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Find out more'My car insurer doesn't want me any more'
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I own a 10-year-old Lexus CT 200h, but my insurance company has written to me to say it will not renew my insurance when it’s due at the end of the month.
It says this is because of an increase in theft affecting this model of car.
I’m not certain how I can check this fact. Can you help?
Paul from Somerset
'Thieves don't want the car, they want its catalytic converter'
Bill Wilkinson-Hoy, Which? Money expert, says…
Unfortunately we have no way of checking the source of the data used by your insurer, so we looked for comments from other Lexus CT 200h owners who’ve experienced theft and believe we’ve found a plausible reason.
It’s not theft of the Lexus CT 200h that’s driving up insurance premiums, rather the fact that your car is a target for catalytic converter thefts.
Older catalytic converters have more precious metals than their newer counterparts, making older cars preferred targets for this type of crime.
Insurance brokers are well placed to help with difficult-to-insure cars like yours
A new converter for your model can cost around £500, but there are various ways to protect it from theft, from alarms that can sense the car being tilted, to fitting steel plates covering the converter.
You can get the converter marked with invisible yet traceable ink, which can help police in their attempts to fight the organised gangs responsible. It is free to get the converter marked – call your local Toyota or Lexus retailer to arrange a visit.
It's always worth running car insurance quotes on comparison sites, but in these cases you may find you get few quotes, or only very expensive quotes.
We recommended that you go to the British Insurance Brokers Association (Biba).
Insurance brokers are well placed to help with difficult-to-insure cars like yours, as they have access to a wide variety of mainstream and specialist insurers that may be able to take a more personalised approach.
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