Will my auto insurance cover interior damage?
Auto insurance covers interior damage through collision and comprehensive insurance. If your vehicle's interior damage was caused by another driver, the at-fault driver's liability auto insurance covers interior damage to your car. If you have liability-only coverage and want more coverage, shop around and compare multiple insurance companies to secure the best rates.
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Jeff Root
Licensed Insurance Agent
Jeff is a well-known speaker and expert in insurance and financial planning. He has spoken at top insurance conferences around the U.S., including the InsuranceNewsNet Super Conference, the 8% Nation Insurance Wealth Conference, and the Digital Life Insurance Agent Mastermind. He has been featured and quoted in Nerdwallet, Bloomberg, Forbes, U.S. News & Money, USA Today, and other leading fina...
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UPDATED: Oct 13, 2024
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Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We partner with top insurance providers. This doesn’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own.
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.
UPDATED: Oct 13, 2024
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We partner with top insurance providers. This doesn’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own.
On This Page
- Several types of auto insurance policies cover interior damage
- Liability auto insurance only covers bodily injury and property damage of other drivers
- Adding collision coverage and comprehensive coverage can give you more protection
Does auto insurance cover interior damage? It depends on which automobile insurance coverage you have.
There are some situations where auto insurance companies cover interior damage and other situations where they don’t.
Does car insurance cover spills? Will my car insurance cover mold damage? Don’t worry – we’re here to help.
Read this guide to see which car insurance options provide coverage for interior damage. Also, we’ll compare multiple auto insurance companies to see which is more affordable.
Once you learn how auto insurance covers interior damage, enter your ZIP code in the free online quote tool above to compare multiple insurance companies in your area.
Will my auto insurance cover interior damage?
It will if you have the right type of auto insurance. Collision and comprehensive car insurance cover damages to your vehicle regardless of fault.
However, collision insurance only covers property damage from accidents (collisions).
Meanwhile, comprehensive insurance covers property damage that doesn’t involve a collision.
Comprehensive auto insurance pays for interior damage from vandalism, falling objects, civil unrest (riots), animal damage, fires, floods, and storms. It also covers vehicle theft.
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Liability coverage pays for damage and injuries of other drivers. Therefore, damage to your car’s interior is covered by the other driver’s insurance if they are at fault.
Interior damage to rental cars is only covered if the damage is a result of an accident.
Read more:
Why won’t some auto insurance companies cover interior damage?
Car interior damage repair isn’t covered if the damage occurred before an accident. In addition, auto insurance companies don’t pay for normal wear and tear, spills, or any similar damage.
If you’re at fault in an accident, your liability auto insurance won’t cover any interior damage to your vehicle.
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What are the best auto insurance companies that cover interior damage?
Getting car insurance coverage for interior damage is easy. To be protected, you will need to buy full coverage auto insurance.
Liability insurance only covers other drivers when you’re at fault in a car accident. However, liability car insurance is cheaper.
According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), full coverage car insurance is about 51% more expensive than liability car insurance.
Your auto insurance rates also depend on the insurance company. Let’s look at the average monthly rates from the best car insurance companies in the United States.
Average Monthly Full Coverage vs. Liability-Only Auto Insurance Rates
| Companies | Monthly Full Coverage Auto Insurance Rates | Monthly Liability-Only Auto Insurance Rates |
|---|---|---|
 | $318 | $162 |
 | $224 | $114 |
 | $288 | $147 |
 | $179 | $91 |
 | $398 | $203 |
 | $229 | $117 |
 | $283 | $144 |
 | $235 | $120 |
 | $287 | $147 |
 | $161 | $82 |
| Average | $260 | $133 |
USAA, Geico, and American Family provide cheap auto insurance for customers. However, USAA is only available to military veterans and their immediate families.
If you qualify for several car insurance discounts, you can get cheaper rates.
What should I do if the inside of my vehicle is damaged?
If your car’s interior is damaged after an accident, take photos of the damage and file a claim with your insurance company.
But if you’re not at fault, you should file a car insurance claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
Customers who have full coverage can file an auto insurance claim with their insurance company if they’re at fault in the accident.
Contact the insurance company and ask to file a claim for damages. At that point, the claim agent will ask for details, such as the location of the accident, your name, policy number, and driver’s license. (For more information, read our “How To File An Auto Insurance Claim“).
You’ll get a copy of the police report, and you’ll send that information to the insurance company.
Do I need to get estimates for interior repairs?
The answer is yes. You’ll need to get estimates for the interior damage after the accident, so the auto insurance company can properly pay out your claim.
On average, interior repairs for your car are about $1,000 to $4,000 for basic materials. However, repairing high-end cloth material and leathers can cost between $5,000 and $10,000.
Does auto insurance cover personal items inside your vehicle?
The answer is no. Unfortunately, car insurance companies usually don’t cover personal items in your vehicle, even if they’re damaged in an accident.
However, that doesn’t mean the other driver isn’t liable for the damages. In fact, you can pursue legal action against a driver for other damages that the auto insurance company doesn’t cover.
Your personal items could be covered by home or renters insurance if they’ve been stolen.
Auto Insurance Coverage for Interior Damage: The Bottom Line
Your car insurance company covers interior damage to your vehicle if you’ve been in an accident. But if another driver is at fault, you should file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
Your liability insurance won’t cover interior damage to your car. If you want coverage for interior damage, you’ll need to add full coverage to your auto insurance policy.
Auto insurance experts recommend you get at least three quotes before choosing a policy. Now that you know how auto insurance covers interior damage, enter your ZIP code in the free tool below to start comparison shopping.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Auto Insurance and Interior Damage
Do you want to know more about car insurance coverage? Read these answers to frequently asked questions to learn more.
#1 – What are the minimum auto insurance requirements?
Car insurance requirements vary by state.
But the most common auto insurance requirements are $25,000 for bodily injury of one person per accident, $50,000 for bodily injury of multiple people per accident, and $25,000 for property damage per accident.
#2 – Do collision and comprehensive auto insurance cover bodily injury?
No, they don’t. Collision and comprehensive insurance only cover damage to your vehicle regardless of fault.
#3 – Does auto insurance cover interior water damage?
If there’s a flood, your car insurance company will cover the water damage through comprehensive coverage.
But if you leave the window down and your car floods, an auto insurance company may not cover it.
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Jeff Root
Licensed Insurance Agent
Jeff is a well-known speaker and expert in insurance and financial planning. He has spoken at top insurance conferences around the U.S., including the InsuranceNewsNet Super Conference, the 8% Nation Insurance Wealth Conference, and the Digital Life Insurance Agent Mastermind. He has been featured and quoted in Nerdwallet, Bloomberg, Forbes, U.S. News & Money, USA Today, and other leading fina...
Licensed Insurance Agent
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.