Motoring Discussion > INSURANCE Tax / Insurance / Warranties
Thread Author: Zero Replies: 78

 INSURANCE - Zero
Jusus Mary donkeys et all

Just had my renewal through, 31% increase in premium. No policy changes or changes in circumstances.
 INSURANCE - Runfer D'Hills
Trouble is, modern buses are so much more expensive to repair…
 INSURANCE - Zero
At least my road tax dropped from 500 a year to 180!
 INSURANCE - smokie
My home insurance is due 1 Nov. Direct Line renewal went from £207 to £271. Got it from Tesco now, £210 PLUS £34 back from Quidco for slightly better cover.

I think I reported at the time about my AA car ins going up dramatically. That also ended up with Tesco, albeit a it higher than last year but nowhere near as much more as the AA.
 INSURANCE - bathtub tom
>> Just had my renewal through, 31% increase in premium. No policy changes or changes in
>> circumstances.

Think yourself lucky, mine went up 80% (from £140 to £240). Only change is car and I are both a year older!
 INSURANCE - RichardW
Car is not due till Feb, but we did our house insurance renewal this month from LV (who the cars are with) and it had gone up almost 100% and they wanted over £900. Er, no! TBH it was high last year, but inertia got the better of me and I never changed it last year when it was already expensive!

Hoping that the cars, which are on a multi-car policy, don't follow suit next year....
 INSURANCE - Bobby
Wondering if the insurance rises will finally persuade my 91 year old dad to give up driving.
Will be 92 at his renewal in January.
Think he was about £900 for this years premium for his automatic Nissan Note.
 INSURANCE - riddler
My renewal went up from £485 to £815 with the AA. Cheapest I've managed to find with the same excess etc. is £695. I did see that Watchdog had some idiot representing the insurance companies on the other week claiming costs were up by $5%. This is a racket.
 INSURANCE - Bobby
As I’ve said before the Insurance Companies and Copart have a huge racket going on.

Insurance companies sell written off vehicles through copart to be repaired. They are written off because new parts are either too dear or too long lead times.

Toerags then buy from copart, steal to order the parts they need and then rebuild the car and sell it on.

Insurance company pays out on the stolen car, or in many cases , the remains of the stolen car that has been recovered.

They then sell it through the likes of copart…..

The latest scam I have heard is current model Porsches having their headlights stolen.
 INSURANCE - smokie
I was minded to hide this post as you seemed to be implying that the insurance companies and Copart are jointly running a scam. Accusations like that can result in action against us as a site and the individuals who run it.

But on re-reading you post it seems the insurance companies are selling off their write-offs through and auction company, and I don't see that's a scam.

The cars are then auctioned to someone who then steals parts to rebuild them, and I don't see that's a scam.

Insurance pays out for the stolen car parts, and I don't see that as a scam.

The rebuilt cars are then resold maybe (or maybe not) through Copart. Not a scam either.

Or have I missed the point of your conspiracy theory?
 INSURANCE - Zero
Its not an organised scam, just the system being used by scammers.
 INSURANCE - Bromptonaut
My Roomster was written off and sold through Copart.

It's now back on the road and has been for some time. Am I supposed to think the steering rack and set of nearside panels it needed were stolen to order?
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 30 Oct 23 at 08:42
 INSURANCE - Zero
Roomsters are not stolen to order. Bits probably from a rear ender probably used.
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 30 Oct 23 at 09:08
 INSURANCE - Bromptonaut
>> Roomsters are not stolen to order. Bits probably from a rear ender probably used.

That would be my guess too. I was offered the salvage rather than it going to Copart but I'd not got the time to wait with it off the road and hiring. Own fault claim so I would have been paying for the hire.
 INSURANCE - Falkirk Bairn
Neighbour bought a V6 TT from Copart for just over £1000 - rear wing panel damage only and drove well!

Took out the engine & gearbox for his Caddy Van upgrade

Then went about selling off the "rest of the car" - doors, wheels, seats, window glass.......... left with very little for the scrappy.

Almost got back all his money back from the parts sale.
 INSURANCE - CGNorwich
To try to get an understanding as to where we are with insurance premiums for EVs I have just checked out Go Compare.

Last year I paid £392 for my VW ID3

This year the lowest quote is £560 for equivalent cover

As a comparison an n ICE Golf Style 1500 would cost me a minimum of £492 to insure.

A Tesla model 3 standard range would cost me £1,415. That is with LVE. No other Insurer is quoting me less than £2,675 for that car



My conclusion is that all insurance has gone up a lot. Increases on most EVs and ICE cars appear to be the same ball park.

