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No, car insurance does not cover engine repairs unless you have mechanical breakdown insurance or the damage is the result of a covered cause, such as a car crash. Mechanical breakdown insurance is a car insurance policy add-on that covers the failure of major vehicle systems, including the engine.
Even mechanical breakdown insurance (MBI) is not guaranteed to cover engine repairs. MBI covers engine repairs after sudden failure, but it does not pay for repairs related to normal maintenance or wear and tear. If you do not have mechanical breakdown insurance, however, you will usually have to pay for the repairs yourself. Several major insurance companies, including Geico and Allstate, offer mechanical breakdown insurance for about $100 annually.
When Standard Car Insurance Covers Engine Repairs
If you don’t have mechanical breakdown insurance, there are only two scenarios in which a car insurance company would cover engine problems. If the engine failure is the result of a car accident, then you can file a claim with your collision insurance to fix the damage. And if the failure was directly caused by something other than an accident, such as an animal or a natural disaster, then it should be covered by comprehensive insurance.
For newer vehicles, sudden engine failure is usually covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. The manufacturer’s warranty pays for major mechanical repairs on a vehicle for a certain period of time, usually until the car is three years old or drives 36,000 miles. Mechanical breakdown insurance, which can be thought of as a car insurance company’s version of an extended warranty, only applies once the original warranty expires.
To learn more, check out WalletHub’s guides to mechanical breakdown insurance and car repair insurance.
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