Does Car Insurance Cover All Kinds of Repairs?

Your car insurance provides coverage for repairs caused by an accident, but it may not be enough to prevent you from experiencing financial stress when your car breaks down. Fortunately, there's vehicle service coverage to help out with repair costs not covered by car insurance.

What is covered by car insurance?

Your auto insurance policy coverage depends on the types of coverage you choose, which may include liability, comprehensive, collision, gap, and glass. You can generally select liability-only auto insurance or full coverage auto insurance.

Liability-only car insurance

While it's legal to carry only liability insurance on your car if you don't have a loan or lease, that coverage kicks in only if you cause damage to someone else's property with your vehicle.

Full coverage car insurance

Your lender may require "full coverage" insurance if you have a loan or lease, including a liability policy plus collision and comprehensive coverage.

Collision and comprehensive

These policies cover damage done to your car by someone who is underinsured or harm caused by unfortunate incidents like hitting an animal in the road or storms. If your car is damaged in an accident caused by you, your full coverage insurance will pay to repair the damage, minus your deductible.

Gap insurance

Your insurance company may not provide enough money to pay off your car if they decide it is a total loss after an accident. Your lienholder may also require you to pay for a gap insurance policy, which covers the "gap" between the amount you owe and your car's market value.

What does a standard car insurance policy cover?

A standard car insurance policy may cover physical damage to your car's body, lights, and glass after an accident. Of course, the coverage depends on the type of policy you purchase.

Your car insurance may also cover medical bills that result from a car accident. If you have underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage, your insurance company may pay for damage to your car resulting from an accident caused by a driver with inadequate insurance.

What is not covered with car insurance?

Your car insurance policy has limits, so if repair bills exceed the amount of coverage included with your auto insurance policy, you may be held personally liable for the remaining costs of repairing or replacing someone else's property after an accident you cause while driving.

Your regular auto insurance policy won't cover repair bills caused by the failure of your car's systems outside of damage directly from an accident, including:

Engine
Fuel system
Exhaust system
Cooling system
Lubrication
Electrical system
Transmission
Chassis

Surprise repair bills not covered by an auto insurance policy cause financial strain for many people. It may be necessary to charge a large repair bill to a credit card and pay high-interest charges or even take out a loan to keep the car on the road.

How can you get additional car insurance coverage?

To ensure you have the right amounts and types of car insurance, talk with your agent about your current coverage. They can recommend ways to get the most value for your insurance dollar.

Unfortunately, your auto insurance doesn't help when your car breaks down due to mechanical failure. People living paycheck to paycheck don't have to live in fear of high car repair bills, though. If you need more coverage than your auto insurance provides, expanding your coverage to include mechanical breakdown coverage may help you avoid having to pay for expensive repairs out-of-pocket.

Vehicle service coverage from a third-party provider may be the right choice if you fear high-cost repairs not covered by your auto insurance policy. With Ridesure, you can get help covering the costs of necessary repairs that aren't related to a car accident. With a vehicle service coverage plan from Ridesure, we handle the claims process and even help you rent a car so you don't have to miss work while your car is in the shop.

The best way to find out if vehicle service coverage may be an affordable way to help you manage future repair bills is to get a free quote online.