When Are Repairs Covered By Car Insurance?

Car insurance is great peace of mind for car owners. It can neatly cover the cost of unforeseen damages. This only applies, however, if the unforeseen issue arises from a collision or any other incident that is explicitly covered, such as theft or fire.

Repairs for ordinary wear-and-tear or routine mechanical breakdowns are, in most cases, not covered by your car insurance policy. This post answers whether you’re covered for ordinary car repairs.

From vehicle accidents to spark plug failure, you’ll learn more about which costs your insurance will cover.

Does My Car Insurance Cover Repairs?

According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), routine car maintenance, such as changing the oil, will typically not be included in your car insurance coverage.

Actions like routine maintenance, mechanical failures or seized engines will most likely not be covered by your car insurance. Do not expect your car insurance to foot the bill of repairing or replacing your vehicle in incidents like these.

In an ideal world, our insured cars would run smoothly for as long as possible. Yet, you should plan to pay for routine maintenance out of your own pocket if your car breaks down.

Does My Car Insurance Cover Accident Damages?

If your car sustains damages from an accident with another object or vehicle, collision coverage will foot the bill.

This sort of coverage also offers assistance when you’re in what is commonly referred to as a single-car accident. These are incidents in which you roll over, for example, or run into a ditch.

Should your car sustain damage or mechanical issues because of a collision, comprehensive coverage helps you pay for the related repairs.

As a whole, this sort of coverage tends to be optional. This is unless your car is financed or leased.

Does Car Insurance Pay For Non-Accident Repairs?

Comprehensive car insurance may help cover the costs of damages sustained outside of a collision. Perils such as fires, vandalism, theft, damage from natural disasters or falling objects, and even damage from animals can all be covered by your comprehensive insurance package.

Insured car owners can rest assured that, should a tree fall onto their hoods or they collide with an animal, their comprehensive coverage will step in. It can pay for the costs related to the bodywork and mechanical repairs.

Much like collision coverage, comprehensive coverage tends to be optional coverage as well. Also bear in mind that there are often coverage limits. This means, depending on how much your car is covered for, you may have to pay some of the access costs.

As a general rule, car owners rely on service providers like Express Auto Repair. Such service providers cover ordinary wear-and-tear maintenance and repairs.

You can expect your Express Auto Repair service provider to conduct oil and filter changes. Your run of the mill tire rotations can be completed by them as well. Anything from exterior bulb replacements to cabin and air filter replacements, wiper blade replacements, battery diagnostic checks and so much more

Does Car Insurance Cover Rental Car Damages?

In general, car insurance does not cover the repair costs of a rental vehicle. An option that does, however, help cover such costs is rental reimbursement coverage.

It is sometimes referred to as rental car coverage and is an optional coverage component. Like comprehensive and collision insurance, this sort of coverage typically has limits for how much it is will to pay for certain damages.

A very helpful and useful insurance option is roadside assistance. When subscribed to these types of programs, car owners gain access to benefits like free towing services after their cars break down. These services can help jump start dead batteries, fix a flat tire, refuel your car, and other helpful services.

Roadside services like these are not typically included in your car insurance, but can easily be obtained from other service providers, typically through a membership. It’s a great way to cover costs if your car undergoes common, quick-fix damages.

Your car insurance generally won’t cover mechanical repairs for you. Routine maintenance? That’s coming out of your pocket too. It does offer protection for a lot of scenarios, though. Ensure you review your policy documents to better understand what you’re covered for and for how much.

For your access to someone who can do your express auto repairs, get in touch with us now!