Yeah, it’s wild how little they care about the extras. I had a CPO BMW with every service record, new Michelins, even a ceramic coat. When it got rear-ended, the adjuster barely glanced at my stack of receipts—just went straight to their “market value” chart. I tried showing them local listings for similar cars in better shape, and that actually did help a bit, but still nowhere near what I’d put into it. It’s like they treat all cars as if nobody ever maintains them. Super frustrating, especially when you’re meticulous about upkeep.
- Insurance companies usually use something called Actual Cash Value (ACV), which is just market value minus depreciation.
- They rarely factor in upgrades or meticulous maintenance—unless you have specific “agreed value” coverage, which most people don’t.
- Receipts for tires, ceramic coating, etc., almost never move the needle much.
- Local comps can help a bit, but they’ll still default to their own database (CCC, Mitchell, etc.).
- It’s frustrating, but unless you have documentation that your car is truly unique (like collector status), they treat it like any other used car.
- I’ve been through this with a modded WRX—felt like all my work just vanished in their spreadsheet.
Had a similar experience with my old Civic. I’d babied that thing—fresh fluids, new brakes, even splurged on some fancy floor mats. When it got rear-ended, the adjuster basically shrugged at my stack of receipts.
That line hits home. It’s like they see “used car” and just plug it into their magic spreadsheet. All that TLC just...poof.“Receipts for tires, ceramic coating, etc., almost never move the needle much.”
That “magic spreadsheet” comment is spot on. I’ve been through this twice now—first with a minivan, then later with a Corolla that was basically my second home during the kids’ soccer years. Both times, all my maintenance and upgrades barely registered. It’s wild how little they care about things like new tires or upgraded brakes when it comes to payout.
“Receipts for tires, ceramic coating, etc., almost never move the needle much.”
I get that they’re looking at the “market value,” but it feels like there should be some middle ground. If you’ve kept your car in way better shape than average, shouldn’t that count for something? I mean, if someone’s car is a beater, they don’t get dinged extra, right? It just seems backwards.
Has anyone actually had luck convincing an adjuster to factor in those extras? Or is it always just whatever their software spits out? I’m starting to wonder if it’s even worth keeping records beyond the basics...
I’ve been wondering the same thing, honestly. I just started looking into insurance stuff and it’s kind of wild how little the details seem to matter. Like, if you put in a new battery or get the brakes done, you’d think that would at least bump up the value a bit. But from what I’ve read, it’s all about that “average” market price, no matter how much you baby your car. Has anyone ever actually seen an adjuster go off-script and give extra for upgrades? Or is it just a lost cause?
