Does auto insurance cover tire theft?

When you find out that your tires have been stolen, your initial thought might be to file a claim with your auto insurance company. However, your tires might not be covered.

Much of the decision will depend on where the tires were stolen and whether you have the right coverage in place. It’s important to know what coverage you should have on your policy so it is possible to file a claim.

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What type of insurance would cover tire theft?

There are different forms of auto insurance. You are required to have a policy and every state determines the minimum level of coverage.

This requirement includes bodily injury as well as personal injury liability protection. If you cause an accident, your liability coverage will cover the other party’s damage.

Tire theft isn’t accident-related. Instead, it’s identified as a non-driving related incident, which is covered by comprehensive insurance.

Most states don’t require you to have comprehensive insurance. Lienholders might, however. If you are leasing or paying on a car loan, then the lienholder might dictate additional coverage that is required of you.

This extra coverage is designed to protect their investment and ensure there is enough money to repair the vehicle.

You have the option of adding comprehensive coverage to your policy. You also determine how much coverage to include. Insurance will only pay up to the limit you have in place on your policy.

If you have a $15,000 claim and you only have $10,000 worth of comprehensive coverage, the insurance company will only pay up to $10,000. The remaining $5,000 would be your financial responsibility.

Often, increasing the levels by $10,000 or more will only increase premiums marginally. Many choose to increase the coverage so that there is a greater level of protection in place.

What determines if insurance will accept the claim?

When you file a claim with the insurance company, you need to provide a lot of details, including:

• when the theft took place
• where the tire theft happened
• what tires were on the car

If an insurance company accepts the claim, they will provide a tire replacement based on the value of standard tires for the make and model of your car.

If you have special performance tires, they’re probably not going to be covered.

Insurance companies will look at where the accident happened, too. If it happened in your driveway, for example, the insurance company might deny the claim. You might have to run the claim through your home insurance company.

In the end, you have to prove that the tires were stolen (not lost or given away). You also need to have comprehensive coverage. It’s also best to have a police report in hand when you call to file a claim.

Examining the Costs

You have to take a look at the cost of replacing tires. If the tires have been stolen, you need to replace them if you want to drive your car.

Some tires are more expensive than others. The price will depend on:

• Tire size
• Brand
• Quantity
• Available discounts

Once you know the cost of the tires, you can then determine whether it’s best to pay out-of-pocket for them or pay the deductible. If insurance will cover the replacement after tire theft, you are still responsible for the deductible.

In most instances, the deductible is $500 or $1,000. It might be more cost-effective for you to pay for the tires of your own money.

In the end, auto insurance will cover tire theft in most instances if you have comprehensive coverage in place. It’s up to you to see if it’s worth paying the deductible, however.

You should get quotes with comprehensive coverage added to the insurance you’re required to get by the state. It’s often not much more per month to add the coverage and you will be protected against more scenarios.

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