If I modify my normally aspirated BMW to be turbo- or super-charged....

What will happen to my insurance rates?

Will they even keep me as their insured car?

Will they drop me?

Will they pay a claim if I have accident?

Please tell me everything to consider if I boost my ride.

Thanks.

PS: I have Allstate for 10 years already.

I was looking into the same thing, but i was kinda afraid to ask my insurance company...although if you don't tell then your rates wont go up :) but if you get into an accident then im not sure that you will be covered :( .



Please tell me everything to consider if I boost my ride.


Tires from all the fun your having:D

I'm sure most people on here with modded cars dont even tell the insurance company. I guess if you are really worried about it then you could do an "As Stated" insurance policy and add up all the things on your car and pay your premium off of that number.

fvck yes!

If you want insurance to cover your new FI applications you will need to provide receipts and insurance will increase. This will compensate your losses in case of theft or an accident.


Even if you dont tell your insurance company your rates will increase do to all the tickets you will be getting when mashing on the throttle. :)
However if you are extremely careful then you will be fine.

I have an additional $5k rider on my policy to cover mods in case my car ever gets totaled. I pay like $2/month for the additional coverage. They have a list of mods including supercharger, wheels, suspension, etc... They could care less about the supercharger.

American Family-Standard Policy.

I have an additional $5k rider on my policy to cover mods in case my car ever gets totaled. I pay like $2/month for the additional coverage. They have a list of mods including supercharger, wheels, suspension, etc... They could care less about the supercharger.

American Family-Standard Policy.

curious, what insurance do u have?

If you want to get covered for loss you have to tell them but otherwise don't ask, don't tell

curious, what insurance do u have?

American Family Insurance. I have their Standard Policy. I've been with them for 7 years now.

I'm afraid to tell my insurance. I do keep receipts from everything I've ever done though.

i use dont ask, dont tell (like the Navy) :) . What do they care, as long as my driving record is clean and they get their money

Don't ask don't tell here as well. Although I told them it was a Dinan specialty vehicle up front. They didn't seem to care.

If they won't cover the mods in an accident then the plan is to just buy my current car back from them and buy another M to drive and swap old parts onto.

Very timely topic.

Does anyone know if the insurance company could refuse to pay on a liability claim when the forced induction car/driver was at fault?

Rgds...

i chatted with my allstate folks. they said they can't cover anything that isn't a normally provided by the manufacturer (replacement parts, etc...)

so i called AAA of florida. same deal.

turbo co-worker said state farm was good to deal with for aftermarket parts.

on a whim, i tried progressive online. surprisingly, they have a page just for added value of aftermarket parts (wheels, stereos, etc.). so i called to see if that included engine parts and work. the customer service guy, turned out, was a big m3 fan. anyway, he said yes, the added value portion would include go-fast parts. oh, and they're rates... about the same as allstate.

so then i called allstate. my agent said he had another option. i think it was called haggerty's. they're an underwriter that specialzes in customs, exotics, collectibles, classics and such. they would insure my '99 m3 for about $750 a year (yes, a year!). here's the catches. the car must be garage kept (and they do spot checks), and you are limited to 3500 miles a year (that's less than 300 miles a month - that might be tough).

anyway, those are the options i've uncovered in the last few weeks.

i have been debating telling my insurance co about my mods...

Very timely topic.

Does anyone know if the insurance company could refuse to pay on a liability claim when the forced induction car/driver was at fault?

Rgds...

Everything ok?

i have been debating telling my insurance co about my mods...

My agent said that I can insure all my mods, if I provide the receipts, and than the premium will go up according to what bracket the car ends up falling into.

I use Geico, and they raised me slightly, but only to insure the "added value" i invested in it to get the SC - they did not up my rate in terms added "driving risk" from now having a SC; they just adjusted policy to reflect that its replacement cost is now higher.

