Don’t Be Surprised if Your Auto Insurance Doesn’t Cover These 4 Things

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Auto insurance won’t cover routine wear and tear or personal property. Find out what else insurance may not pay for and how to avoid unpleasant surprises. 

Drivers need auto insurance. It is required by law throughout the United States to have certain kinds of coverage. And drivers who don’t have insurance and cause a crash may get stuck paying for the accident victim’s bills out of their bank account, which is likely to be financially devastating.

But, while auto insurance coverage can pay for many losses — with the specifics depending on the coverage chosen — there are some things a policy usually will not cover. Here are a few things that motorists should not expect their auto insurer to cut a check for.

1. Routine wear and tear

Cars have lots of moving parts and, sadly, that means upkeep can be costly. In fact, AAA estimates that the average cost of routine maintenance is about $792 annually. This can include things like oil changes or replacing the brakes.

Unfortunately, auto insurance doesn’t cover any of these routine things that vehicles require. Unlike health insurance, which can pay for preventive care and checkups, auto insurance isn’t there for the day-to-day stuff that is needed to keep the car running. Drivers must pay for these things entirely out of pocket.

2. Personal property inside of a vehicle

A car insurance policy typically provides no coverage for anything inside of a car that’s not part of the vehicle itself. So, if a driver’s laptop or expensive sports gear (or any other personal items) are damaged in an accident or lost because of a car theft, the motorist is on their own to get those items repaired or replaced.

3. Rideshare and commercial use without an add-on

Drivers who use their car for commercial purposes, including working for Uber or Lyft, will not have auto insurance coverage for losses that occur when doing work in their vehicle if they have only a standard policy. They’ll need to get rideshare insurance as an add-on, if their insurer offers it. Depending on the insurer, this could cost anywhere from around $6 to $27 per month extra on top of other auto insurance premiums.

4. Losses above policy limits

Coverage minimums are pretty low in most states. In some cases, drivers only need to buy liability insurance and only buy around $15,000 or $25,000 per person and $30,000 or $50,000 per accident in coverage.

Unfortunately, insurance will not pay for any damages above your policy limits. This means if a driver causes an accident and someone sustains $100,000 in injuries, the insurer might only pay $15,000 — leaving the at-fault driver personally responsible for covering the other $85,000.

Because of this, motorists should make sure they buy enough coverage to protect their assets. Often, this means buying a minimum of around $250,000 or $500,000 in liability coverage and also buying coverages that are not required by law, such as collision coverage to pay for the policyholder’s own vehicle after a crash not caused by someone else.

Now, buying this additional coverage would come at an added cost. A 40-year-old female SUV driver in Florida with a clean driving record would pay around $88 a month for $10,000 per person and $20,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage from Progressive, but premiums would jump to around $179 by opting for $250,000 per person and $500,000 per accident in liability coverage. Adding collision and comprehensive coverage with a $250 premium would take the monthly cost to around $254.

While this is quite a bit more money, it can be worth paying to avoid having to cover accident costs entirely out of pocket, should one occur.

Ultimately, every driver should read their insurance policy carefully, or talk with their insurance agent, to find out what exactly their insurance does — and does not — cover. This can help motorists avoid unpleasant surprises by making sure they have the right coverage.

Finally, motorists should also make sure to have some money saved in an emergency fund to cover things like routine wear and tear that insurance won’t pay for.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Christy Bieber has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends Progressive. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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