HOWEVER. Insuring a TESLA is going to cost a a lot of money




Last edited by: CGNorwich on Wed 8 Nov 23 at 14:44
 INSURANCE - Zero

>> HOWEVER. Insuring a TESLA is going to cost a a lot of money

At 17grand for a new battery pack ( which can be toast if you drive through a deep puddle, of which we have many right now) I am not surprised.

IF you can get a new pack, which is on no estimate back order.
 INSURANCE - CGNorwich
I don't think driving through a deep puddle will be catastrophic
 INSURANCE - Zero
Tesla has water sensors dotted around the battery pack. It has a 20 cm puddle-depth "warranty limit" = 8" deep. It is only 6.3" to the bottom of the battery pack.
 INSURANCE - CGNorwich
20 cm of water is not a puddle.
 INSURANCE - Bromptonaut
>> 20 cm of water is not a puddle.

It's not but neither is it an uncommon depth around here when prolonged heavy rain allows flows of water to form off waterlogged clay soil and across roads.
 INSURANCE - Robin O'Reliant
Mine went up from £126 last year to £206 this time.
 INSURANCE - Duncan
>> Mine went up from £126 last year to £206 this time.
>>

What's that for?
 INSURANCE - Zero
>> >> Mine went up from £126 last year to £206 this time.
>> >>
>>
>> What's that for?

Its small, cheap and in Wales. The last bit affects the premium a lot.
 INSURANCE - Robin O'Reliant
>> >>
>>
>> What's that for?
>>

'63 reg 1.2 Panda, full comp class 1 business.

As Zero says, living in rural Wales plays a big part in keeping premiums down.
 INSURANCE - CGNorwich
Would you attempt to drive through 20cm of water in a normal saloon car of any type? I certainly wouldn't. THe AA and others recommends you don't drive though more than 10 cm of water in a normal car whatever the fuel
 INSURANCE - Zero
Having just checked what 20cms looks like on my ruler, Yes, easy peasy piece of cake no issue. Have done it many times in many cars. Just checked my car, the front splitter is 24cm and the sills 22 cm. And mine is quite a low car

Not that you know how deep any water is when you approach it. So what do you do, stay at home when its raining?
Last edited by: Zero on Wed 8 Nov 23 at 17:40
 INSURANCE - tyrednemotional

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzA0U53HF2g
 INSURANCE - Zero
I am sure Teslas are much cheaper to insure in Rufford. Not.
 INSURANCE - CGNorwich
No, I just don't drive though floods.
 INSURANCE - Zero
>> No, I just don't drive though floods.

Well it matters not because you are still paying more for your insurance because you have an electric car.
Last edited by: Zero on Wed 8 Nov 23 at 18:02
 INSURANCE - smokie
OTOH my 2nd year service is criminal compared to my 1st year. £129 this year v. £44 or thereabouts last! That's main dealer and includes the full AA membership which comes with a service (and hopefully the car will also get it's once a year clean).
 INSURANCE - CGNorwich
>> >> No, I just don't drive though floods.
>>
>> Well it matters not because you are still paying more for your insurance because you
>> have an electric car.
>>
 INSURANCE - CGNorwich
Yes slightly more. In the overall scheme of things it doesn’t make much difference to running costs. Charging costs me About £16 per month as against £100 in petrol costs for a Golf.
 INSURANCE - Kevin
What's the upfront price difference and depreciation compared to the equivalent Golf?
 INSURANCE - Lygonos
>>What's the upfront price difference and depreciation compared to the equivalent Golf?

Depends what price you pay/paid of course.

Just now you can get a LEAF 40 for £22k new*, MG4 or MG ZS from £24k, and MG5 estate from £26k**.

* www.new-car-discount.com/car/nissan/leaf-hatchback/hatchback/electric/automatic/110kw-acenta-39kwh-5dr-auto/22/

** www.vicyoung.co.uk/offers/mg-affinity-programme/

iD3 are stupidly high RRP - base 59kWh is around £37k though you can get them for £33k in brokers, and as supply improves I suspect they'll drop below £30k.

A Golf 1.5 auto (slower and smaller inside than the iD3 by some margin) in cheapest spec is £30k RRP - drivethedeal can sell you one for £25,120 so stocks must be quite good

 INSURANCE - Lygonos
....and if anyone wants an electrified Corsa there are plenty brand new 50kWh jobs for under £20k right now.

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?make=Vauxhall&model=Corsa-e&postcode=G332QX&sort=price-asc&year-from=new
 INSURANCE - Bobby
That is some saving on the Corsa!

