Parking sensors and insurance

AdrianC

Apodemus wrote: »

Interesting discussion. I have always wondered whether I should be declaring the factory-fitted tow bar that is on my Land Rover? I never tow anything, and would alert the insurer if I ever did, but is it a modification?

Yes, absolutely.

Let's say your car is rear-ended. When it comes back from the repairer, would you want it factory-standard, or would you want another towbar fitted...? So there's increased repair cost over a standard car.

And that's before we consider the likelihood of causing more damage to anybody you reverse into while parking, or the bar passing damage to the boot floor and rear structural members that would otherwise be confined to the bumper and crush structure.

Car_54

When I buy my next car, it will probably be about a year old. How will I know which of its exciting features were optional extras?
If it has been superseded by a facelifted model, the original spec sheets will no longer be available.

Nearly_Old

Car_54 wrote: »

When I buy my next car, it will probably be about a year old. How will I know which of its exciting features were optional extras?
If it has been superseded by a facelifted model, the original spec sheets will no longer be available.

Not sure about other makes but with BMW you just put your VIN into the VIN decoder and it produces the original build data that shows what was standard and what was an optional extra.

I would think that if you took the VIN into a main dealer for the car you were bying they would be able to supply similar details.

Apodemus

Nearly_Old wrote: »

Not sure about other makes but with BMW you just put your VIN into the VIN decoder and it produces the original build data that shows what was standard and what was an optional extra.

I would think that if you took the VIN into a main dealer for the car you were bying they would be able to supply similar details.

With LR you get the actual build spec of your car (online from TOPIx), which includes the factory options. So although mine was bought at nine years old, I know what was factory fitted.