But I'm 40 with a squeaky clean record, so your mileage may vary

I have progressive. Everything is covered as a stated value. I have not had to provide receipts.

i use dont ask, dont tell (like the Navy) :) . What do they care, as long as my driving record is clean and they get their money

Werd, I figure that insurance companies will dish out enough to replace OEM parts, which usually cost more than aftermarket stuff.

Werd, I figure that insurance companies will dish out enough to replace OEM parts, which usually cost more than aftermarket stuff.
My aftermarket stuff is more than OEM stuff. ;)

It depends on the insurance company. Some insurance companies will simply increase your rate. Some insurance companies will drop you altogether.

With engine mods, you can try treating it like a high end car stereo. No need to tell your insurance company, but if anything gets stolen, have your receipts ready.

I for sure that Southern California Automobile Association (basically the SoCal counterpart to Northern California AAA) will not cover you if you add an aftermarket turbo/super charger/NOS bottle (mostly the NOS bottle). What's funny is that in SoCal, the adjuster will need to take a picture of the exterior/interior/trunk and engine bay. If the adjuster is not savvy enough to recognize a turbo/supercharger, than you're covered. A NOS bottle is pretty obvious and these agents have all seen Fast & Furious, so I think that's what's freaking them out.

I wouldnt even tell the ins company but hell yes it will

ya same i wouldnt even tell them .. cuz your shit is goin to go through the rough

Very timely topic.

Does anyone know if the insurance company could refuse to pay on a liability claim when the forced induction car/driver was at fault?

Rgds...

As a lawyer who years ago did insurance defense work, my opinion is that the insurance company would have a good argument. You are driving a car with different risks than those the insurance company believed it was insuring, and you knew and did not inform the insurance company. There is almost certainly some fine print somewhere in your policy about this sort of thing.

On the other hand, if the insurance company would not have raised its premiums if it knew, then it can hardly complain. But we don't know what it might have done if it had known and that can be hard, but not impossible to prove, after the fact. It could be that you would simply have to pay the difference in premiums, if any, retroactively. Similarly, if the claim at issue can be proven to have no relationship to the modifications, the insurance company might also be hard pressed to deny coverage. The relationship might be tenuous, though -- an aftermarket body kit arguably could be an invitation for theft, for example.

The approach I might take, were I you, is to ask to insure the additional parts you have put on your car for their cost. It might not be that much, but it puts the insurance company on notice of the modifications, which would make it harder for the company to later claim it did not know, even if it did not contemplate the increased risk from the greater speed potential of the car.

This may open a can of worms, though. The insurance company might not insure any performance modified car. Or it might have you complete all sorts of waivers that limit coverage.

I would probably test the waters first, by calling up the company anonymously and asking about insuring say, a 1992 BMW 750i. Then mention that the previous owner installed some aftermarket stereo parts that you estimate to be worth $1000 based on the receipts he has. Then mention that the previous owner also installed a turbocharger kit that has a value of about $4,000 or whatever based on the receipts he has.

If your company gives you the wrong signals about the prospective car, I would start shopping other insurance companies. My view of insurance is that it is there for major risks. If you get into a big accident that is investigated and your company denies coverage and the injuries on the other side are bad, you should be in serious trouble. It is worth paying extra to have coverage that works.

Philip Bradley

I hate insurance....you pay and pay....and never use it.....

but then...the day you cancel your policy....the next day is when you really need it....

Damn Murphy's law!

I have progressive. Everything is covered as a stated value. I have not had to provide receipts.
I'll be looking into Progressive. How are the rates?

I'll be looking into Progressive. How are the rates?
Very reasonable. It's somewhere around $1000 every 6 months for my M3, my Z32, and my wife's '06 Pathfinder. Our deductible is $249.

I called state farm and they said no problem. But they want reciepts. And I'm not covered if I'm racing.

I did the same thing. I have i insured for $60k while I have something like $66k into it including the car. Hopefully after this legal battle is over with my first builder, it will drop down about $15k :)