Yes I have searched the forum for this and I have found various answers. I am currently in the process of purchasing a 2015 JK, it already has a 4" lift and 35" BFG KO2. My main concern is that god for bid something happened they would not cover collision. I am partially financing the car so I will need collision for atleast a year. My current car is big turbo WRX and have not informed the insurance company about modifications (turbo and supporting mods, coilovers, FMIC... etc) Currently I have Progressive, let me know your experience with your insurance companies! To tell them or not to tell them...

 

Read your Progressive policy, it is all outlined in there. I used to have Progressive and read through it.

With that said, the typical scenario is that mods fall under a special equipment optional insurance section. You don't have to tell the insurance about the mods, but you just need to realize those mods may not be fully covered for the full value of the mod. With the general policy without this additional coverage, any damage will be covered up to the cost of a replacement OEM part. Sometimes this works out in your favor, other times it may not depending on the cost of the mod part. For example, you have an aftermarket bumper installed. You get in an accident which damages your bumper. The insurance will reimburse you for the cost of an OEM replacement bumper which is around $500-$600. If your aftermarket bumper cost less than that to replace, then you make out. If your aftermarket bumper cost $2000 to replace, then sorry about your luck but you're only going to be reimbursed for the cost of the replacement OEM bumper.

It's pretty simple to understand. The insurance company and the insurance you are paying for is assuming the cost of replacement for any damaged OEM parts and only up to that amount. That's one of the reasons you have to provide the insurance company your VIN. With your VIN, the insurance company has a list of all the equipment options that were installed on your Jeep from the factory. If you installed equipment which you feel has a higher value than the equivalent OEM part, then they provide you the option to call them and list out those items where they will provide you a quote to pay for the additional coverage on those parts, it's called "Special equipment coverage".....Sorry, but nothing is free when it comes to insurance. They don't care if you decided to put a 24Karate gold plated bumper on your Jeep which costs you $1Million. If you didn't elect to pay for that additional special equipment coverage, and then you got in an accident then don't expect the insurance company to fully reimburse you $1Million for that replacement bumper. You will get the $500-$600 coverage reimbursement you are paying coverage for. This is the same with your WRX. You added an aftermarket Turbo, you chose to not call the insurance company and pay for the additional special equipment coverage to ensure the cost of that Turbo replacement was covered under the insurance. If you got in an accident which destroyed the Turbo, the cost to replace the Turbo and have it installed would not be covered by your insurance company.

Additionally/similarly, if you install a part which was NOT originally installed as an OEM part, say for example a nice roof rack. That also falls under the special equipment section of your policy and since your Jeep didn't come from the factory with a roof rack on it. Replacement of the roof rack would not be covered if it was damaged in a accident. It would only be covered if you called them, informed them of the roof rack and elected to pay for the additional special equipment coverage. This is all explained under the special equipment coverage section of your Progressive policy.

 

Rednroll thank you for your response, I understand that they will only cover OEM parts. My main concern was that due to the modifications they would not cover anything if I were to get in to an accident, or drop me. Obviously the modifications it has now are fairly typical, so I am not too concerned.

 

FWIW, I have Farmers for my house and vehicles. I also have an agent that I can talk candidly with, so that relationship is good to have but the ultimate decision is with the underwriters anyway. That said, out of the same concern of theft or total, I created a spreadsheet of my aftermarket parts for them and they approved coverage that works out to about an additional $10 per $1,000 per year. With aftermarket axles and turbo amongst many other mods, it's a substantial number so worth exploring.

I do 100% of my own work so labor is not included, nor would I expect it to be.

 

@fredrok You did not have any issues with your lift? Looks fairly large, what size lift are you running? I have heard that is their main concern

 

If it's a mod which is a replacement of an OEM part, then the insurance will cover up to the cost of the OEM replacement part.

 

3.5" No issues and it's included in the parts list as well.
Aside from having my major assets in their basket, I also have a clean record, grey hair and tenure with them. All of which may influence their decision, I'm sure.

 

In your original post you mentioned "collision". It sounds like you may be getting into the Liability coverage section of your insurance. If you decide to put a 10 foot lift on your rig and drive it down the highway and in the process you run over a family and cause major injuries/death then there may be a concern of liability coverage if it's determined that your 10 foot lift was the cause of the accident but the insurance company has a max liability coverage amount within the policy that they will pay out...the rest is on you. Get the policy out and read it, Progressive puts it online for you. Call an agent if you have any questions/concerns. You'll get your best answers going that route.

 

Rednroll's explanation above is bout as good of one as you can get. Policies differ from carrier to carrier, but basic premise is that if you're overly concerned about aftermarket mods, you're probably looking at a rider to cover em.

My experience with various companies, and various types of claims over 30 years of driving and/or home ownership, is that regardless of how much you pay, or of how well you think you're protected, insurance companies always find a way to make you feel like you were bent over and sodomized with a dry baseball bat by the time the claim is closed. They are good at their jobs of taking in as much money as possible, and dolling out as little as possible.

Unless you have something like a LS or a Hemi conversion in it (like fredrok), or something like a Ursa Minor rooftop system that is pricey, I don't think a rider is worthwhile. Most of the time things should shake out about even.