Standard car insurance does not cover mechanical breakdowns. Your typical auto insurance policy is designed to protect you from financial loss due to accidents, theft, or damage from events like hail or vandalism. It is not a maintenance plan. Breakdowns caused by wear and tear, engine failure, or a dead battery are considered expected maintenance issues and are excluded from coverage. However, if a breakdown is the direct result of a covered incident—like your engine seizing because of damage from a collision—then the resulting repairs would be covered under your policy's collision portion.
The financial protection for breakdowns typically comes from a separate product: a Mechanical Breakdown Insurance (MBI) policy or an extended vehicle service contract (often called an extended warranty). These are specifically designed to cover the cost of repairing mechanical components after the manufacturer's warranty expires.
Here’s a quick comparison:
| Coverage Type | What It Typically Covers | What It Typically Excludes |
|---|
| Auto Insurance (Comprehensive/Collision) | Damage from crashes, theft, fire, natural disasters. | Standard wear and tear, mechanical failures, routine maintenance. |
| Mechanical Breakdown Insurance (MBI) | Engine, transmission, drive axle, brakes, steering, air conditioning, electrical systems. | Routine maintenance (oil changes, brakes), pre-existing conditions, damage from neglect. |
| Roadside Assistance Add-on | Towing, jump-starts, lockout service, tire changes. | The cost of the actual repairs once the car is at the shop. |
Many insurance companies offer roadside assistance as a low-cost add-on to your existing policy. This is crucial for breakdowns because it covers the cost of towing your vehicle to a repair shop, but it does not pay for the repairs themselves. The best course of action is to have a robust auto insurance policy for accidents and a separate MBI plan or a well-funded emergency savings account to handle unexpected mechanical failures.
