Will auto insurance pay for slashed tires?
While it's a frustrating situation, the issue of the slashed tire must be dealt with calmly. To deal with the slashed tire means replacing it come with costs. Will your auto insurance pay for new tires?
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Laura D. Adams
Insurance & Finance Analyst
Laura Adams is one of the nation’s leading finance, insurance, and small business authorities. As an award-winning author, spokesperson, and host of the top-rated Money Girl podcast since 2008, millions of readers and listeners benefit from her practical advice. Her mission is to empower consumers to live healthy and rich lives by planning for the future and making smart money decisions. She rec...
Insurance & Finance Analyst
UPDATED: Feb 26, 2024
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Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.
UPDATED: Feb 26, 2024
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider.
Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different insurance providers please enter your ZIP code above to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
On This Page
- Comprehensive insurance may pay for damage and losses associated with slashed tires
- Roadside assistance should assist with an immediate replacement of a single slashed tire
- The deductible associated with comprehensive coverage plays a role in how much money the insured saved
While traveling down the road, you may notice something amiss with the handling of your vehicle. The car does not move smoothly and seems to drag a bit. The unmistakable smell of burnt rubber permeates the interior of the car — usually indicating a flat tire.
Upon pulling the vehicle off the road, you discover that the tire did not go flat due to a puncture. Instead, your tires were slashed!
Sad to say, tires do get slashed. Hopefully, a driver might notice the slashed and deflated tire long before getting behind the wheel of the car. That said, there is really no good time to discover slashed tires.
Though you may be enraged by what’s happened, the issue of the slashed tire must be dealt with calmly. To deal with the slashed tire means replacing it. Replacements come with costs. Will your auto insurance pay for new tires?
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Paying for Vandalism
News reports might reveal a particular neighborhood has been targeted for tire slashing escapades. Until the vandals are caught, vehicles run the risk of random attacks by those with an intent to cause mischief.
Sometimes, the tire slashing is anything but random. A malicious person with a grudge may choose to harm someone by taking a sharp object to the rubber of a tire.
Regardless of the motivation behind the inflicted damage, the act of slashing a tire is vandalism. Vandalism is covered under comprehensive insurance.
Drivers who purchased comprehensive insurance would be able to file a claim since vandalism, like theft, reflects a covered peril under this category of insurance.
Comprehensive insurance pays for losses not involving an accident or collision. Since comprehensive insurance is not mandatory, not all drivers choose to purchase either comprehensive coverage or collision coverage.
Drivers also have a tendency to drop comprehensive coverage after a certain amount of time due to the depreciation in the value of their cars. Once this coverage lapses, the cost of replacing slashed tires or other acts of vandalism falls on the shoulders of the driver.
Basic auto liability insurance won’t cover the costs associated with replacing slashed tires.
Anyone who reads reports of tire slashing incidents in the neighborhood may wish to perform some basic comparison shopping of comprehensive or collision insurance to locate reasonable rates for adding this coverage option.
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How do you know if someone slashed your tires?
Finding a flat tire is annoying, but wondering if someone slashed your tires can increase your anxiety. So, how do you know if someone intentionally slashed your tires or if it’s merely road damage?
First, closely inspect the tire. Are there obvious slash marks? Most vandals will put a hole in the sidewall since that area is the weakest. If a knife makes a cut, it is usually straight and smooth. On the other hand, road debris will leave a jagged tear in your tire. (For more information, read our “Will auto insurance pay for road debris damage?“).
Next, take a look around. Do you detect anything that could have been used to puncture your tires? Although most tires are destroyed using a knife, some vandals will choose to use a nail or another sharp object.
Check the area to determine if anyone has a camera. If you are at home, ask your neighbors if they have security or doorbell cameras that may have recorded the event. Many stores also have cameras in their parking lots which may have recorded the damage.
Prior to Filing the Claim
Before filing a claim for tire damage on a comprehensive policy, a few additional steps should be taken to ensure the actual processing of the claim goes smoothly.
- Take pictures – Taking photographs of the slashed tire is critical. This way, if the slashed tire is disposed of after, photographic proof exists. The proof can be provided to the auto insurance company’s adjuster.
