Does car insurance cover non-accident repairs? There are some situations where auto insurance companies can provide coverage to your vehicle if you were not in an accident.
But does insurance cover all non-accident damage? This guide will explain everything you need to know about what car insurance companies cover when it comes to non-accident types of repairs. Also, we will show you how to compare car insurance at multiple companies to secure the best deal.
Does Car Insurance Cover Non-Accident Repairs? Really?
Ensuring your car is not only a legal requirement but it can also save thousands of dollars in medical and property damage costs from accidents. But does car insurance cover non-accident repairs?
Car insurance is a broad term that refers to multiple types of coverage. Depending on how wide you cast your net, you can find insurance that pays for most types of repairs, including general mechanical breakdowns.
To learn more about the various types of car insurance coverage, as well as the types of insurance that will cover non-accident repairs, keep reading.
What Does Car Insurance Cover for Non-Accident Repairs Cover?
Although it varies state by state, in general, you are legally required to pay for some amount of basic car insurance before you fasten your seatbelt and start your engine. Basic levels of insurance are designed to protect other people and their property from your actions on the road.
If you are caught driving without auto insurance, you could end up paying fines, losing your license, or heading to jail not to mention, dealing with the huge amount of financial damage from the car accident itself, particularly if you are at fault.
Check your state guidelines to determine what type of basic car insurance coverage you will need. These insurance options can include:
Liability Coverage
Bodily injury liability covers injuries that you cause to someone else, and property damage liability covers damage you cause to someone else’s property. Most states require a minimum level of liability insurance.
Uninsured Motorist
Required by some states, this insurance covers your injury and property damage if you are hit by an uninsured or underinsured motorist.
Personal Injury Protection
Personal injury protection covers injuries to the driver and passengers of your car and is required in some states.
Medical Payments
MedPay, required by some states, helps cover your medical bills resulting from a car accident.
Types of Car Insurance That Covers Non-Accident Repairs
When you build your car insurance policy, remember the legal minimum in your state is a starting point, and its primary purpose is to protect other drivers.
From this point, you can determine the amount of insurance and types of coverage you will need:
Whether you own your car outright or are making payments on it. What your options are for interim transportation or replacing your car if it is damaged
How Much You Could Afford to Pay in a Deductible if Your Car Needs Repair?
Whether or not you want to be covered for non-accident repairs
Understanding the types of coverage available and in particular, non-accident repair coverage can help you narrow down your insurance search.
Comprehensive Insurance
Comprehensive insurance is designed to cover damage that is unrelated to a collision with another auto or an object. This often includes:
Animal damage
Collision with or damage from an animal, whether you hit a deer or a bird flew into your windshield.
Falling object damage
From a tree branch to a landslide, and any damage from falling objects.
Windshield damage
Repairing cracked or shattered windshields, which are often the result of rocks thrown up by other tires on the highway.
From having your hubcaps stolen to a carjacking, any type of theft of your vehicle.
Collision Insurance
Unlike property damage liability, which covers the other car, collision insurance covers damage to your car in case of a collision. A collision could be with:
- Another automobile
- Telephone poles, trees, or other objects
- Potholes resulting in damage
Collision insurance also covers damage from a single-car incident, where the driver loses control and the car flips over.
Like comprehensive auto insurance, collision insurance usually has a separate deductible.
Policies may differ in whether you end up paying your deductible for at-fault versus no-fault incidents, but collision coverage means the insurer pays to repair your car regardless of fault.
In terms of covering non-accident repairs, Collisions will pay for repairs related to pothole damage.
GAP Insurance
Say your car is stolen or completely totaled in an accident. On top of everything else, still owing payments on a car loan can seem like the ultimate insult. GAP insurance is an option that helps pay off the loan for an unrecoverable car.
While this does not involve repairs, GAP insurance can be a relief for a non-accident case of theft.
Roadside Assistance
Regardless of how it happens whether you run out of gas, get a flat tire, or are stopped by a smoky mystery under your hood if you opt into roadside assistance, you can get help with a simple phone call to your insurer.
