine print to go through, but as long as your car doesn't appear to be a "track-only" vehicle, you'll be alright. You'll have to get it appraised if you want full coverage.

 

Usually if the mods equal to a certain amount (i.e. $1000, depends on the insurance compagny), then you have to declare it or else if something happens to them, you wont be covered.

Obviously at that point they will charge you a bit more.

Belair Direct asked me to go to a garage and take pictures of my car, they have me a month or else they'd cut my coverage.

 

From my experience, every insurance company and every region has their own answers to this question. Honestly, the only way to know for sure, is call an insurance broker and ask.
If you have a good broker and a good relationship with them, you can just call them and ask what you should do. If not, I would just call another insurance company or broker out of the phone book, ask them for a quote, tell them what you have, and ask if it makes any difference.

 

footman, i wonder the same thing. If i install aftermarket performance stuff on my car, i dont expect my insurance to pay for those parts if the car was written off, im worried that should i get in a major accident and they look at the car and notice the suspension isnt stock then they might say, "hold on, you didnt declare these. we dont have to pay out a dime". then you're screwed for life, half your wages paying out the 1million dollar lawsuite for killing someone...its a scary scenario. But the reason for not declaring (at least when you are my age) is that many companies wont insure you if you have a modified car. my friend had bought a civic Si a few years back that was all stock except it was lowered. he got his quote for the insurance, deemed it reasonable and went through with the deal. when they went to finalize the policy and get the car covered, they asked him if it had been modified. he said yes. the company slammed the brakes on and said they wouldnt insure him at all. he spent days calling other companies that in turn gave out very high quotes or wouldnt offer coverage at all. he ended up buying stock springs and putting them back on it. he didnt want to run the risk. Im on the edge. I really want to lower the car a bit and have some nice shocks on it...but is it really worth it? i know i wouldnt be able to afford the insurance if i were to declare any modifications. Footman, if you get a 100% yes no answer to this question from an actual insurance company, please let me know. and i dont suggest calling your own and asking them....they are sneaky little bastards. when i got my 8, i canceled my policy with one company and started a new policy at a different company who had better rates and better coverage. when i called my company to see about the cancelation procedure things got very different. i wasnt treated like a customer anymore. the guy even said "okay, let me just note that you've been looking to cancel the policy" i asked him why and he wouldnt answer. after that they became very belligerant. I couldnt get straight answers out of them. they were putting me on hold for 10-15 mins at a time for simple questions. i had always had good service until that point. so just be careful. I hate insurance companies. it feels like they are picking apart every word you say and charging you for each one.

greg

 

I own a 1987 Ford Mustang 5.0 I have had the car for over 20 years. It is insured with State Farm. The car has a 6 point rollcage, back seat removed, sub frame connectors, lowered springs,shocks, camber plates, Recaro seats etc etc. The car is Black with 2 blood red stripes down the middle. They know all about the mods and the car, never had a issue with it.

 

But Al, we're in our twenties and you're like 870 years old.

 

Ouch! lol

Thief is obviously making a very subtle point. lol

The problem subsides significantly when you're past 25yrs. However, they still kinda hassle you. Especially if your record is not clean. (nudge at Thief and Pros)

Come next season, I might have to speak with my insurance regarding the Miata if I decide to install springs (which I'm heavily leaning towards doing)

 

Subtlety is my middle name.