Quick answer
What comprehensive covers
- Theft of your car
- Hail and windstorms
- Floods
- Fire
- Hitting an animal, like a deer
- Falling objects, like tree branches
- Vandalism
- Broken windshields and glass, on many policies
Comprehensive vs. collision
| Comprehensive | Collision | |
|---|---|---|
| What it pays for | Damage that isn't from a crash | Damage from a crash |
| Examples | Theft, hail, flood, fire, hitting a deer, vandalism | Hitting another car, a pole, a pothole, or rolling over |
| Who's at fault? | Doesn't matter | Pays no matter who caused it |
| Required? | Not by law, but lenders usually require it | Not by law, but lenders usually require it |
Together, they're often called "full coverage." Neither one pays for damage you cause to other people's cars. That's liability.
Which one pays?
- A tree branch falls on your parked car: comprehensive
- You back into a pole: collision
- You hit a deer: comprehensive
- You swerve to miss a deer and hit a guardrail: usually collision
- Your car is stolen: comprehensive
- Hail dents your hood: comprehensive
Do I need comprehensive?
- If you have a car loan or lease: almost always yes. Lenders usually require it.
- If you live where hail, floods, or car theft are common: it's often worth it.
- If your car is old and worth little: maybe not. A common rule of thumb says to think about dropping it when your car is worth less than 10 times what the coverage costs you each year.
How the deductible works
Comprehensive has a deductible, the amount you pay before insurance pays. Say hail causes $3,000 in damage and your deductible is $500. Insurance pays $2,500. A higher deductible lowers your price. See more ways to lower car insurance.
What comprehensive won't cover
- Damage from a crash (that's collision)
- Wear and tear or mechanical breakdowns
- Things stolen from inside your car. Homeowners or renters insurance often covers those instead.
The catch: if your car floods and you don't have comprehensive, liability-only insurance won't pay a cent toward it. In flood-prone areas, that's a painful surprise.
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Related pages
More car insurance guides: Car insurance cost · SR-22 insurance · High-risk car insurance · Liability-only car insurance · Car insurance for teens · How to lower car insurance · What affects your auto insurance price · Car insurance without a car · Umbrella insurance · All car insurance
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