How Does Insurance Compensate for Flood-Damaged Vehicles?
2 Answers
The disassembly fee, inspection fee, engine oil, and other repair and maintenance costs for the engine of a flood-damaged vehicle can be compensated under the vehicle damage insurance. If the vehicle is covered by water ingress insurance, the cost of damaged components such as the engine connecting rod, piston, and cylinder block caused by water ingress can be compensated.
Last time my neighbor's garage was flooded half a meter high, the claims process was really exhausting. First you need to check if you separately purchased water immersion coverage when buying your auto damage insurance - actually after the recent insurance reform, auto damage insurance already includes water immersion. Remember if the water level passes the dashboard it's basically considered a total loss, the insurance company will calculate compensation based on your car's depreciated value, but water-damaged used cars can't fetch good prices which really sucks. If it only reaches the tire level, they usually make you go to designated repair shops to remove seats, dry carpets, and replace rusted electrical modules. Most importantly never attempt a second engine start, otherwise if water enters the engine they won't cover a penny! My neighbor was too anxious to move the car and ended up paying 40,000 yuan extra in repair costs.