They will send someone to your location to either fix a minor issue on-site or tow your car to the repair shop of your choice.
Roadside assistance covers minor non-accident assistance, such as jumping your battery. It also covers the cost of towing your car to the repair shop for mechanical breakdowns or any issue that leaves it unable to be driven.
Rental Reimbursement
When your car’s being repaired, how do you get where you need to go? One of the secondary costs of an accident is replacement transportation during the repair.
If you pay for rental reimbursement as part of your policy, your insurance will spring for a rental car while your ride is in the shop. However, rental reimbursement only applies to repair damage after a collision.
What About Car Repair Insurance?
Another option these days from auto insurers is mechanical breakdown insurance. While it is not available from most insurers, and not available for most motor vehicles, it falls into the category of insurance that covers non-accident repairs.
Mechanical breakdown insurance is an option for newer, lower-mileage cars that is similar to an extended warranty. It is designed to cover mechanical breakdowns entirely unrelated to accidents, collisions, and externally caused damage.
What Does Car Repair Insurance?
You will need to review the fine print on any mechanical breakdown insurance policies, it is not a universal standard for car repair insurance.
However, after a deductible, mechanical breakdown insurance policies often cover:
- Engine
- Cooling systems
- Steering
- Air conditioning
- Fuel systems
- Electrical and computer systems
- Drivetrain, including transmission
- Steering components
- Brakes
- Exhaust
What Does Car Repair Insurance Exclude?
Mechanical breakdown insurance coverage is based on both the type and the cause of the necessary repair, as well as whether it is already covered by a different contract.
Excluded items generally include:
Recall A necessary replacement or fix based on a recall is covered by the auto manufacturer.
Warranty Any repair or replacement is legally covered by an active warranty.
Standard Car Insurance
Damage caused by an accident or other outside force that is or can be covered by basic, collision, or comprehensive insurance, such as natural disasters, vandalism, or windshield chips and cracks.
Mechanical breakdown insurance policies generally do not pay for damage or neglect by the owner. This includes breakdowns or deterioration caused by:
- Improper maintenance
- Overheating
- Alterations to your vehicle
- Towing excessive weight
- Corrosion
For instance, if you bought a used car with a cracked windshield, you could have to pay for that repair yourself. Check with your provider for details on your specific coverage.
Does Car Repair Insurance Pay for Maintenance?
For the most part, you can expect maintenance to be another category excluded from a mechanical breakdown insurance policy. Most mechanical breakdown insurance excludes:
- Oil and coolant changes
- New tires, rotation, and alignments
- Replacement of spark plugs, brake pads, and shoes.
However, there are some exceptions. If you are looking for a full-service level of coverage, you can find some car repair policies that cover routine care.
Does Car Insurance Cover Non-Accident Repairs?
Auto insurance companies cover specific non-accident repairs under comprehensive car insurance.
But how does comprehensive coverage work? Comprehensive auto insurance pays for non-accident repairs that do not involve a collision.
Here is a list of non-accident events that comprehensive insurance covers:
- Damage from animals
- Fire damage
- Vehicle theft damage
- Natural disasters (storms, hail, and flooding)
- Vandalism
- Falling objects
These events are all examples of non-accidents. Theft and vandalism are intentional, while natural disasters are random occurrences that no one can control.
If your car needs to be repaired because of one or more of these situations, your auto insurance company will cover it. However, your car insurance company does not repair vehicle damage from normal wear and tear or sudden mechanical failure.
Does Car Insurance Cover Non-Accident Repairs Damage?
It depends on how the damage occurred. If you have comprehensive insurance, your auto insurance company will pay for damage related to accidents that do not involve a collision.
Car insurance companies do not cover damage from bad repairs, faulty maintenance, or normal wear and tear.
Does Car Insurance Cover Non-Accident Repairs Warranty?
It depends on your situation. Vehicle warranties cover sudden mechanical breakdowns. If your vehicle needs to be repaired, check on your car’s warranty.
New cars have a warranty that lasts up to three years, whichever comes first. Extended warranties give you more time and more mileage limits.
