Buying Insurance for an Imported Car

Anyone who has ever tried to purchase car insurance for an imported car knows how expensive it can be. For insurance purposes, an imported car is one that has been shipped in from another country and which was not built to UK standards.

There are some imported cars that have been built to UK standards, but they are often not regarded as imported. The imported cars that car insurers dislike so much are those cars which are built with foreign parts according to foreign specifications.

Such cars can be cheaper to purchase than the British equivalent, but those savings may eventually disappear into the high cost of insuring it. The primary reason that UK car insurance companies are so reluctant to insure an imported vehicle is because it is so much harder and more expensive to fix. There may be a limited number of garages in the country that can repair it properly, and parts might have to be ordered from overseas. That could get very expensive. Before you purchase an imported car you should do some comparison of the cost of insurance for that make and model versus a similar British one.

One possible solution is to purchase one of those imported cars that does meet UK specifications. They do not usually cost very much more than the other imported ones and you might find that the insurance is considerably cheaper. Some insurance companies will charge you more for them, so it’s important that you shop around and get lots of quotes. If you consider how long you’re planning on owning and driving that car and therefore how much you will pay in increased insurance over that period you may decide that it is more cost effective to purchase the more expensive British car after all.

If you’re completely in love with a particular imported car and determined to purchase it, thenmake sure there is a garage close to you that is able to repair it, and research your insurance options thoroughly. You may find a company that specializes in insuring imported cars or one that advertises that it is willing to do so.