Will insurance cover if the vehicle stalls in water and is restarted a second time?
2 Answers
Insurance will not cover if the vehicle stalls in water and is restarted a second time. Starting the vehicle in water allows water to enter the engine through the valves, causing damage, which is considered the owner's operational error, and the loss must be borne by the owner. The engine should be turned off, and after moving to a safe place away from the water, the insurance company should be notified for handling, and the vehicle should be towed out of the water. Below are additional reasons for vehicle stalling in water: 1. The high-voltage distribution system is damp or short-circuited due to water ingress, causing the vehicle to stall: This situation is relatively common. The water may appear shallow, and the vehicle might seem capable of passing through, but it still stalls, usually due to splashing water causing a short circuit. 2. Water entering the exhaust pipe: The car's exhaust pipe is positioned relatively low. Generally, if the water level rises above the exhaust pipe, the vehicle will stall due to the inability to exhaust.
If the vehicle stalls after wading through water and is restarted a second time, insurance usually won't cover the damage. From handling many similar cases, I've observed that insurance policies often have a clause stating that damages caused by human operational errors are non-compensable. Stalling in water itself may be due to engine short-circuiting from water ingress, but restarting it is like forcing it to run—water entering the cylinders can damage the connecting rods or even total the engine. This is considered the owner's active action, so insurers view it as intentional damage. For example, I once saw a case where a driver entered a waterlogged area during heavy rain, stalled, and then panicked and restarted the engine, resulting in a hole in the cylinder block and repair costs exceeding tens of thousands. The insurance claim was outright denied. My advice is to immediately stop and turn off the engine if the car stalls in water—don't attempt to restart it. Call a tow truck to take it to a professional shop for inspection. When driving through water, assess the depth beforehand, go slow, and avoid sudden braking to prevent stalling. Remember, insurance is designed for accidents, not human errors. Always check your policy details—some companies explicitly exclude coverage for 'secondary ignition.' Don’t try to restart the engine thinking you’re being clever.
