Does Car Insurance Cover Tire Damage

Your tires take a lot of abuse and you may eventually find yourself with a flat or damaged tire from a road hazard such as a pot hole, a sharp object or a curb.

If you’ve had to replace a tire, you know that a new tire with mounting and balancing can cost anywhere from $80 up to several hundred dollars depending on the cost of your tire.

So does your car insurance cover the cost of replace a damaged tire? Chances are your policy will exclude road damage to tires. And not only that, but you probably have an insurance deductible that is significantly higher than the cost of replacing your tire.

If your deductible is $500 and the cost to replace your tire is only $160, then your car insurance policy would not pay anyway because the amount of loss is less than your deductible, or the amount you must pay out of pocket before your insurance pays.

Now if you are involved in an accident that damages your bumper, fender, tire and wheel, then as long as you have collision coverage, then your insurance company will pay for any damages over and above your deductible AND will pay to replace your tire.

So the answer to whether your car insurance covers tire damage is based on the type of damage you sustained and the type of coverage available on your policy.