Random question, do all electric cars have the ability to be defrosted and heated up remotely whilst still plugged in? Is that just standard on all electric cars, presumably App controlled?
 INSURANCE - Lygonos
>>do all electric cars have the ability to be defrosted and heated up remotely whilst still plugged in? Is that just standard on all electric cars, presumably App controlled?

Not all, but most do nowadays.

They don't need to be plugged in - they will use the traction battery to power the heating/defrosting, although if it is plugged in, it will effectively use the charger to power the heater.
 INSURANCE - Duncan
>> ....and if anyone wants an electrified Corsa there are plenty brand new 50kWh jobs for
>> under £20k right now.
>>
>> www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?make=Vauxhall&model=Corsa-e&postcode=G332QX&sort=price-asc&year-from=new
>>

Barlinnie prison?
 INSURANCE - Lygonos
>> Barlinnie prison?

A virtual cookie for you sir!

I couldn't get it to make a link sans postcode so used a fake.

Honest!
 INSURANCE - Bobby
Why the £10k + of the new Corsas?
Overpriced to begin with?
Over supply?
Crap car?

Would you pay £20k for the Corsa or £24k for the Leaf? (No doubt you will say the MG…..)
 INSURANCE - Lygonos
Why the £10k + of the new Corsas?
Overpriced to begin with?
Over supply?
Crap car?

Almost certainly oversupply and the RRP is fantasy (low £30k) and was set intially because manufacturers could get a subsidy for cars prices £31999 or less.

Plenty of owners on speakev.com seem to find them acceptable cars.

If I wanted an EV to do runs up to 120-170 miles* then I'd go LEAF as a very reliable piece of kit. The Corsa will manage 150-200 miles**.

* ev-database.org/uk/car/1106/Nissan-Leaf

** ev-database.org/uk/car/1585/Vauxhall-Corsa-e

The MS ZS LR is fantastic value at £26.5k for a car that can do 260+ miles in summer and 200+miles in winter and is indeed what I own, and for the money would buy again.

ev-database.org/uk/car/1541/MG-ZS-EV-Long-Range



re. MG Affinity prices, if you don't qualify as a public worker or having a public worker in the family, the prices are also available to members of the MG owners club, so some people have joined purely to access the MGUK discounted prices.
 INSURANCE - VxFan
>> Plenty of owners on speakev.com seem to find them acceptable cars.

Basically the same car as the Peugeot 208. Built on the same platform as the Corsa, by the PSA Group, who are now Stellantis.
 INSURANCE - smokie
I thought MG Affinity ended over a year ago...

EDIT: Well it deffo did but I see it's back. Some quite decent discounts

Oh, and my older MG5 (aka "pre-facelift") doesn't have an app but I cope without it!! You can often control the charging remotely too, though I have enough control of that from my EVSE (charger) app.
Last edited by: smokie on Thu 9 Nov 23 at 11:37
 INSURANCE - Zero
>> Why the £10k + of the new Corsas?
>> Overpriced to begin with?
>> Over supply?
>> Crap car?
>
The Corsa has always had a crap reputation, and had to be sold on low price levels. Had I been a planner in PSA, I would have insisted on a name change for the EV option. Ford would make a killing if they made an electric version of the fiesta.
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 9 Nov 23 at 12:09
 INSURANCE - Duncan
>> >> Barlinnie prison?
>>
>> A virtual cookie for you sir!
>>
>> I couldn't get it to make a link sans postcode so used a fake.

I don't know if it is a big deal if one uses one's real postcode, I use an old address which is a few streets away, so close enough for distances etc.

I occasionally use SW1A 1AA.
 INSURANCE - CGNorwich
I paid £29,500 for my October 2022 ID 3 bought through DTD. Same year/model currently for sale around £26,000 on Autotrader. A bit irrelevant as have no intention of selling anytime soon. Really like the car.
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Wed 8 Nov 23 at 23:11
 INSURANCE - Bromptonaut
>> No, I just don't drive though floods.

I don't set out to either but sometimes I end up in one.
 INSURANCE - Zero
.
Last edited by: Zero on Wed 8 Nov 23 at 16:51
 INSURANCE - Biggles
This happened to someone in Scotland. It was in the papers a month or so ago.
 INSURANCE - Lygonos
200,000 Teslas in the UK.

1 person drowned their battery and are crying about it.

Tesla insurance is sky high because they cost a ton to repair, parts are slow to arrive, and they are now being driven by the clowns who used to have company BMW and AUDIs :-)

Went to Gocompare for some quotes.

