Gap insurance is an optional type of car insurance coverage that pays the difference between the balance on a car loan or lease and what the vehicle is actually worth if it is declared a total loss. Gap insurance ensures you don't have to make payments on a car that is no longer drivable.… read full answer
Gap coverage usually only applies when a driver has comprehensive and collision insurance. Collision or comprehensive coverage will pay out the car’s value if it’s a total loss, and then gap insurance fills in the rest.
Gap Insurance Example
Imagine you buy a $50,000 car with a down payment of $10,000. Three years later, the car is worth $20,000, but you still owe $24,000 on the loan. If the car is totaled in an accident or stolen and declared a total loss, your normal insurance policy will pay $20,000, or the car’s actual cash value (ACV), minus your deductible.
New car price |
$50,000 |
Loan balance after one year (4% APR/5-year loan) |
$24,000 |
Actual cash value after one year |
$20,000 |
Insurance payment without gap coverage |
$20,000 |
Deficit |
$4,000 |
Gap insurance payment |
$4,000 |
If you don’t have gap insurance, you’ll still owe $4,000, and you’ll still have to pay off the car even though you can’t drive it. But if you do have gap insurance, it will pay the $4,000. Some gap insurance policies even pay your deductible, though most do not.
It’s also important to keep in mind that the money you receive from gap insurance will go to your lender or lessor, not toward your purchase of a new car. If you’re interested in coverage that will help you buy a car in the future, look into new car replacement insurance instead.
Finally, you can buy gap insurance from a dealership, bank, credit union, or car insurance company. It’s not legally mandated in any state, though car dealerships will sometimes require it on a leased or financed vehicle. If you sell a car, pay it off early, or trade it in, you can usually receive a gap insurance refund.
show less