Auto insurance issues from modifying a Yaris?

[RMcG]

Does anybody know of definite auto insurance issues resulting from modifying a Yaris? For example, would removing the front passenger seat from a Yaris result in any kind of issues with respect to auto insurance? (even if you never have a front passenger when the seat is out).

Thanks,

RMcG

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Just don't report any modifications (unless you want those modifications insured, which will like triple your rates).

[fnkngrv]

It most likely wouldn't cause an issue unless you were in an accident and then that would be up to the report on whether or not it was a consideration in cause for injury I would think, but really it is dependent upon your provider.

[RMcG]

Thanks for your replies. My reasoning on this is as follows. Auto insurance (generally) covers liability for injuring somebody else (or their property). If you never have a passenger and are in an accident, then your only potential liability is injury to somebody outside your car (or their property).

Taking the front passenger seat out of the car would not be a factor in injuring somebody outside your car. So this modification should not have an effect on liability coverage.

Most Auto Insurance policies do have a small amount of coverage for medical expenses for the driver themselves (for example ten thousand dollars). Since a modification like taking out the front passenger seat could possibly be construed (falsely I think) by somebody as promoting injury to the driver, maybe the modification would effect the (relatively small) medical expenses coverage.

Any comments anybody has will be welcomed.

Thanks,

RMcG

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by RMcG

Thanks for your replies. My reasoning on this is as follows. Auto insurance (generally) covers liability for injuring somebody else (or their property). If you never have a passenger and are in an accident, then your only potential liability is injury to somebody outside your car (or their property).

Taking the front passenger seat out of the car would not be a factor in injuring somebody outside your car. So this modification should not have an effect on liability coverage.

Most Auto Insurance policies do have a small amount of coverage for medical expenses for the driver themselves (for example ten thousand dollars). Since a modification like taking out the front passenger seat could possibly be construed (falsely I think) by somebody as promoting injury to the driver, maybe the modification would effect the (relatively small) medical expenses coverage.

Any comments anybody has will be welcomed.

Thanks,

RMcG

I think your reasoning makes sense. I would also read the fine print on your major medical policy to see if this issue is discussed and if so the extent (if any) to which your coverage would be effected. In every case I or another family member has experienced either the faulted other driver's insurance company paying our medical directly or our own major medical paid and then then our major medical was reimbursed by the faulted other driver's insurance company. The only experience I have with car insurance paying medical was long ago. I had no collision and comprehensive (as I always don't) and had liability and uninsured motorists. I got in an accident that was obviously (and was judged this way as well by LEOs and my insurance company) 100 % the other driver's fault. However, the other driver was uninsured. My girlfriend was in my passenger seat and was slightly injured. She didn't want to involve her own health insurance company, so my car insurance (under the uninsured motorist's provision) paid for her medical bills. I have quite a bit of confidence in my own driving and want to protect my money, so I carry a lot of liability coverage but no comprehensive nor collision and have followed this scenario for many years.

[why?]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

I think your reasoning makes sense. I would also read the fine print on your major medical policy to see if this issue is discussed and if so the extent (if any) to which your coverage would be effected. In every case I or another family member has experienced either the faulted other driver's insurance company paying our medical directly or our own major medical paid and then then our major medical was reimbursed by the faulted other driver's insurance company. The only experience I have with car insurance paying medical was long ago. I had no collision and comprehensive (as I always don't) and had liability and uninsured motorists. I got in an accident that was obviously (and was judged this way as well by LEOs and my insurance company) 100 % the other driver's fault. However, the other driver was uninsured. My girlfriend was in my passenger seat and was slightly injured. She didn't want to involve her own health insurance company, so my car insurance (under the uninsured motorist's provision) paid for her medical bills. I have quite a bit of confidence in my own driving and want to protect my money, so I carry a lot of liability coverage but no comprehensive nor collision and have followed this scenario for many years.

That freaks me out. Ma has mandatory minimums, but I couldn't imagine not carrying insurance. Of course I also have rear ended a 1960's Mercedes Benz convertible in a down pour once, so that type of accident is always on my mind. Thankfully there was no damage to the really expensive car.

[swidd]

I reported a $3,000 stereo/nav upgrade to Geico, and it didn't change my rates at all.

[Captain Slow]

like others have said, just don't report it. I used to drive a totally gutted '84 Prelude (twin side-draft carbs baby!) that had so many "off-road only" mods on it that it wasn't funny. i never told my insurance and it never affected anything.

technically speaking if you were to put a full exhaust system, intake, lightweight flywheel and pulleys, etc... you'd be upping the performance of your car and they'd charge you more accordingly, but in my experience the easiest thing is just not to tell them. I have a feeling that even if you did tell most of them they'd be too lazy to figure out how to adjust your rates anyway.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by why?

That freaks me out. Ma has mandatory minimums, but I couldn't imagine not carrying insurance. Of course I also have rear ended a 1960's Mercedes Benz convertible in a down pour once, so that type of accident is always on my mind. Thankfully there was no damage to the really expensive car.

