S60 Wheels/Tyres: Refurb or time for a change?

[Simon Jones]

An MOT is only proof of roadworthyness on the day of the test. Plenty of folk do all sorts of things such as fitting different set of wheels or refitting a cat that will be removed as soon as test is over.

The thing with insurance is it all comes down to being modified from how it left the factory. An aftermarket towbar is a modification in the eyes of the insurers, but as long as it passes the inspection during the MOT then it is deemed safe. Best to declare all mods and then you know you are not going to have any problems in the event of a claim.

[Bill_56]

Originally Posted by DieselDoNicely

Senario:
Ring a ding ding, (woman)hello this is robbit and flecceum insurance.

(you)I would like to change the wheels on my car.
(her) How do you do that?
(you)No fit new wheels.
(her)No we dont allow that - no idea what the hell your on about so best say no just in case.
(her after phone call ends)Lambrini where are wheels fitted on a car?

If it passes an MOT, I would like to see an insurance company wriggle out of that one in court. After a crash the first thing an examiners will do is check the tyre tread depth and see if the car would pass an MOT, anything after that is froth.

DDN

It has nothing to do with wriggling, it is non disclosure of a material fact.

Even if the wheel modification has no effect on driving safety it may have an effect on the car's desireability to theives. That means the Insurers may quote a higher premium than a 'factory spec' car, or may even decline to insure it if they are not in the market for 'modded' cars.

In such circumstances, failure to notify them is classed as fraud, and likely to lead to...
1) Payouts may be reduced after any claim (even if unrelated to the wheels), to compensate for the fact the policy was in effect undervalued. They will often then refuse to renew the policy.
2) The Insurer may void the policy and refuse to pay out at all, on the basis that they would not have insured you if they'd known about the mod.
3) In either event, you may face astronomical premiums for the rest of your life, as a result of having to answer 'yes' to the question 'have you ever had insurance cancelled or declined.... '.

It really is best avoided, for the sakes of a five minute phone calll

[myfirstv70]

'If it passes an MOT, I would like to see an insurance company wriggle out of that one in court. After a crash the first thing an examiners will do is check the tyre tread depth and see if the car would pass an MOT, anything after that is froth'.......

This assumes that you haven't messed around with a non-standard tyre size, offset or speed rating. Additionally if you new sparkly wheels were stolen (perish the thought) the insurance company would laugh in your face. The insurance company is a business; paying out claims is bad for profit - therefore they wriggle out of/reduce any claims they possibly can. It is not the responsibility of the MOT station to declare what effect on handling or stopping your new wheel configuration has only that they meet MOT standards - in the event of an accident the onus would be on you to prove otherwise and I bet the insurance company can afford better lawyers than you and I. Why take the chance?........

[D5Nick]

I appreciate all the info folks, thanks!

Rest assured that whatever decision is made, if anything gets changed on the car, my insurers will know about it before it happens.

[Brendan W]

Insurers differ. Some take the view that new wheels is a material policy change. Even if it is OEM and specified for that car, they can view it as an increased theft risk.

[Georgeandkira]

Do insurers photograph a covered vehicle when a policy is written?

Makes me wonder if verifying which exact wheel style was fitted at the factory is smart/necessary or not. Kira

[mrdave2003]

What would you do with your original wheels if you changed them? I quite like those ones!

I think the flat faced R type alloys look pretty nice on these also alot easier to clean than some of the other more detailed ones. Personally I'm not sure about the look of the newer wheels on the earlier S60 or V70, just doesn't quite look right (to me that is! everyone to their own of course )

Going to 18s would change the ride slightly i guess but again the amount of change one puts up with is a personal choice, I would happily put up with the 18s. They do seem to fill the arches nicely too