Services
Insurance
Loans
Repairs
Advice
About

Is it fraud to modify your vehicle and not inform the insurance company?

I recently added chrome, a turbocharger, and a new sound system to my vehicle. I'm worried it's going to increase my insurance premiums. Is it illegal to keep this information from GEICO?

avatar
Sophie Newman · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
“While it’s not illegal or fraudulent to keep the modifications from
GEICO
company, you are doing yourself a disservice.
Most standard auto insurance policies don’t cover modifications, so if you want to recuperate your vehicle’s value in the event of an accident, you’ll likely need to purchase additional coverage like
sound system coverage
and custom parts and equipment coverage.
Even then, you’ll want to keep track of the purchase receipts for your modifications. If someone else is at fault in an accident, you may need to prove the value of your car as it will be different than the
actual cash value
an insurance company would use.
If you don’t currently have additional coverage for your modifications, talk to GEICO. An agent can give you a quote on adding extra coverage. You should also request quotes from a few other companies.
If you’d rather leave the hard work of gathering quotes to someone else, use
Jerry
. Jerry collects quotes from up to 50 top insurance companies and delivers the best deals to your phone in minutes for free.”
View full answer 
WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.

Join 4M+ members in lowering their car insurance

Easiest way to compare and buy car insurance

√
No long forms
√
No spam or unwanted phone calls
√
Quotes from top insurance companies
Find insurance savings