£420 for a 2016 LEAF, £700 for a 429bhp MG4 X-Power, and over £900 for a Model 3 LR AWD.
Last edited by: Lygonos on Wed 8 Nov 23 at 22:49
 INSURANCE - Zero
>> 200,000 Teslas in the UK.
>>
>> 1 person drowned their battery and are crying about it.

Its not the drowning, most survive, its the refusal of Tesla to change failing batteries under warranty if the water indicators are triggered.
 INSURANCE - Lygonos
>>Its not the drowning, most survive, its the refusal of Tesla to change failing batteries under warranty if the water indicators are triggered.

Fairly new car - would expect if there is a fair case their household or vehicle legal cover policy could come in handy?

Tesla recently settled a claim brought by an owner that their "Full Self Driving" was a crock.

Which it is, especially in the UK.
 INSURANCE - CGNorwich
Will a manufacturer of an ICE car pay out under warranty if you kill the engine by driving through a flood?
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Thu 9 Nov 23 at 09:15
 INSURANCE - Bromptonaut
>> Will a manufacturer of an ICE car pay out under warranty if you kill the
>> engine by driving through a flood?

No. ISTR policies were amended to make this clear when these things spiked with diesels in various makes with low set intakes.
 INSURANCE - Zero
>> Will a manufacturer of an ICE car pay out under warranty if you kill the
>> engine by driving through a flood?

No, but then the engine is not mounted at floor level. Yes i know you need to know the depth of your air intake I agree.

As I allude to further up the thread, Tesla are particularly aggressive with refusal to honour warranties where ever possible. It also has very poor dealer support. Its certainly not a brand I would dump my money into.
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 9 Nov 23 at 12:05
 INSURANCE - smokie
" very poor dealer support

Suppose that's mostly because they don't need annual servicing.
Last edited by: smokie on Thu 9 Nov 23 at 13:04
 INSURANCE - Zero
>> " very poor dealer support
>>
>> Suppose that's mostly because they don't need annual servicing.

Read, not enough money in it. Not the point tho is it. Things still break, get crashed, no dealer network means very poor parts logistics, especially when repairs are specialised. Its a policy that was built into the business.
 INSURANCE - smokie
I'm not disagreeing with any of that but given that EVs simply aren't (generally) as needful as ICE cars the service and repairs model will need to change somehow.

I'm guessing that at least 80% of EV fettling is the same as any other car. I certainly took my Ampera to a local indie and had the brakes replaced (with Astra parts which were a lot cheaper than identical Ampera parts).

New businesses will spring up which will focus on EVs and become trained and specialist in them, and the servicing model will change, in a similar way that the whole traditional motor industry needs to change. I doubt it'll take someone too long to see the opportunities!

And yes, they will need to have the support of the manufacturers with a decent spares supply.
 INSURANCE - Manatee
All of ours (3) were up 30% within a point or two.

From somebody in the trade I believe it's mainly due to some companies pulling out of motor, there's just less capacity. The ones who remain can fill their capacity at higher prices. There's been a bit of a correction on the repair side too - insurers had been paying as little as £20/hour for labour, that isn't viable without creative billing (billing more hours or using second hand parts I guess). Some will say different but at least one is making good money now in contrast to pre-Covid.
 INSURANCE - smokie
Crikey, I'm sure the local was-Ford dealer was £120 an hour back when I had the Mondeo - that was 2011.
 INSURANCE - Zero
I pay £120 hour now for my BMW specialist indy
 INSURANCE - Boxsterboy
I don't understand car insurance. I thought it was supposed to have sky-rocketed in recent months.

Number 1 son, with 6 years NCB, aged 23, fancied a new (second-hand) car - a Subaru Impreza WRX (STI if possible). I advised him to check the cost of insurance in the light of recent reports of how expensive it has become. He was surprised with the quote of £8,000. I wasn't.

I was however very surprised when he turned his attentions to a BMW M235i (only a couple of insurance bands below the Scooby), and the insurance quote came to just £536. Fully comp. For 12 months. As part of the family Admiral Multi-car policy that is due for renewal next Feb. Let's hope they don't try and pull any fast ones then...

Incidentally, the dealer we are buying the BMW from was having great trouble shifting the Land Rovers/Range Rovers he had in stock - due to difficulties in buyers getting insurance...
 INSURANCE - Duncan
>> Incidentally, the dealer we are buying the BMW from was having great trouble shifting the
>> Land Rovers/Range Rovers he had in stock - due to difficulties in buyers getting insurance...
>>

And getting them repaired, I hear.
 INSURANCE - legacylad

>> And getting them repaired, I hear.
>>
Surely the LR dealers have had plenty of practice by now.
My Discovery Sport owning friend has his own coffee cup in reception at his local dealer.
 INSURANCE - Lygonos
Insurance appears to be very highly postcode dependent.

