“I just recently changed my tyre rims! Who stole my rims!”
Who has experienced such an unfortunate situation? It must be frustrating to watch your hard-earned money disappear in the blink second.
Can you opt for an insurance claim to cover your losses? Read this article to find out if you can claim in the event of car accessories theft.
Insurance coverage for car accessories
Insurance coverage does not cover all types of car accessories. To your knowledge, the coverage only applies to accessories or standard tools installed in the factory.
Examples are original tire rims, air-conditioners, and others.
If you are a comprehensive policyholder, you may claim insurance to replace the stolen accessories. Please note that it only applies to original accessories already installed in the factory.
New-installed sports rim is stolen. Can you claim?
Situation:
Zaidi loves to modify his car. He changed the original tire rim to a new one.
Unfortunately, the new rim was stolen when he parked his car at a car park.
Question: Is Zaidi allowed to claim insurance to replace his stolen rim?
Answer: NO, he can’t. This is because the stolen rim is not factory-made. Instead, it was the one that Zaidi recently purchased and replaced by himself. Although Zaidi has comprehensive insurance, the insurance provider has the right not to entertain his claim.
What can Zaidi do to ensure he can claim the stolen rim?
Zaidi may claim, on the condition that he has additional car accessories coverage for rims in his policy. Let us explain this further:
Zaidi purchased additional car accessories coverage mainly for rims when he renewed insurance with a comprehensive policy.
If Zaidi purchased it right after he changed the new rims, then he will be eligible to claim for the theft.
But, in this case, Zaidi did not purchase the coverage during the theft. That is why Zaidi cannot claim insurance.
New accessories / not factory-made: not eligible for insurance claim
In addition to changing to new rims, all accessories installed by yourself after owning the car are not eligible to make an insurance claim.
But, you may claim insurance if you purchase additional car accessories coverage for each of those accessories.
List of commonly-installed car accessories:
i) Dash cam
ii) Upgrade of audio system
iii) Leather car seat replacement
iv) Standard gear knob replacement
v) Tires replacement to bigger sizes.
Planning to modify your car? Please follow JPJ guideline
Some car owners view car modifications as a need/leisure hobby to enhance car performance.
But, Section (12) of the Road Transport Act 1987 has ruled that any modifications made to any vehicles before or after registration must be done legally. You are liable for summons if found obstructing the rule.
You may refer to our previous article to learn more on JPJ Guidelines for Vehicle Modifications.
Get additional car accessories coverage
If you are a car modification enthuasist, we advise you to purchase additional car accessories coverage.
The additional premium to add on accessories cover to your comprehensive insurance is about 15% of the sum insured for the accessories. This is worth of purchase in case such an unfortunate theft incident happens to your car.
It is not difficult to purchase the additional coverage in your policy plan. Just add it in when renewing insurance with a comprehensive plan.
Please note that you cannot purchase additional coverage without a comprehensive plan. For your convenience, we recommend you renew your insurance online at Bjak. You may easily do it 100% online anywhere you like.
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