Yeah, you nailed it with the numbers game thing. The whole “totaled” decision really is just math for the insurance folks. They set a percentage—like, if repairs hit 70% or 80% of what your car’s worth, they’ll usually call it a total loss. That threshold can vary by state or company, which is kinda weird but true.
Mods are tricky—unless you told your insurance about them and paid for extra coverage, they usually don’t count for much.
That part stings for sure. I had a buddy who put a ton into his WRX—wheels, exhaust, even a custom sound system—and after his wreck, insurance only paid out for the stock value. He learned the hard way that you really do have to declare every upgrade if you want it covered. Painful lesson.
Don’t let it discourage you from modding though. Just keep receipts and talk to your agent before you do anything big. It’s a hassle, but worth it if you ever need to make a claim. And hey, at least driving something you built yourself is half the fun... even if insurance doesn’t always get it.
Honestly, insurance barely cares about your mods unless you’ve jumped through all their hoops and paid extra. It’s frustrating—dump a few grand into upgrades, and it’s like they never existed when you need the payout. I get why they do it, but still feels like a ripoff.
Curious if anyone’s ever actually managed to get an insurance company to pay out for mods after a total? Or is it always just “here’s the stock value, tough luck”? I’ve heard some folks try to argue with receipts, but not sure if that gets you anywhere. Wondering if it’s even worth bothering with those “custom parts” add-ons or if they’re just another way for insurance to take your money...
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually had a different experience with the mods and insurance thing. It’s not always as black-and-white as “they never pay out.” I totaled a WRX a few years back—had about $4k in bolt-ons and suspension work. I’d told my insurer about the big stuff (coilovers, wheels, exhaust), and yeah, I paid a bit extra for that “custom parts” coverage. When the car got written off, they did ask for receipts, and I had to jump through some hoops, but I ended up getting maybe 60-70% of what I’d put into it for the listed mods. Not perfect, but better than nothing.
The catch is, if you don’t declare the mods up front, you’re pretty much out of luck. They’ll just go by book value and ignore everything else. I know a guy who tried to argue after the fact with receipts, but they just shrugged and said he should’ve told them before. It’s annoying, but I kinda get it—otherwise people would just tack on “mods” after a crash to try and get more money.
As for those “custom parts” add-ons, I used to think they were a cash grab too, but if you’re running expensive gear, it’s probably worth it. The premiums aren’t crazy (at least for me), and it’s peace of mind if you ever get in a bad wreck. Just gotta keep your receipts and be honest about what’s on the car.
I do wish insurance companies would make it less of a hassle, though. Feels like you need to be part lawyer to get a fair payout sometimes. But if you play by their rules, it’s not always a total loss on your upgrades.
It’s wild how much difference it makes just being upfront about mods. I’ve seen a lot of folks get burned because they thought “it’ll be fine, they’ll see the receipts after.” Nope. The process is definitely not perfect—sometimes even with all the paperwork, it feels like you’re negotiating for every dollar. I’ve had cases where someone kept meticulous records and got most of their investment back, but if anything’s missing or unclear, it gets tricky fast. Honestly, I wish the system was more transparent about how they value aftermarket parts... sometimes it feels like a bit of a black box.
Honestly, I get the frustration, but I’ve had a different experience with mods and insurance. I’ve found that being upfront sometimes actually works against you—suddenly they want to nitpick every little thing and act like my carbon fiber spoiler is some kind of liability. I swear, the more receipts I hand over, the more suspicious they get. It’s almost like they’re looking for reasons to lowball you. Maybe it’s just the “luxury tax” for driving something a bit flashier, but I’d love to see some consistency. The “black box” thing is real... but sometimes it feels more like a magic trick than a science.
