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Few things put a damper on your day (or night) like discovering your car has been vandalized. Whether neighborhood kids pelted your car with raw eggs or thrill-seekers smashed its windows, damage from vandalism can be costly to repair. Your car insurance policy generally covers vandalism if you have comprehensive coverage, which pays to repair damage that occurs when you aren't driving the vehicle. Here's what to know about filing an insurance claim for car vandalism.
What Is Car Vandalism?
Car vandalism is when someone deliberately damages your vehicle. Common kinds of car vandalism can include:
- Slashing the tires
- Scratching, keying, spray painting or otherwise damaging the paint
- Smashing windows, windshields, side mirrors or headlights
- Stealing the hood ornament or brand emblem
- Pouring substances like sand or sugar into the gas tank
Does Car Insurance Cover Vandalism?
Intentional vandalism is generally covered by comprehensive car insurance. Comprehensive insurance covers damage to your vehicle not caused by a collision, which includes vandalism. Although it's part of a full coverage car insurance policy, comprehensive insurance isn't required unless your car is leased or financed, so check to make sure you have it before you file a vandalism claim.
When you file an insurance claim for car vandalism, you'll generally need to pay your deductible. The deductible is the amount of repair costs you're responsible for before your insurance company pays out. For example, if you have a $500 deductible and repairing the vandalism costs $1,500, your insurer covers $1,000 of the cost and you pay the rest.
Personal belongings stolen from your car during vandalism, such as your laptop or wallet, aren't covered by your car insurance. Thefts of items from your vehicle are generally covered by homeowners insurance or renters insurance.
Does Filing a Claim for Vandalism Raise Your Premium?
Filing a claim for car vandalism could raise your car insurance rates, especially if significant damage to your car makes it an expensive claim. Your prior car insurance claims are also a factor. A history of filing claims could indicate that you're liable to file more claims in the future, making you riskier to insure. Even if you haven't filed a claim in a while, filing a claim now will cost you any discount you're currently getting for going claim-free.
Learn more >> What Factors Affect Car Insurance Rates?
Should I File a Car Insurance Claim for Vandalism?
Weighing your deductible against the cost of car repairs will help you decide whether to file a car insurance claim for vandalism. Comprehensive car insurance deductibles can be as high as $2,000. If the cost of repairs is less than, equal to or not much more than your deductible, there may be no benefit to filing a claim.
For example, if you file a claim for $1,100 worth of damage to your car but you have a $1,000 deductible, you'll only receive a $100 payout towards repairs. You also risk an increase in your premiums that could easily cancel out the $100 payout.
Some insurance companies sell special auto glass policies that let you file claims for repairing windshields and windows and pay a very low deductible (such as $100) or none at all. If you have this type of add-on policy, it may be worth filing a claim to repair vandalized windows or windshields, because windshield replacement can cost $1,000 and up.
How to File a Claim for Vandalism
You may decide the damage to your vehicle is so minor that it's cheaper to pay out of pocket than file a claim. However, if you do want to file a car vandalism claim, here's what to do.
- Call the police. Vandalism is a crime. Reporting it can help the police catch vandals and prevent future property damage. You may also want to involve the police if you're worried that you've been personally targeted. Having a police report helps document the damage when you file a claim.
- Gather documentation. Take photos of the damage to your vehicle as soon as you discover the vandalism. If you need to take immediate action to protect your car, such as having it towed to a safer location, keep receipts for any expenses.
- Contact your insurance company. You can generally file a claim online, in the insurance company's mobile app or by phone. Be ready to provide information such as when and where the vandalism occurred, a description of the damage and a police report number.
- Work with the insurance company. Once you've filed a claim, a claims adjuster will be assigned to handle it. They will inspect the vehicle in person or using the photos you provide, get estimates for the cost of repairs and generally guide you through the claims process.
How to Protect Your Car From Vandalism
Taking a few common-sense steps to protect your car can help deter vandals.
- Avoid parking in deserted areas or far away from other cars.
- Choose a gated or guarded parking lot or structure when possible.
- Park in a well-lighted area.
- At home, keep your car garaged if possible.
- Install security cameras and motion-activated lights near your driveway.
- Lock your car and roll up the windows when parking.
- Avoid leaving valuables visible in your car.
- Install a car alarm and activate it when locking your car.
The Bottom Line
Car vandalism can be costly to repair, but the cost is usually covered if you have comprehensive car insurance. Just keep in mind that filing a claim could raise your car insurance premiums, so you should carefully consider the pros and cons.
Shopping around for car insurance could help you find coverage at a lower rate. You can get quotes from multiple insurance companies with Experian's car insurance comparison tool, letting you easily compare coverage and costs to find the best insurance for your needs and budget.