Comprehensive vs. Collision Insurance Bankrate Caret RightMain Menu Mortgage Mortgages Financing a home purchase Refinancing your existing loan Finding the right lender Additional Resources Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Bank Banking Compare Accounts Use calculators Get advice Bank reviews Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Credit Card Credit cards Compare by category Compare by credit needed Compare by issuer Get advice Looking for the perfect credit card? Narrow your search with CardMatch Caret RightMain Menu Loan Loans Personal Loans Student Loans Auto Loans Loan calculators Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Invest Investing Best of Brokerages and robo-advisors Learn the basics Additional resources Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Home Equity Home equity Get the best rates Lender reviews Use calculators Knowledge base Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Loan Home Improvement Real estate Selling a home Buying a home Finding the right agent Additional resources Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Insurance Insurance Car insurance Homeowners insurance Other insurance Company reviews Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Retirement Retirement Retirement plans & accounts Learn the basics Retirement calculators Additional resources Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Advertiser Disclosure

Advertiser Disclosure

We are an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. Our goal is to help you make smarter financial decisions by providing you with interactive tools and financial calculators, publishing original and objective content, by enabling you to conduct research and compare information for free - so that you can make financial decisions with confidence.
Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover.

How We Make Money

The offers that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within the listing categories. But this compensation does not influence the information we publish, or the reviews that you see on this site. We do not include the universe of companies or financial offers that may be available to you. SHARE:

On This Page

PongMoji/Getty Images November 08, 2022 Carol Pope is an insurance writer for Bankrate and prior to joining the team, she spent 12 years as an auto insurance agent. During this time, she sold, serviced and underwrote auto insurance for people across the country. She also has experience selling supplement coverage such as umbrella insurance. Amelia Buckley is an insurance editor, covering auto, home and life insurance. She emphasizes creating informative, engaging and nuanced content to support readers in making personalized insurance decisions. Bankrate logo

The Bankrate promise

At Bankrate, we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. To help readers understand how insurance affects their finances, we have licensed insurance professionals on staff who have spent a combined 47 years in the auto, home and life insurance industries. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation of how we make money. Our content is backed by LLC, a licensed entity (NPN: 19966249). For more information, please see our Insurance Disclosure. Bankrate logo

The Bankrate promise

Founded in 1976, Bankrate has a long track record of helping people make smart financial choices. We’ve maintained this reputation for over four decades by demystifying the financial decision-making process and giving people confidence in which actions to take next. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. All of our content is authored by and edited by , who ensure everything we publish is objective, accurate and trustworthy. Our insurance team is composed of agents, data analysts, and customers like you. They focus on the points consumers care about most — price, customer service, policy features and savings opportunities — so you can feel confident about which provider is right for you. We guide you throughout your search and help you understand your coverage options. We provide up-to-date, reliable market information to help you make confident decisions. We reduce industry jargon so you get the clearest form of information possible. All providers discussed on our site are vetted based on the value they provide. And we constantly review our criteria to ensure we’re putting accuracy first. Bankrate logo

Editorial integrity

Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions.

Key Principles

We value your trust. Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers.

Editorial Independence

Bankrate’s editorial team writes on behalf of YOU – the reader. Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart personal finance decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers, and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy. So, whether you’re reading an article or a review, you can trust that you’re getting credible and dependable information. Bankrate logo

How we make money

You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. Bankrate logo

Insurance Disclosure

Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in . Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way. Comprehensive and collision insurance are physical damage coverage options that financially protect your vehicle. Collision may pay for damage to your car if you’re at fault in an accident. Comprehensive, on the other hand, may pay for damage caused by things generally out of your control, such as weather events, theft and vandalism. When purchased together, these options are usually referred to as “full coverage” and may help bolster a liability-only policy. Understanding collision vs. comprehensive insurance may help you choose the best coverage package for your car insurance needs. Compare rates and save on auto insurance today! Get quotes Close X RatesRates keep going up in 2022. Compare rates and save on auto insurance today! Get quotes Close X This advertisement is powered by Coverage.com, LLC, a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249) and a corporate affiliate of Bankrate. The offers and links that appear on this advertisement are from companies that compensate Coverage.com in different ways. The compensation received and other factors, such as your location, may impact what offers and links appear, and how, where and in what order they appear. While we seek to provide a wide range of offers, we do not include every product or service that may be available. Our goal is to keep information accurate and timely, but some information may not be current. Your actual offer from an advertiser may be different from the offer on this advertisement. All offers are subject to additional terms and conditions.

Compare auto insurance rates

Answer a few questions to see personalized rates from top carriers. Save on auto insurance with quotes from trusted providers like: Drivers switch & save an average of $750+/year Arrow Right Are you overpaying for auto insurance? Arrow Right Safe drivers choose Allstate Arrow Right Powered by Coverage.com (NPN: 19966249) Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in . Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way. See more providers in Choose from insurers in Show More RATE INCREASE ALERT

Rates increased up to 12% this year

Shop for a better rate before you renew your current policy. This advertisement is powered by Coverage.com, LLC, a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249) and a corporate affiliate of Bankrate. The offers and links that appear on this advertisement are from companies that compensate Coverage.com in different ways. The compensation received and other factors, such as your location, may impact what offers and links appear, and how, where and in what order they appear. While we seek to provide a wide range of offers, we do not include every product or service that may be available. Our goal is to keep information accurate and timely, but some information may not be current. Your actual offer from an advertiser may be different from the offer on this advertisement. All offers are subject to additional terms and conditions.