- Keep the tires – Rather than disposing of the slashed tires, maybe it would be best to keep them until the adjuster has finished the investigation. So they will document the incident as more than just normal wear and tear on your tires.
- File a police report – Filing a police report might be wise as well since the act of slashing the tire is a crime. The addition of a police report to the insurance claim file could be beneficial.
- Contact your insurance company – Anyone with questions about maintaining proper evidence in the aftermath of a tire slashing incident should direct inquiries to the auto insurance company.
A representative from the company not only intakes the claim, he/she can also advise on steps necessary to facilitate smoother claims processing.
The representative might also suggest what particular garage to take the car to in order to change the tires. Often, auto insurance companies work with affiliated garages to handle repairs on claims.
Contacting Roadside Assistance
The presence of a slashed tire means the car cannot be driven. However, the driver might not be sidelined for too long. Most insurance policies come with a roadside emergency roadside assistance provision.
Upon calling the insurance company for assistance, a tow truck can be dispatched to the location of the vehicle. Upon arriving, the slashed tire may be switched with a spare tire creating a temporary fix until the new tire can be added.
Drivers do need to be aware that donut spares cannot be driven beyond a certain speed or they can suffer a blowout.
Also, if more than one tire has been slashed, roadside assistance may need to tow the vehicle to an appropriate garage for the necessary replacement.
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Replacing the Tires
Depending on the policies and rules associated with the insurance company, a new tire or any replacement work on the vehicle might not be allowed until the adjuster has seen the vehicle.
As previously noted, the replacement work might be mandated to occur at an approved garage in order for the insurance company to pay out on the claim.
All of this can be a bit inconvenient. Anyone who has yet to suffer a slashed tire might wish to purchase a very cheap emergency tire not intended for long-term use but much more durable than a donut.
Switching out to this tire would allow the vehicle to get out on the road until a proper, better tire has been added.
The Deductible Issue
Certain tires are very expensive. Standard tires not so much. With replacing a slashed tire under a comprehensive claim, policyholders do need to realize the insurance company only pays out beyond the threshold of the deductible.
With a $500 deductible, the insurance company would not cover anything with a $115 single tire replacement job. If all four tires were slashed on a standard car and the replacement cost was, say, $650, the insurance company would kick in $150 on an approved claim.
Pickup trucks, SUVs, and sports cars that require special, costly tires might find paying $500 towards a bill that is $900 or more a fair deal.
Those with much higher deductibles, however, could be totally out of luck on replacing all their tires. Some choose to save money on an insurance policy by utilizing a high deductible.
Honestly, this can be a wise cost-saving move but the door to added financial risks ends up being opened.
Before making any final decisions on your insurance company, it is important to learn as much as you can about your local insurance providers, and the coverages they offer. Call your local insurance agent to clear up any questions that you might have. Questions to consider asking include, “What is the best coverage plan for me/my family/my situation?” “What are the minimum coverage requirements in my state and what form of coverage do you recommend?” “Do you guys offer any bundle discounts if I take out both my auto insurance and home insurance with you?” and “What is the average rate of insurance quotes you guys offer?”
Before making any big insurance decisions, use our free tool to compare insurance quotes near you. It’s simple, just plug in your zip code and we’ll do the rest!
Tips to Avoid Slashed Tires
In the future, there are steps you can take to keep your car and tires safe. Nothing is foolproof, but increasing your safety measures can make a difference.
Consider these ways to avoid slashed tires and other vehicle damage:
- Park in a garage if possible
- Park in well-lit areas
- Install security cameras
- Install a car alarm if your vehicle doesn’t have one
While there is no way to guarantee that your car is safe, being proactive helps lower the risk of tire slashing. Also, be sure to have comprehensive coverage in place in the event that your car is vandalized.
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Slashed Tires: The Bottom Line
Auto insurance will cover slashed tires if you have comprehensive coverage. However, it may be less expensive to replace your tires yourself if you have a high deductible. There’s also a chance that your auto insurance rates will increase if you file a claim.
Finding affordable auto insurance rates that cover slashed tires is easy if you shop around. Every insurance company offers various coverages and prices, so compare multiple companies to find great coverage with low costs.
