Japanese import insurance

CliffHangeroner

We bought a Japanese import 192 Toyota Auris Hybrid 1.8 hybrid from a main dealers last April and paid an extra 90 euro on the remainder of the insurance policy to cover us. Now the policy is up for renewal and we are getting ridiculous quotes ranging from 890 euro to 1550 euro to insure for the year. We are both in our 50's and have a completely flawless claims history and only do an average of 8k klms a year and im finding this pure robbery from the companies quoting us. We've also being refused a quote from several brokers tbh i would have never bought an import if i'd realised how hard it is to get cover at a reasonable price.

Our last car a 2009 Kia Ceed was 360 to insure fully comp for the year last time out so i just can't get my head around why the premium is so massive.

Do any forum members have any broker recommendations or advice before i take the hit and just sell the car for a non import thanks in advance.

Glaceon

Japanese Toyota imports don’t have immobilisers so are dead simple to steal, I’d say that’s why you’re having such a hard time insuring it.

Banzai600

my partner had an import from new, she sold it few yrs ago as it was too much hassle getting insurance.

i stand to be corrected, but i think its around the security / locking of the car - im not sure but this is what she was told ?

have you asked if you get a reputable car alarm fitted will it make a difference ?

its crazy if there is a looming all out embargo on jap imports that dealers still bring them in and are allowed to , if they are not suitable for sale in the car market here.

CliffHangeroner

The car has an immobiliser and alarm fitted they don't want to know anyway we've been told the price is the price. Think i'll just take the hit and move it on not dealing with this every renewal absolutely ridiculous carry on from insurance industry.

Del2005

There is no shortcut to getting reasonable insurance quotes. You have to get onto every company and broker you can find and then compare policies. If they won't quote you online they won't quote over the phone, I tried with a big petrol car.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122676112#Comment_122676112

The security issues are only with the very specific cars. Most of them are the same as the cars here, VWs for example. You could always get extra security if that was true.

It's just the insurance companies up to their old tricks.

bazz26

Some Toyota Aqua, Vitz, Mazda Demio and Honda Fit, etc don't come with a factory fitted immobiliser meaning they can easily be stolen by thieves and joyriders. Even the ones with an immobiliser can still be damaged while attempting to steal them. That can still result in an insurance claim so they use all that data to justify profiling these cars as a higher risk.

As said, there is no short cut to getting cheaper insurance. You have to spend time getting quotes from them all.

Luna84

Jeez up to a few years ago all I owned was Jap cars from the 90's and had no issue insuring them. I remember a trick but I forget who the insurance company was but you put the cars value as 20 grand and you automatically got cheap insurance. It was a glitch in their online portal.

Did you try AXA by any chance?

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122676322#Comment_122676322

Shop around. Everyone gets shafted at renewal time.

CliffHangeroner

So update on this wife just got quote with allianz insurance 370 fully comp guy on phone said once it had immobiliser they hadn't a problem with it. Some insane differences in quotes I do wonder how some insurers can quote 1500 euro and another a quarter of that for the exact same product. Anyway happy enough don't need to deal with selling it now.

CliffHangeroner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122676605#Comment_122676605

Yeah Axa are one of the ones that wouldn't even quote us. Funny thing is Allianz online quoted us 890 and when my wife rang the price dropped to 370. Go figure 🧐