Getting new tires for your car is one of the most critical forms of maintenance. However, there are times when you may need a tire replacement before expected. This could be the result of your tires being slashed by a vandal, or it could be because of a car accident. Because of the high likelihood of needing new tires, many wonder when their car insurance policy will cover the expense.
When does car insurance cover a tire replacement?
As with most essential parts of our cars, needing a tire replacement is a costly undertaking. It’s not so bad if you only need one tire, but the price can quickly escalate. In a nutshell, your car insurance policy will cover a tire replacement under certain conditions. Mostly, these conditions have to fall under what’s called covered peril.
According to Progressive, covered peril includes things like car accidents, collisions with animals, vandalism, theft, etc. People in states with bad roads will be happy to know that car insurance can sometimes cover a tire replacement for potholes. In particular, depending on the policy, it could cover if the pothole damaged more than just your tire, for example, if the wheel also sustained damage.
Regarding vandalism, it’s not uncommon for people to have their tires slashed. Be it from the act of someone you know or a random act of violence, it’s a major inconvenience. Luckily, car insurance can cover the cost, regardless of the number of tires damaged. It’s been a long-held myth that your car insurance policy wouldn’t cover three tires, but it would if someone slashed all four tires. However, drivers should check their policy to be sure.
Readers should note that they would need to have comprehensive and collision car insurance to have the tire replacement covered by their policy.
What does car insurance not cover?
Unfortunately, there are many instances where car insurance won’t cover a tire replacement. Naturally, it won’t cover the service when people usually need it the most. For starters, you can’t use your car insurance policy to cover normal wear and tear for tires. It also won’t cover a tire replacement for flat or punctured tires. Of course, this makes sense, as your coverage usually doesn’t cover these issues.
Though it doesn’t cover the typical times people need new tires, having the right insurance policy can come in handy when there is some form of tire damage. As mentioned, readers should check their policy to determine what they have coverage for.
