Does Car Insurance Cover Total Engine Failure?

A typical car insurance policy only covers repairs to your vehicle if they are related to some type of accident. You won't be covered if your engine has a mechanical failure or other malfunction.

Car insurance

generally doesn't cover engine failures, even if you have full coverage. The exception is if the mechanical problem or the burned engine may be directly related to a covered claim.

One of those events discovered is a burned engine. Normally, full coverage insurance does not cover engine failures because standard policies do not include mechanical breakdowns. If you have the standard package of products with full coverage insurance, you won't have to pay for engine repairs out of pocket. No, comprehensive insurance does not cover engine failure, since engine failure would be covered by mechanical breakdown insurance.

Comprehensive insurance only covers specific non-accident related damages that result from external causes, such as damage from a falling tree or a natural disaster. Things that are caused by other drivers or that happen as a result of mechanical failure or misuse of the vehicle are never covered by comprehensive insurance. The circumstances surrounding the damage to your engine will determine whether or not your insurance policy will cover it. In most cases, your insurance will cover the costs of minor damage to your engine as a result of an accident.

If the damage is too serious or if you caused the accident, you may not be covered. As you can see, none of the four common car policies mentioned above specifically cover engine failures. If a covered event, such as an explosion, damages your engine and causes engine failure, your policy may cover damage to your engine, especially if you can link engine failures to the covered event, in this case, an explosion. The same goes for collision coverage.

That is, if your car has engine failures after a collision event, you can file a collision insurance claim for engine failure. Again, to receive compensation, the covered event must be directly responsible for engine failures. More specifically, the adjuster will need to see the repair and maintenance records for your car, so you should always have them handy. Since the damage to your engine has to be related to a cause covered in your policy, some drivers find it tempting to falsify a claim.

This means that, depending on certain circumstances, your car insurance policy can or can cover engine failures. If you have deficit insurance, you'll pay the difference between the book value of your total car and the amount you still owe for it. If you notice a large amount of exhaust smoke, metal shavings in the oil, lack of power, or smoke coming from under the hood, it can be a sign of engine problems. No, a standard car insurance policy doesn't cover engine failure unless it's related to a covered accident.

Comprehensive insurance is often purchased in conjunction with collision insurance, so the policyholder is protected against accident-related and non-accident-related damages. It may be helpful to sit down with your insurance representative and review all of your options to decide if Mechanical Breakdown Insurance (MBI) or an extended warranty is right for your needs. Like mechanical breakdown insurance, extended warranties usually offer full coverage (with some exclusions) and should be purchased when your car is relatively new, although a new car does come with a manufacturer's warranty. It is insurance fraud to report that your engine failure was due to a covered cause when you were responsible for a mechanical breakdown.

Remember to consider the full value of your car before purchasing insurance against mechanical breakdowns, otherwise you could end up paying a higher deductible than your car is worth. Coverage is designed to pay for mechanical problems that aren't caused by a car accident, such as if the air conditioner suddenly stops blowing cold air. To compare quotes from many different insurance companies, enter your zip code on this page to use the free quote tool. Generally speaking, car insurance doesn't pay for engine failure or breakdown of the mechanical parts of your vehicle.