LCR Insurance Question

SamRock

Guest
Hey guys, wondering if someone could answer this question for me...currently looking for an LCR as my next motor and have gone and recieved a quote (very reasonable!) for insuring an unmodified 225..

It seems however that most LCRS have had a stage 1 remap to around 270bhps...my question is, as I have never brought a modified car what does a remap alone typically add price-wise to your insurance premium?

I looked at a modified LCR afew weeks back from a car dealer however the dealer said that if you have an ECU remap you dont have to declare it to your insurers...funny old I am pretty suspect about that one.

Cheers,

Sam
 
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Cooper_81

Active Member
Jun 17, 2007
175
0
Glasgow
Every mod should be declared however if your car is remapped then the insurance company/investigators cannot detect a remap.
 

SamRock

Guest
Can they not plug into your ECU after an accident to determine whether your cars been mapped?
 

andycupra

status subject to change
1. Yes you must declare any modifications.

2. To what extent it effects your insuarance cost depends on the insurer/mod. For some its reasonable, lets say £50, while others will not insure the car or remove cover. Admiral as an example used to insure mods for a premium, and had a page which you could click those that applied, but no longer appear to insure any modded cars.
But also watch out that if you insure with no mods and then try to add it mid policy this will often prove costly; admin charges for alterations, higher risk blah blah blah. If you intend to remap a car during the policy then id advise declaring this intention to the insurance company from the go and therefore can search for quotes on this basis rather than save a few £s on premium to then be raped when you try to add it later.
Some modified policies allow a stage 1 remap at no cost. (however these policies are not always the cheapest to start)

3. Insurance companies CAN check for remaps. It is rare, but it does happen. I know this for fact as i know people who work for an insurance company, one friend explained how one guy had his claim for a £100,000 ferraiu turned down for undeclared remapping. In this case FORUM CONTENT WAS USED to decline the claim.

4. Insurance companies are often linked and have shared information. If a car has beeen insured with declared mods, and then is insured elsewhere without mods declared, this may be noticed and said car might be subject to inspection if a claim was made.

5. Insurance companies DO LOOK AT FORUMS. What you write on forums can be used against you. Those insurance companies that sponsor forums.. they may know more about your car than you think. Particularly if they get 'back to you' with a quote..
 
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DOLBY

Active Member
Jun 24, 2006
2,934
98
North of London
www.facebook.com
So for example, you buy a Leon and declare all the mods you gonna do to it BEFORE you done them (if you know they will be completed as quickly as possible) to prevent admin costs? C'mon that illegal too. You have an accident which you have declared a remap and after investigation it's not there?.....most people add the mods on policy as they go.


Sent from my iPhone when I should be working....
 

andycupra

status subject to change
So for example, you buy a Leon and declare all the mods you gonna do to it BEFORE you done them (if you know they will be completed as quickly as possible) to prevent admin costs? C'mon that illegal too. You have an accident which you have declared a remap and after investigation it's not there?.....most people add the mods on policy as they go.


Sent from my iPhone when I should be working....

Id encourage people to declare that they are intended to add the mod. Most insurance companies will then quote with this mod in mind, and likely make a note on the policy regards this. they may ask you get in touch when done or they may simply add it to the policy as its a higher risk.

I can see your point, however i dont see an insurance company turning down a claim because you have not got it remapped yet, unless they are saying they would only insure you if its remapped. Which is unlikely.

Declaring your intentions from the start also allows you to discuss what you need to do, if they say we will add that to the policy now, thats up to them, if they say you need to add that when its added then do that, but you should then talk about the costs.
Im not talking about misleading, or being dishonest to avoid admin costs, im more talking about being open from the start.
It would be a shame to save £10 going for the cheapest quote, to then find that they are not competitive when mods are taken into account, or may even cancel the policy.

Declaring a mod you dont have that is intended to increase the safety or security of a car, such as an immobilisor or alarm would be wrong.
Declaring a mod, remap alloys etc that you will put on soon id have thought was ok on the basis you are over-insuring in the short term. But yes be open about this when you talk to them.
In fact many insurance companies who allow mods dont actually insure the mods and specify they would repair the car to factory spec. So if you pay a higher premium for aftermarket alloys you are not paying more so they would replace like for like, you are paying more due to the increased risk of theft or that this puts you in a group of people that are higher risk. Standard alloys would be put on the car in the event of a claim - this is true! not many policies are 'like for like'.

A remap is unlikely to be seen as reducing risk, its not a safety measure and so it would be madness to turn down a claim on the basis that you are insured for a higher risk than you are in my opinion.

However dont get me wrong, i dont suggest anyone be dishonest, what i am saying is plan for the mod from the start, view the policy as a cost over the whole year not just the initial cost. So talk to the insurance company and state your intentions.
 
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Dyscontinued

Active Member
Apr 15, 2007
1,142
4
Leeds
You could always plead ignorance if they found it to be mapped, if the seller never told you you'd never know.

Having said that, Adrian Flux are cheaper on my remapped LCR than any insurance company was before I had it done.
 

SamRock

Guest
Thank you for your comprehensive answer Andy that clears up alot of questions!
 
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