Affordable Comprehensive Auto Insurance Coverage (2024)
Comprehensive auto coverage covers loss or damage to a car as the result of theft, vandalism, fire, natural disaster, hail, falling objects, or animals. Basically, anything other than a collision with another vehicle or someone's property will be covered by comprehensive auto insurance. For auto insurance that covers you for anything, bundle comprehensive, collision, and liability coverage together for what is commonly referred to as full coverage auto insurance.
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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
UPDATED: Sep 20, 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 auto insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one auto insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider.
Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
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: Sep 20, 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 auto insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one auto insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider.
Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
On This Page
- Fire, vandalism, theft, and damage from animals are all covered by comprehensive insurance
- Comprehensive auto insurance does not cover accidents involving two or more cars or collisions with property
- Full coverage is a term that’s commonly used to describe comprehensive and collision insurance when the two are purchased together along with liability insurance
When comparing auto insurance companies, knowing that you’re protected is often more important than other factors, like customer service quality, perks, and even overall cost. No one wants an insurance company that will find any excuse not to honor your policy.
That’s why comprehensive auto insurance is so appealing. Everything from fire to vandalism to squirrels chewing through your car’s wiring is covered by comprehensive insurance. But if you really want to be covered for anything, you’ll want to have collision coverage as well, which covers anything related to a car accident.
When packaged together, comprehensive and collision coverage are commonly called full coverage auto insurance. With this guide, we’ll go over what comprehensive auto insurance covers and show you how to bundle it with collision insurance, so you can have an insurance plan that truly covers anything.
Looking for affordable auto coverage that protects your vehicle from any kind of damage? Enter your ZIP code in our free online tool to compare rates and find coverage that’s right for you.
What does comprehensive auto insurance cover?
While comprehensive auto insurance doesn’t cover everything, it does generally protect your car from any damages or loss that occurs from an event other than a collision. From fire to theft to an angry goat, comprehensive coverage helps you pay for repairs or replacements if your car is damaged by almost any event other than a collision (meaning your car crashes into another car or someone else’s property).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3eh4wIuNks
Does my auto insurance cover damaged caused by a falling object? Comprehensive insurance covers various non-collision related events. Here’s an overview of what comprehensive auto insurance covers:
- Vandalism
- Theft
- Fire
- Hail
- Natural disasters
- Animals (collision with a deer, rodents chewing through wiring, etc.)
- Falling objects (branches, rocks, grand pianos, etc.)
Again, comprehensive coverage covers a wide range of events but it doesn’t cover collisions. If you want what’s commonly referred to as full coverage, you should purchase both comprehensive and collision insurance.
Comprehensive Auto Insurance vs. Collision Insurance
While drivers commonly purchase both types of coverage, there is little overlap between what comprehensive and collision insurance cover. Where collision insurance covers repair or replacement if you’re involved in an accident on the roadway, comprehensive coverage helps you pay for any damages that occur as the result of just about anything other than driving.
If you’re driving an older car that won’t cost much to replace, the Insurance Information Institute recommends doing the math to make sure that comprehensive and collision coverage are worth purchasing. In some cases, an inexpensive car will be cheaper to replace than insure.
Take a look at the table below for an overview of the differences between comprehensive and collision auto coverage.
Type of coverage | Purpose | What's covered | What's not covered |
---|---|---|---|
Comprehensive | Covers repair/replacement costs if the car is damaged by anything other than a collision with another vehicle or someone's property | Vandalism, theft, fire, hail, falling objects, animals, water damage, and much more | Crashes into objects and accidents involving two or more vehicles (regardless of fault); see "Full Coverage" |
Collision | Covers repair/replacement costs if the car is damaged as the result of a collision with another vehicle or someone else's property | Crashes into objects and accidents involving two or more vehicles (regardless of fault) | Vandalism, theft, fire, hail, falling objects, animals, water damage, and much more; see "Full Coverage" |
Full Coverage | While not really a type of coverage itself, this term is often used to describe comprehensive and collision coverage when bundled together | Everything shown in "Comprehensive" and "Collision" | Damage to other vehicles, medical expenses, lost wages as the result of an accident, and numerous other expenses which drivers need other types of insurance to cover |
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What auto insurance plan covers you for anything?
While no single type of auto insurance coverage will cover absolutely everything, having liability, comprehensive, and collision coverage will ensure that you and your vehicle are covered if it’s damaged by virtually any cause. If you want to be sure that you’re covered in the event of an accident, choose the highest coverage limit you can afford, especially when it comes to liability coverage.
How do you purchase full coverage auto insurance?
You can purchase full coverage auto insurance, collision and comprehensive insurance bundled together, from any major auto insurance company in the United States. Since you have a wide range of options, make sure to take the time to compare them. Depending on your location and vehicle, annual rates can vary by hundreds of dollars from one insurance company to the next.
Your state likely also requires you to purchase minimum liability coverage, which pays for damage to another driver’s vehicle if you’re responsible for an accident. You may also need to obtain personal injury protection insurance if you live in one of the 14 states that require it. Additionally, you should purchase GAP insurance if you’re either leasing or financing your car because it will help you pay for your loan if your car is totaled while you still owe money on it.
When starting your search for the best full coverage auto insurance, you may find it helpful to compare the coverage offered by the ten largest auto insurance companies in the United States:
- State Farm
- Geico
- Progressive
- Allstate
- USAA
- Farmers
- Liberty Mutual
- Nationwide
- American Family
- Travelers
What to Remember About Comprehensive Auto Insurance
Comprehensive auto insurance covers any damages or loss that resulted from a cause other than a collision. Fire, vandalism, theft, falling objects, natural disasters, and damage from animals are all covered by comprehensive auto insurance.
Comprehensive auto insurance does not cover accidents involving two or more cars or collisions with property. Collision insurance covers all damages related to collisions.
Full coverage is a term that’s commonly used to describe comprehensive and collision insurance when the two are purchased together along with liability insurance, which helps you pay for damages to someone else’s car or property.
If you want comprehensive auto insurance that helps cover you for anything, you’ll likely want to compare the different types of auto insurance coverage. Looking for the most affordable insurance that meets your needs? Find out how much you could save on insurance by entering your ZIP code in our free online quote tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does comprehensive auto insurance cover?
Comprehensive auto insurance covers damages or loss to your car caused by events other than collisions. This includes theft, vandalism, fire, natural disasters, falling objects, and animal-related damage.
How is comprehensive auto insurance different from collision insurance?
Comprehensive insurance covers non-collision damages, while collision insurance covers damages resulting from car accidents. They are often bundled together to provide full coverage.
Which auto insurance plan covers you for anything?
While no single plan covers everything, having liability, comprehensive, and collision coverage together ensures you are covered for a wide range of damages, including accidents, theft, and other non-collision incidents.
How can I purchase full coverage auto insurance?
You can purchase full coverage auto insurance, which includes comprehensive and collision coverage, from major auto insurance companies. It’s essential to compare quotes and coverage options to find the best policy for your needs.
What should I remember about comprehensive auto insurance?
Comprehensive auto insurance covers damages caused by various non-collision incidents. However, it doesn’t cover damages from accidents involving other vehicles or property. Full coverage typically includes comprehensive, collision, and liability insurance.
Compare over 200 auto insurance companies at once!
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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.