Auxiliary seats (7 seater) and insurance.

[claretbumble]

The question is, if you get the auxiliary seats fitted in the back of your estate at a later date (ie, not factory-fitted), does that count as a "modification" in the eyes of the insurer, and affect your premium?

I scoured the forums, without finding a definitive answer, so thought I'd share my experience.....

Recently purchased 2002 V70 D5 SE, with 5 seats. A couple of weeks later, I got a new, unused set of genuine Volvo auxiliary seats - still in original Volvo wrappings and box (bless Ebay!). I fitted these, and thought I'd be a good boy, and tell my insurer (a *very* cheap online-only company) that they had been installed.

Initial responses to my emails were that they classed this as a "modification to interior trim", in the same category as fitting rally seats with 6-point harness, and wouldn't insure it. I can see why rally-seats would affect your premium, but kiddie jump-seats in the back? Not in my book. I got a quote from a broker, which was £102 more expensive than the online company (£341 vs £239). So I picked up the telephone, called the online insurer, and explained what they were. After much consultation with superiors, the nice girl on the other end told me they were OK with it - quote: "the child seats that you have had permanently fitted to manufactured standard is not a modification". I even got this in writing.

So, according to my insurer, there is no impact of fitting the 7 seat modification.

Hope this helps others. I'd still tell your insurer if you get these fitted, though... lets face it, your most precious cargo will be sitting in those seats, and in the event of anything nasty happening, you want to know you're covered.

[niloc]

Just goes to show - insurers will use anything to bump up the premium.
The extra seats aren't a performance modification, and doesn't increase the risk of theft.

[GMcL]

Might affect personal injury though.
these cars were obviously designed with the 7 seats in mind but has anyone insured like-for-like five and seven seaters ?
Obviously, the rear two (in 7 seater) have no airbags and are a bit closer to the action in the event of rear end shunt so possibly the personal injury part of the cover may be different.

[malc-c]

I think the opinion is that as its an optional level of trim on the standard car, which is factory approved, then there should be no addition to the premium. I think the reason is that some insurance companies don't have a little check box on their software, so they choose the next best thing, which in your case was racing seats !

[claretbumble]

Originally Posted by GMcL

... but has anyone insured like-for-like five and seven seaters ?

I just have! Car was a 5-seater before, now it's a 7-seater. No change to premium with this insurer.

You're right about the personal injury bit, though..... that was my reasoning behind letting them know about it, in case there was an accident, and someone got hurt in the back, and they stonewalled 'cos car was now 7-seater when VIN says 5.

[GMcL]

Originally Posted by claretbumble

I just have! Car was a 5-seater before, now it's a 7-seater. No change to premium with this insurer.

But your car is not a fresh out the factory, recorded on the V5C, 7 seater. That was the comparison I was trying to make.

I'm getting to the stage in life where a bigger car may be necessary.
7 seats would be handy but I can't help wondering just how safe the bods in the back row are. OK, chances of an horendous accident are thankfully small but just the same can't help thinking we'd be better off with two Nissan Notes* or Renault Modus'* (Modii) than one V70 with 7 seats and we'd have an extra three seats.

* These were off the top of my head. Could quite as easily been two C30's but then lose two seats.

[migrator]

I can understand mechanical mods/upgrades causing an increase in performance and therefore possibly an increase in insurance premium.

How can fitting even a 'racing' seat with a six point harness (rather than a standard seat with a three point harness) increase the performance of the vehicle? Do these seats come with built in engine mods?

[niloc]

Originally Posted by migrator

How can fitting even a 'racing' seat with a six point harness (rather than a standard seat with a three point harness) increase the performance of the vehicle? Do these seats come with built in engine mods?

Ask yourself this migrator - what kind of people fit racing seats?
If you answer the question correctly, you will know why insurers don't like them...

BTW - VIN doesn't include number of seats.
Whenever I fill in those online insurance comparison thingies, one of the questions is "number of seats"...

[claretbumble]

Originally Posted by migrator

How can fitting even a 'racing' seat with a six point harness (rather than a standard seat with a three point harness) increase the performance of the vehicle? Do these seats come with built in engine mods?

The seat itself won't increase performance, except by the shaving of 200 grammes off the weight!

However, the *fitting* of a rally-seat gives a good indication that the header behind the wheel isn't using his car to pootle along to the local caravan-club meet in his flat-cap! https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/images/icons/icon7.gificon12.gif
Wink

[john h]

I may be in the minority here, but I do see an extra risk from the 7 seat cars.

There's the obvious factor of having up to 7 personal injury claims in the vehicle instead of 5. As for the other aspect, just imagine a truck driver nodding off at the wheel while you're at the back of a stationary queue on the motorway...

I appreciate Volvos are built for this option, but nonetheless it can't be as safe as if passengers were sitting a metre further away from the point of impact in the "normal" rear seat.

Do the factory-fit 7 seaters have modifications to convert the much lauded impact absorbing rear crumple zone into part of the passenger safety cell?

John