The top ten most common car modifications in the past year have been revealed, with alloy wheels taking the top spot.
Price comparison site MoneySuperMarket has analysed all of the car modification insurance enquiries for 2021, to reveal which parts of their cars the British public want to change the most.
It also revealed which ones could invalidate certain car finance agreements, as well as four common mods that could be illegal and land you with a fine, penalty points or even a court appearance.
Some 14% of these insurance enquiries were surrounding modifying alloy wheels, including painting or even wrapping the alloys to personalise the car.
The second most popular was suspension changes at 9%, with exhaust systems following after at 8%.
Other common car modifications included the removal of seats, non-standard paintwork, and even spotlights.
Illegal car modifications
While people are allowed to modify their cars, there are a couple of changes that could land you a court order, a fine or points on your licence.
Tinted windows
7% of all car modification enquiries to MoneySuperMarket were about window tinting. However, tinting your windows more than allowed can result in a £50 to £100 fine, three penalty points or even being reported to court2. The front windscreen needs to be 75% tint-free, and the side windows 70% tint-free.
Loud exhausts
Likewise, MoneySuperMarket recorded over 8% of car insurance enquiries for exhaust system changes. But exhaust systems cannot go over the noise limit of 74 decibels. Again, this can result in a fine or reported to court, as well as making the vehicle more damaging to the environment.
Spoilers
These aren't always illegal - they're popular, with 4% of MoneySuperMarket’s car modification enquiries about adding a spoiler. But, if not installed correctly, it can get you into trouble. The spoiler needs to be fastened safely and if it's not, the police could have the power to remove the unsafe spoiler.
Nitrous Oxide
Using Nitrous Oxide to boost your motor speed in a gasoline engine is extremely illegal and dangerous. Doing this can increase cylinder pressure, if they are exposed to enough heat, which could see the nitrous expand within and shatter the cylinders, causing an explosion and costs for you.
Making changes to the engine in an attempt to improve performance could result in safety implications landing you a hefty fine. The potential penalties are £1,000 for a car and £2,500 for a van, lorry or bus.
The 10 most popular car modifications
| Car Modification Description | Percentage of Total Enquiries |
| Alloy wheels | 14% |
| Suspension changes | 9% |
| Exhaust system changes | 8% |
| Tow bar | 7% |
| Tinted windows | 7% |
| Chipped/engine management system | 5% |
| Aira filter | 5% |
| Parking sensors | 4% |
| After-market exhaust system approved for road use | 3% |
| Complete body kit | 3% |
While car modifications are common, experts have warned that they could invalidate your car's finance policy if you haven't declared them.
Even the non-temporary ones such as alloy wheels count as permanent changes. For example, if you got into an accident with your modified alloys, you might end up owing money to the car finance company if they haven't been declared - leaving you uninsured.
What to do if you've made changes without checking the finance agreement
Jo Thornhill from MoneySuperMarket said: "You need to let your finance provider know of any changes to the car, no matter how small. That’s because you don’t actually own the car while paying your finance instalments on PCP or HP.
"As long as you are within your contract, the car belongs to the finance company and is their security for the loan.
"Therefore, the finance company can place restrictions on the car while they are the owner. If they need to recoup their losses due to you not being able to make repayments, they can take the car and sell it. But modifications to a car can affect its value; they can either improve it or lower it. In your eyes, you might have improved it, but the finance company may think differently."
MoneySuperMarket recommends returning the car in its original condition before the end of the agreement, thus sticking to your contract.
But that doesn’t always protect you if modifications are discovered after - that’s why the best thing you can do is let them know of any plans to modify the car in advance to avoid any unexpected financial charges or penalties.
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