So I was just thinking... I ordered the Xenons and now of course I wonder what happens if I hit something, or something hits me. The official S4 price is $1200 per unit, while the normal headlights are only $400 for a set I think. Then I will maybe have the extra fogs, and I have my Euro tail lights (which are not expensive, just a bitch to get).<p>And of course there are people who have $2500 Porsche brakes, etc. So I wonder, what happens if something happens? The worst I did so far in 13 years of driving was scratching my door (knock on head, ah, wood), but one never knows...<p>- Stan

Keep all you receipts for the xenon units.. In case of anything, you can show the receipts to the insurance and they may cover it. Insurance company also allow you to insure the parts for ex: wheels.. I think you need to take a pic of them and send it to them and pay extra on the insurance. If they ever get stolen, they will be replaced under insurance.<p>Dmak 1.8TQMS Waiting for Xenons too!!!

Save your receipts and take pictures. This will prove the modifications to your vehicle. If something happens, demand it be restored this condition.

Is said it varies by insurance company but in general, the insurance company has assigned a value to your car based on the stock setup and insures it for that value. If you increase the value (by adding parts), you need to tell your agent and get your insured amount increased. In his opinion, the insurance increases would be minimal.

You have to look at this from two different perspectives:<p>1) What happens when damage to the car is repairable.<br>2) What happens when the car is totalled.<p>In the first case your insurance will cover you for the cost to repair or replace the damaged parts. So, if you have Xenon lights installed then your insurance pays for Xenon lights less your deductible regardless of what was originally on the car. If this costs $1200 then that is the figure that is used.<p>In the second case when a car is in a major accident and is beyond repair then things get more sticky. Say you put $5000 in mods on the car. The value of the car does not increase by $5000. The mods play a role in determining the overall value but not on a dollar for dollar basis. Its the same story with repairs. Say you put many thousands of dollars into rebuilding the engine on a car. The value does not increase by the amount of the repairs. In fact, it may not increase at all as it is assumed that the car should be in good running condition to begin with. If it is not then the overall value is less.<p>This all being said, if you put $10k worth of stereo equipment or other mods into a car you need to make your insurance carrier aware of it and possibly get a specific policy to cover the car for a set value since it is "out of the ordinary". Generally speaking minor or moderate mods are not an issue but the more extreme you go the more likely you are to encounter "issues".<p>Sean<br>97 1.8Tqm

with my renewal info. every year, my company asks specifically if I have added any non stock modifications etc., in part to figure out what they're insuring.

nt<br>

Do you get your money for your mods before they send the check to AoA? Lets say my car is worth $20k + $5k(in mods) for a total of $25k and my car gets stolen and never recoverd. Will I get a check for $5k and AoA a check for $20k? Or does AoA get the entire amount of $25k?

Remember, if the car is stolen (a total loss) you don't look at the mods separately from the value of the vehicle. They are included in the overall valuation of the car when determining settlement. As such, your $5k in mods may only increase the value of the car $3k (hypothetical numbers to illustrate my point).<p>Once the value of the car is determined then the payoff amount on the lease/loan is looked at. The lienholder is then paid their "payoff" amount and any leftover cash (if there is any) is paid to the insured. The term "upside down" on a loan refers to when the payoff to the lienholder is more than the amount of the settlement. In this case the insured is responsible for paying the remainder to the lienholder.<p>Keeping all of this in mind, the real key here is to keep all documentation regarding mods to the car in the event you need to substantiate extra value over and above a "typical" A4 (or whatever). Keep records as to what makes your car "special". The second point is to not fall into the trap that the $5k in mods that a person puts into a vehicle increases the value by $5k. <p>Exceptions to these rules of thumb exist such as with classic and show cars where the value could possible be greater than the sum of the work and expense put into it. In these instances there will probably (should) be a vehicle specific policy in force.<p>Sean<br>97 1.8Tqm