The Student Room Group
Reply 2
Original post by Dwights7
I brought a car recently and I’m insured on the car but I have a set of alloys wheels made by Ford (my car brand), if I add them to the car do I declare this as a modification?


Yes.

Edit: to be clear, did it have alloys originally and these are a like-for-like replacement? I presume not, in which case it needs to be declared.
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 3
Yes, as silly as it sounds, you will have to declare it.
It depends on the insurer. Usually you have to declare anything that alters performance or appearance.

However when I got my ST last week, it came with a new exhaust. When I spoke the insurance companies they were saying I didn'
have to declare it as it was a replacement that did not impact on performance.

Best bet is to phone and ask otherwise you risk voiding your insurance.
Reply 5
Original post by UniWasEz
It depends on the insurer. Usually you have to declare anything that alters performance or appearance.

However when I got my ST last week, it came with a new exhaust. When I spoke the insurance companies they were saying I didn'
have to declare it as it was a replacement that did not impact on performance.

Best bet is to phone and ask otherwise you risk voiding your insurance.


That's a like-for-like replacement, hence there is no declaration to be made.

Original post by Dwights7
I brought a car recently and I’m insured on the car but I have a set of alloys wheels made by Ford (my car brand), if I add them to the car do I declare this as a modification?


Are they the same type (style) of alloy wheel as was fitted in the factory? If they're the same, there is no declaration - if they're not, you must declare it.
Reply 6
The car didn’t come with alloys but they’re alloys made for same model and year. Currently my car has those plastic hubs but I have alloys made for my exact model and year ready to instal but I’m not sure ignoring this counts as a modification
Reply 7
Original post by Dwights7
The car didn’t come with alloys but they’re alloys made for same model and year. Currently my car has those plastic hubs but I have alloys made for my exact model and year ready to instal but I’m not sure ignoring this counts as a modification


You must declare it as a modification, as it didn't come with alloys from the factory.
Ask your insurer. Some are only interested in aftermarket alloys. Are the replacement wheels the same size as the originals? If not, you'll need the speedo recalibrate too.
Original post by CurlyBen
Ask your insurer. Some are only interested in aftermarket alloys. Are the replacement wheels the same size as the originals? If not, you'll need the speedo recalibrate too.


Not just that, but possibly new tyres. Larger rims will need lower-profile tyres.
Reply 10
Every insurer has a different policy. You'll have to ask as no-one here represents your insurer...
Original post by Dwights7
The car didn’t come with alloys but they’re alloys made for same model and year. Currently my car has those plastic hubs but I have alloys made for my exact model and year ready to instal but I’m not sure ignoring this counts as a modification


It is fairly simple to work out. Did the car have alloy wheels as standard when new? If not then the wheels are a modification (which are likely to be a bigger target for thieves, and more expensive to replace for an insurer than the standard items). If it did, then are these the same as the standard items? If not, then the same reasoning applies.
How can I find out if the car I am looking to buy originally came with the black alloys? I have looked online on the ford website and can't find anything. I asked the seller and they don't know and believe them to be factory fit?
Original post by adamoldridge01
How can I find out if the car I am looking to buy originally came with the black alloys? I have looked online on the ford website and can't find anything. I asked the seller and they don't know and believe them to be factory fit?


If in doubt then don't buy it. Take the model of the car and go to a Ford dealership to see if those wheels came as standard.

Spoiler

A lot of it depends on your age/policy. I recently replaced my janky factory steel wheels with original optional extra alloys. Neither Admiral (old insurance company) nor E-Sure (who my policy will be switching to soon) charged me any extra to swap to alloys. I imagine it might be different if they were aftermarket alloys but being that they were factory optional extras it was no different to them than if the original owner had specced them from new. You just have to make sure you declare it obviously.
Reply 15
Original post by adamoldridge01
How can I find out if the car I am looking to buy originally came with the black alloys? I have looked online on the ford website and can't find anything. I asked the seller and they don't know and believe them to be factory fit?

Do they have Ford part numbers stamped into them? How old is your car? Assuming they are Ford OEM wheels just mention it to the insurer when you get a quote.
Reply 16
No. Don't listen to all the bicycle riding jealous little roadkills here. Wheels made for your model & year = obviously not a modification, even if the colour / appearance differs from the stock ones it happened to come with. Think about it, how on Earth would the insurer know, as long as the car's sitting on wheels made for the exact mode & year, that the car didn't come with those exact wheels in the first place?
(edited 2 years ago)
Reply 17
Original post by noof666
No. Don't listen to all the bicycle riding jealous little roadkills here. Wheels made for your model & year = obviously not a modification, even if the colour / appearance differs from the stock ones it happened to come with. Think about it, how on Earth would the insurer know, as long as the car's sitting on wheels made for the exact mode & year, that the car didn't come with those exact wheels in the first place?

Please don't provide misleading information to users. Please also do not bump threads that are several years old.

Insurers are able to obtain the build sheet from the manufacturer.

Any deviation from the factory specification (even options selected at the time of ordering) are classed as modifications. Each individual insurance company will have a different criteria for what impacts a premium, but any and all modifications are declarable.
(edited 2 years ago)