Auto Insurance and Custom Cars
Custom cars seem to be all the rage these days and with the many after market add-ons that are available, “pimping your ride” is becoming more common than ever. Many of today’s drivers want their cars to make a statement about their personal style and to stand out from the many other drivers who have the same make and model. Oversized wheels, chrome rims and grills, customized paint jobs, spinners, pipes, flat screens, monitors, decked out stereo systems, ground effects and even hydraulics can be found on cars owned by folks who want their car to be “special”.
But before you go out to LA and have a group of creative folks make your ride super custom, it’s a good idea to count the costs. A custom ride may also subject you to special surcharges due to the increased cost of repairing a vehicle equipped with special options. In addition, some insurance carriers may not cover some custom options at all. So before you pimp out your ride, make sure you talk to your insurance carrier.
Talk to your insurance company first.
Before beginning adding expensive options to your car, make sure you talk to your insurance company. Tell them what you are thinking of doing and give them a good idea of the costs. This will help you find out what your auto insurance company covers and if there are things that they don’t. It will also give you a good idea of what the total cost of insuring your custom ride will be before you go through the expense.
Most auto insurance companies will cover some customization to your vehicle. If they don’t cover them on your standard policy, they often offer an “endorsement” to your policy. An endorsement is an extension of the comprehensive and collision portion of your existing auto insurance policy. If you currently carry full auto insurance coverage you probably already have these as part of your existing policy. If you don’t, you will more than likely have to make additions to your policy that will cost more on an annual basis. You should also be aware that most endorsement plans only cover up to $5,000. So if your custom options are more than the covered cost, you may want to look elsewhere for coverage. Or perhaps make your car less custom.
Detail out the details.
When applying for insurance on your custom car, you need to make sure you detail out all the options and costs associated with the customization. That means disclosing every add-on you have put on your custom car. Doing this accurately will help your agent write a policy that fully protects your car in the event of an accident or theft. You may also want to take photographs of the vehicle and the special options to further assist your carrier in writing an accurate and complete policy.
Don’t install unsafe options.
The most important factor in a custom car is making sure it’s safe. Auto insurance companies want to make sure that your new customized car isn’t going to make you more likely to be in an accident or be less safe for you and your passengers. So be prepared to supply your agent with an itemized bill detailing everything that has been done to your new car, to what specification and by what company. This is important because many drivers attempt to do custom work themselves. As a result, parts could potentially be installed improperly, not match regulated standards or be illegal to drive on public roads. In addition, some add-ons may actually increase your insurance rates simply because they are associated with more risky behavior. Some of these may include superchargers, headers, and other performance enhancing options.
Another thing to consider: If you end up in an accident and it is discovered that your car was the cause of the accident due to illegal modifications or improper installation, your auto insurance company has the right to refuse you coverage. In most cases, they will still cover any damages you may have caused the other parties involved, but it is quite possible that they will not cover any damage to your vehicle.
The right idea is to be honest with your insurance company from the start about your custom car and make sure to have a professional do the work for you. In the long run you’ll probably save money and, more importantly, be safe when you’re on the road.
Fill out the fast form on QualityAutoInsurance.com for free auto insurance quotes and auto liability insurance. You may find, like many of our customers, that you could save hundreds of dollars every year!
