Does My Auto Insurance Cover a Rental Car?

Many drivers don’t think about their car insurance until they’ve had an accident and file a claim to help pay for car repairs and a rental car to get around while their car is in the shop.

Unfortunately, many drivers are surprised to find out that their policy does not automatically cover the cost of a rental car. Since the average car is in the body shop for up to two weeks being repaired after an accident – this means it can cost you as much as $500 to rent a car! Other drivers pay only a small fee or nothing at all to rent a car because of an often overlooked, yet very inexpensive, option known as rental reimbursement. 

Rental reimbursement coverage is available for around $2 a month with almost every auto insurance policy. It is bypassed frequently though by those who believe they will not have a car accident or they are shopping only for the lowest monthly cost and are not concerned with policy features. The cost of a rental replacement car adds up quickly, so even if you don’t have an accident for 10 years the coverage will pay for itself when you need it most.

Working out the details of a claim can take time. Even if the accident is not your fault, you may have to wait several days or even a week to get the other insurance carrier to agree to pay for a rental car, leaving you to pay out of pocket or bum rides while you await an answer. With your own rental reimbursement coverage, there is no waiting; you can pick up a rental car as soon as you drop your car off for repairs.

If you have any questions about auto insurance, feel free to give us a call at (800) 807-6871 or simply fill out our contact form.