What Is Comprehensive Insurance?
Comprehensive insurance is a type of car insurance coverage that pays for damage to a vehicle caused by events other than a collision. For example, comprehensive insurance covers damage due to falling objects, fire, theft, flooding, vandalism, wind, and more.
What Does Comprehensive Insurance Cover?
Comprehensive insurance covers repairs to your vehicle after a non-collision accident. The maximum amount you can be paid by comprehensive insurance is typically the actual cash value of your vehicle before the accident.
Covered | Not Covered |
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Learn more about what comprehensive insurance covers.
When Do You Need Comprehensive Insurance?
You probably need comprehensive insurance if:
- You have a loan or lease
- You cannot afford to repair or replace your car out of pocket
- You live in an area where natural disasters like floods, wildfires, or hurricanes are common
- You often drive on busy highways where gravel and debris could damage your windshield
- You live in a rural area where there are often deer strikes or other wildlife-related accidents
- You live in a high-crime area where theft, break-ins, and vandalism are common
- You can comfortably afford the increase to your premiums
Learn more about when comprehensive insurance is worth it.
How Much Is Comprehensive Insurance?
Comprehensive insurance coverage costs an average of $160 per year, making it far cheaper than other types of car insurance. The cost of a comprehensive car insurance policy is calculated based on the actual cash value (ACV) of the vehicle – its replacement cost minus depreciation. Since the ACV is the maximum amount that a comprehensive auto insurance policy will pay out, cars that are worth less are cheaper to insure.
Learn more about how much comprehensive insurance costs.
What Is a Comprehensive Deductible?
A comprehensive insurance deductible is the amount of money you will pay out of pocket for car repairs before your insurance company will pay for the rest. Comprehensive deductibles typically range from $100 to $1,000, and the higher the deductible is, the lower the premiums will usually be.
Learn more about comprehensive insurance deductibles.
Best Comprehensive Car Insurance Companies
Learn more about the best comprehensive car insurance companies.
What Is the Difference Between Comprehensive and Collision Insurance?
Comprehensive insurance is often confused with collision insurance since they are generally purchased together and both pay to repair or replace the policyholder’s car. The main difference is that comprehensive auto insurance applies to damage caused by something other than a crash, while collision coverage applies to damage from an accident.
Comprehensive vs. Collision Coverage
Cause of Damage | Covered by Comprehensive Insurance? | Covered by Collision Insurance? |
---|---|---|
Vandalism or riots | Yes | No |
Natural disaster, fire, or extreme weather | Yes | No |
Animals, including hitting a deer | Yes | No |
Accident involving another car | No | Yes |
Single-car accident, such as rolling or hitting a pole | No | Yes |
Learn more about the differences between comprehensive and collision insurance.