KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 29 -- Vehicle modifications are back in focus after the Road Transport Department (JPJ) seized 37 vehicles with extreme modifications during Ops Ekstrem in Kuala Lumpur earlier this month. The same operation also recorded 57 offences involving vehicles without insurance coverage.

Sport rims, lowered suspension, body kits and performance upgrades can change more than how a car looks or drives. Modified car insurance premiums, coverage and claims can also be affected, depending on how those changes alter a vehicle's value, performance and risk.

Modified car insurance refers to motor insurance covering a vehicle that has been altered from its original specifications. Changes involving engines, turbochargers, suspension,...