To find the best deal on car insurance that covers slashed tires, enter your zip code below to start comparing today.
- https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/park-ridge/ct-prh-damaged-cars-tl-062217-20170619-story.html
- http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/comprehensive-insurance.asp
- https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/the-role-car-insurance-car-accident-case.html
- https://legalbeagle.com/5809495-purpose-police-report.html
- https://www.wikimotors.org/what-is-roadside-assistance.htm
- https://www.iii.org/article/understanding-your-insurance-deductibles
Case Studies: Will auto insurance pay for slashed tires?
Case Study 1: Comprehensive Coverage Saves the Day
In this case, John experienced a malicious act of vandalism when his car’s tires were slashed while parked outside his residence. Fortunately, John had comprehensive coverage included in his auto insurance policy.
After filing a claim, his insurance company confirmed that the damage caused by the slashed tires fell under the comprehensive coverage provisions. As a result, John’s insurance company covered the cost of replacing the damaged tires, minus the deductible.
Case Study 2: Limited Coverage Leads to Partial Reimbursement
Sarah’s car was parked in a public parking lot when someone deliberately slashed all four of her tires. However, unlike John in Case Study 1, Sarah’s insurance policy did not include comprehensive coverage. Instead, she had opted for a basic liability policy that only covered damages to other parties involved in accidents.
As a result, Sarah’s insurance company denied her claim for the slashed tires, stating that the policy did not cover intentional acts of vandalism. Sarah had to bear the entire cost of replacing the tires on her own.
Case Study 3: Unintentional Coverage Exception
Mike’s car tires were slashed while parked on the street in a high-crime neighborhood. Like Sarah, Mike only had a basic liability policy. However, in this particular case, Mike’s insurance company decided to cover the cost of replacing the slashed tires.
They reasoned that since the tires were not intentionally slashed as an act of vandalism, but rather due to the unsafe environment, it constituted an accidental loss. As such, Mike’s insurance company treated it as a comprehensive coverage claim and reimbursed him for the tire replacement costs.
Case Study 4: Additional Coverage Option
Emily had recently purchased a new auto insurance policy and opted for additional coverage known as “tire protection.” This coverage specifically safeguarded against tire-related damages, including slashed tires. When Emily’s tires were slashed while parked at a shopping center, she filed a claim with her insurance company.
Thanks to the tire protection add-on, Emily’s insurance provider covered the cost of replacing the slashed tires without requiring her to pay any deductible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are slashed tires covered by auto insurance?
In most cases, slashed or damaged tires are covered by auto insurance policies. However, coverage may vary depending on the specific terms and conditions of your policy.
What type of coverage typically pays for slashed tires?
Comprehensive coverage is the type of insurance that generally covers slashed or damaged tires. Comprehensive coverage protects against non-collision incidents such as vandalism, theft, fire, and natural disasters.
Do I need to have comprehensive coverage to be reimbursed for slashed tires?
Yes, you typically need to have comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance policy to be eligible for reimbursement for slashed tires. Liability-only or collision-only coverage does not typically cover this type of damage.
What should I do if my tires have been slashed?
If you discover your tires have been slashed, take the following steps:
- File a police report: Contact the police and file a report to document the vandalism.
- Document the damage: Take clear photos of the slashed tires as evidence.
- Contact your insurance provider: Report the incident to your insurance company and provide them with all necessary information.
How can I file a claim for slashed tires with my insurance company?
If your auto insurance policy covers slashed tires, you should contact your insurance company’s claims department as soon as possible. They will guide you through the claims process, including providing necessary documentation, such as a police report and photos of the damage.
Will I have to pay a deductible for a slashed tire claim?
The requirement for a deductible depends on your auto insurance policy. Review your policy details or contact your insurance provider to determine if a deductible applies to slashed tire claims.
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Laura D. Adams
Insurance & Finance Analyst
Laura Adams is one of the nation’s leading finance, insurance, and small business authorities. As an award-winning author, spokesperson, and host of the top-rated Money Girl podcast since 2008, millions of readers and listeners benefit from her practical advice. Her mission is to empower consumers to live healthy and rich lives by planning for the future and making smart money decisions. She rec...
Insurance & Finance Analyst
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.