I’ve actually tried listing a few mods on my policy—mostly wheels and audio stuff—and honestly, it was more hassle than I expected. The insurer wanted photos, receipts, the whole nine yards. They did say it’d help if something happened, but I’m not convinced it’s worth the headache unless you’ve got some seriously pricey upgrades. As for pulling parts before a payout, yeah, that’s always felt like a gray area to me. If you swap back to stock, you’re probably fine, but take out too much and they might start asking questions... It’s a weird dance.
Yeah, I get what you mean about the hassle. I tried to add a dash cam and some aftermarket lights to my policy, and the paperwork was a nightmare. They wanted proof of installation, serial numbers, all that jazz. I guess it makes sense from their side, but for smaller stuff, it feels like overkill.
About pulling parts before a payout—I've always wondered where the line is too. Like, if you take out your upgraded stereo and put the stock one back in, is that technically allowed? I’ve heard stories where someone swapped wheels back to stock and the adjuster didn’t care, but then another time someone got flagged for removing an intake. Seems like it depends who you’re dealing with.
Honestly, unless you’ve sunk a ton of money into mods, I’d probably just leave most of it off the policy. The risk vs reward isn’t really there for me. Insurance is already enough of a headache...
Honestly, the whole mod situation with insurance is a circus. I tried to get my carbon fiber hood covered once—felt like I was applying for a mortgage. They wanted receipts, photos, even the shop’s business card. As for pulling parts, it’s such a gray area. I’ve swapped my wheels back to OEM before a claim and nobody blinked, but I know someone who got grilled over an aftermarket exhaust. Feels like it depends on the adjuster’s mood that day. Unless you’re rolling with serious upgrades, I’d just keep it simple and avoid the paperwork headache. Insurance already makes my head spin...
I’m new to all this and honestly, reading about the mod headaches makes me wonder if it’s even worth it. I’ve got a buddy who had his car totaled after a fender bender just because his airbags went off—insurance said repairs cost more than the car’s value. Is it really just a numbers game, or do they factor in stuff like mods and upgrades? I’d be annoyed if they lowballed me after all the money I put in...
Yeah, it’s mostly a numbers game with insurance. They look at what your car’s worth before the accident, then compare that to how much repairs would cost. If fixing it costs more than it’s worth, they just call it totaled. Mods are tricky—unless you told your insurance about them and paid for extra coverage, they usually don’t count for much. Kinda stings if you’ve sunk a lot into upgrades... I’d be super careful about that if you’re thinking of modding.