We were driving down Campus Drive (a curved road) heading toward John Wayne Airport (a few blocks away) in Orange County, CA. The street (at the time, but unsure if it still is) was 2 lanes in each direction plus a 'sitting' middle turn lane. The left/fast lane in my direction was like a parking lot (backed up for over a mile) and the slow lane we were in was moving along below the limit. The uninsured woman was in the 'sitting' middle lane waiting to turn across the lanes of my direction and into a driveway, but given the curve in the road and the 'parking lot wall of cars' in the left/fast lane for my direction she couldn't see my lane at all. A lady in the left/fast/'parking lot lane stopped to create a gap for the uninsured lady to pass through and then waived the uninsured lady through. The uninsured lady assumed the waiving lady wouldn't be waiving her through if the waiving lady weren't also looking in her rear view mirror to make sure no one was coming in my lane. Just as the uninsured lady couldn't see my lane, I couldn't see hers. The waiving lady wasn't looking at all to see if anyone was coming in my lane. I'm driving alongside this stopped lane along a long curve and all of a sudden this car comes flying out in front of me while I'm going 30-35 MPH. I think the waiving lady was a far bigger dingbat than the uninsured lady re the driving part, but of course, even if insured, the uninsured lady was legally responsible and the fact that she didn't have insurance just made it worse. She was on her own and really just scraping by financially--no kids but no expense sharing boyfriend or husband either. She was playing the odds of not getting caught when it came to keeping insurance. My girlfriend and I didn't end up getting married, but we had been going out for a long time and her family and those close to her adored me, so I didn't worry about my girlfriend suing me and her injuries fell well within my uninsured motorists protection....and neither of us had permanent injuries and the uninsured lady wasn't injured at all.

[jay cobbs]

Well....Maybe... Driving comerical vechiles all my adult life I made acouple requests to mod the cab remove center consoles for more space and so on....All companys and all supervisiors checked and insurance companys wont allow it at that time because...If a claim is filed the vechile is been insured by specs and integity lised by the factory....Remove any features or structures inside or out and you " CHANGE THE GAME" for them.....IF something modified was to hurt you it will void the reason for the rate on that car and the liablity goes up, even if factory installed or not...mostly not nowadays...save a buck self install wont fly with them....Ive tried....Call your agent and explain in detail with a updated quote in writing sent to you before the mod.....Legally ,if the mod is importain...ONE phone call and a CYA never hurts...untill the mods go wrong, then Is ouch time all the way to the bank! ....GET ME...I ve driven for 30+ years...rule...when in dought...DONT....Hope that helps...rethink.... never risk you cash or your life ever if possible......DR.JAY...C-YA

[why?]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

We were driving down Campus Drive (a curved road) heading toward John Wayne Airport (a few blocks away) in Orange County, CA. The street (at the time, but unsure if it still is) was 2 lanes in each direction plus a 'sitting' middle turn lane. The left/fast lane in my direction was like a parking lot (backed up for over a mile) and the slow lane we were in was moving along below the limit. The uninsured woman was in the 'sitting' middle lane waiting to turn across the lanes of my direction and into a driveway, but given the curve in the road and the 'parking lot wall of cars' in the left/fast lane for my direction she couldn't see my lane at all. A lady in the left/fast/'parking lot lane stopped to create a gap for the uninsured lady to pass through and then waived the uninsured lady through. The uninsured lady assumed the waiving lady wouldn't be waiving her through if the waiving lady weren't also looking in her rear view mirror to make sure no one was coming in my lane. Just as the uninsured lady couldn't see my lane, I couldn't see hers. The waiving lady wasn't looking at all to see if anyone was coming in my lane. I'm driving alongside this stopped lane along a long curve and all of a sudden this car comes flying out in front of me while I'm going 30-35 MPH. I think the waiving lady was a far bigger dingbat than the uninsured lady re the driving part, but of course, even if insured, the uninsured lady was legally responsible and the fact that she didn't have insurance just made it worse. She was on her own and really just scraping by financially--no kids but no expense sharing boyfriend or husband either. She was playing the odds of not getting caught when it came to keeping insurance. My girlfriend and I didn't end up getting married, but we had been going out for a long time and her family and those close to her adored me, so I didn't worry about my girlfriend suing me and her injuries fell well within my uninsured motorists protection....and neither of us had permanent injuries and the uninsured lady wasn't injured at all.

There have a been a few cases like that around here, where the person waving was found just as culpable as the person assuming the waving person was signalling them the all clear.

I hate car accidents, I was in a couple when I was a child, I had 45 stitches in my face from one of them.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by why?

There have a been a few cases like that around here, where the person waving was found just as culpable as the person assuming the waving person was signalling them the all clear.

I hate car accidents, I was in a couple when I was a child, I had 45 stitches in my face from one of them.

Good for MA. If CA officials haven't updated existing law to mirror MA in such a situation, they should. I was injured as a young child from my dad having to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident. It was on New Year's Eve. He shouldn't have been driving. He pulled over and my mom drove us to the hospital. My dad's car was old, with a bench seat and spaced apart radio buttons. When he slammed on the brakes, I came flying over the front seat. My mother instinctively put her arms up to protect me, but one of the radio preset buttons went all the way through my lip and I received stitches at the hospital to close the wound. They also took X-rays....no concussion nor spinal issues. Teenagers have different ways of relieving anxiety. With me (and most of my friends) it was by driving too fast (albeit being unimpaired by anything but a lack of sense). I got in an accident at age 18, while a Freshman in college, and had a broken pelvis , a concussion, and a bruised kidney. This completely changed my approach to driving and my driving habits. Alas, some of the things some of we males do before our Frontal Lobe development is complete are monumentally stupid.