Range Rovers are literally uninsurable in London now.

After seeing a comment on a forum to this effect I used details "similar to my own" to get quotes on a new mid-range RR from a comparison site

£2300 was best in Central Scotland.

Zero quotes when I used a London address.

Apparently up to 100 RR are stolen per week in the capital.
Last edited by: Lygonos on Wed 29 Nov 23 at 07:57
 INSURANCE - VxFan
>> Apparently up to 100 RR are stolen per week in the capital.

And very easy they are to steal too from what I've seen on YouTube where people buy / repair damaged or salvaged vehicles. The thief just turns up with their own key and swaps over a PCB in the boot which is married up to that key.
 INSURANCE - Zero
Its the key relay theft* that lifts them (there is talk of a can bus injection theft but that takes time) or burglary key theft. Both easy to prevent with a bit of care.

Apparently the second hand value of RR's (specially SVR) in London & Surrounds has plummeted


*I had the feature deleted from my BMW order
 INSURANCE - Falkirk Bairn
A son picked up his new car this week.
Trawling the comparison sites typical quotes anything from £600 to £1,000+

BMW Insurance, free for 5 days, then yielded a quote of £420 with £500 excess which was cheapest by far - his existing 320d, 184BHP 3 series was less but not by much the new car is around 300BHP petrol.



 INSURANCE - Clk Sec
Recent renewal for my ageing limousine came in at around 25% more than last year. However, my usual follow-up 'phone call with a friendly agent, picked up immediately, lopped a lump off this.

£223 for the year. Considerably less than I was expecting.
 INSURANCE - Bobby
It’s not all bad news.

My 91 year old dad told me this week that he is going to give up his car at renewal time in January. Insurance last year for his 1.6 Nissan Note automatic was £950 so fully expects a premium in excess of £1500 this year is a step too far for him.

I have apparently to now look into mobility scooters for him……..
 INSURANCE - legacylad
Pop over to Benidorm.
Lots to check out on the prom
 INSURANCE - bathtub tom
>>I have apparently to now look into mobility scooters for him........

It's a minefield. Did that for MIL. First there's different classes that can be used on footpaths (4MPH) and those that can be used on footpaths (4MPH) and roads (8MPH). I didn't tell MIL about the latter class!
New prices are all over the place, with local shops selling at a premium for scooters that can be bought for a fraction of the price online.
Be wary of 'puncture-proof' tyres. They're probably solid and give a very harsh ride.
There's lots of cheap models, I suspect they're Chinese models with no backup.
The second hand market's even worse, with loads of cowboys flogging dodgy gear.

I have to say it gave my MIL another couple of years of freedom, she wouldn't have had otherwise.

Good luck
 INSURANCE - MD
I’ve just had a quote from my usual broker. Just over a grand for a 14 plate Toyota Hilux. WTH is going on?
 INSURANCE - Bromptonaut
>> I’ve just had a quote from my usual broker. Just over a grand for a
>> 14 plate Toyota Hilux. WTH is going on?

1. There are real problems in the market for car repairs pushing costs through the roof. If that's a real thing then the market is responding.

2. The insurers are a cartel in which competition is being largely suppressed so as to rip off the public.

My instinct is along the lines of 1. The proliferation of comparison sites, companies like Direct Line keeping themselves outwith comparison sites and brokers both on line and in the High St make 2 seen implausible. The specific issues with Teslas - incredibly difficult and mega costly to repair - and the susceptibility to industrial scale theft of theft certain very high end brands/models in London and SE bear out 1.

What do others think?
 INSURANCE - Bobby
So what’s causing 1? Do we still have supply chain issues for parts, chips etc?


Good to read in various places that it is getting practically impossible to insure Range Rovers in certain areas of the country now. Only way to make manufacturers act is to stop customers buying their products (as opposed to an endless stream of selling cars, they get stolen, insurance pays out, punter buys another RR etc)

I still feel the supply of damaged vehicles through the auction sites by the insurance companies provides a demand for stolen vehicles.
 INSURANCE - Zero

>> I still feel the supply of damaged vehicles through the auction sites by the insurance
>> companies provides a demand for stolen vehicles.

It can be stopped. But your insurance premium would be doubled, because it where the insurance companies recoup some of the loss. Plus the country would be littered with damaged vehicles. The scrappy selling parts is as old as the motor car itself, its an essential part of the chain, and all that has changed is the process for selling and buying.
 INSURANCE - Bobby
Cheers BT, I will start a separate thread shortly!
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