Compare auto insurance rates

Answer a few questions to see personalized rates from top carriers. Save on auto insurance with quotes from trusted providers like: Drivers switch & save an average of $750+/year Arrow Right Are you overpaying for auto insurance? Arrow Right Safe drivers choose Allstate Arrow Right Powered by Coverage.com (NPN: 19966249) Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in . Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way. See more providers in Choose from insurers in Show More

Collision vs comprehensive insurance

usually means that you have financial protection for your vehicle in case of a covered claim. Although some call full coverage “collision and comprehensive insurance,” these options are not individual policies but are coverage options that you can add to an existing car insurance policy. Many people purchase collision and comprehensive as a package, but you can buy them individually (unless you’re required to carry both by your lienholder). Liability-only car insurance means you only have financial protection for the other party if you cause injuries or property damage in an at-fault accident. For example, if you have a and cause an accident, your car insurance will not pay to repair the damage to your vehicle. Instead, your policy will pay to repair the damage you cause to the other vehicle (up to the property damage limit you carry on your policy). The following table illustrates different types of vehicle damage covered with collision vs. comprehensive. Type of coverage Comprehensive coverage Collision coverage What does it cover? Broken windows or windshields
Hitting an animal
Vandalism
Theft of the vehicle
Weather damage
Fire damage
Flood damage
Falling objects Collision with another person’s property, such as their car or home
Collision with another object, such as a tree, fence or light pole
Damage from a car accident, regardless of fault

Comprehensive coverage

is sometimes referred to as “other-than-collision” coverage because it may pay for damage to your vehicle caused by instances other than a car collision. Comprehensive coverage may help pay for scenarios like broken car glass, fixing your car after hitting an animal, fire damage and damage from fallen objects. According to the most recent data from the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I), the average premium for comprehensive coverage nationwide is about

Collision insurance

may help pay to repair your vehicle if you are at fault in an accident or if you hit a stationary object. A stationary object could be a tree, light pole or a shopping cart left in the parking lot. In some instances, collision may also repair your car if someone hits you and they have no insurance or if you are hit by a hit-and-run driver. Collision coverage is usually more expensive than comprehensive coverage and according to Triple-I, it averages about $290 per year.

Deductibles for comprehensive and collision insurance

Comprehensive and collision are separate physical damage coverage options, which usually include separate deductibles. This differs from liability insurance, which has no deductibles for either party when a claim is filed. The is the amount you must pay out of pocket after filing a claim. You may choose your deductible based on options provided by your insurer, which may be the same for both comprehensive and collision. Typically, the higher the deductible, the lower the premium. However, you will have to pay more out of pocket with a higher deductible if you have to use either coverage. When requesting , it may be helpful to compare different deductible levels to see how they impact your overall premium. For instance, you might be able to lower your comprehensive deductible for a slight change in premium, but that same deductible could cause a more significant increase in your rate when applied to collision coverage.

Should I get collision or comprehensive insurance

Although collision and comprehensive coverage are not required by law, the most recent data analyzed by the Triple-I shows about of insured drivers buy comprehensive coverage and 75 percent purchase collision coverage. Some scenarios may require you to carry full coverage, such as leasing or financing a car. You might also want to consider adding comprehensive and collision insurance if: There is a high likelihood of weather events, animal collisions, vandalism or car thefts in your area. You do not have the funds to repair or replace your car after an accident or comprehensive-related scenario. Your car is less than 10 years old or still has a high market value. If your car is older and not worth much, you may decide comprehensive and collision insurance is not worth the cost. Or, you may decide to keep comprehensive but not collision. For instance, it could be worth maintaining comprehensive if the cost is nominal, and you have a lot of deer in your area. Some people may also choose to keep comprehensive so that their windshield is covered. To help decide if you need one or both coverage options, it may be helpful to determine the market value of your car and compare that value to the cost of coverage. If your car were totaled, the would only pay the fair market value minus any existing damage and your deductible. Many experts use a general rule: if the of the coverage is 10 percent or more than the payout you could expect to receive, it may not be worth paying for full coverage.

Frequently asked questions

Is it better to have comprehensive or collision insurance

Comprehensive and collision cover different scenarios. If you are not required to carry both types of coverage by your lienholder or leasing company, you can usually choose to carry both or just one depending on your needs. Collision coverage could pay if you hit another car or object, or if someone else hits your car and they don’t have insurance. Comprehensive covers non-collision events, including vandalism, theft, fire and weather events.

How does liability insurance differ from comprehensive or collision

Car insurance may seem complex between liability, collision, comprehensive, and other coverage options. When , you might wonder what the difference is between collision vs. liability. Liability coverage only pays out to the other party for their injuries and property damage if you are at fault in an accident. In almost every state, the law requires you to maintain a certain level of bodily injury liability and property damage liability. On the other hand, comprehensive and collision may help repair damage to your vehicle if you’re in an at-fault accident or if your car needs fixing due to an “other-than-collision” claim, such as a hailstorm or vandalism.

When should you drop collision coverage on your car

Deciding when to drop collision coverage on your vehicle is a personal decision, but some insurance professionals may advise you to evaluate whether it is worth it to keep these coverage types with the following strategy. When the cost of coverage is equal to or exceeds 10 percent of the car’s value, you might consider dropping collision or comprehensive coverage. However, if your car still has some market value, and you cannot afford to pay for repairs or to replace it, you may want to keep collision coverage. You might also choose to increase your collision deductible to lower the premium you pay if you do not want to drop the coverage entirely. When in doubt, it may be best to speak with an insurance agent to explore your options.

Should I carry comprehensive insurance on an older car

According to the most recent Triple-I analysis, the average annual premium for comprehensive insurance is less than half the cost of collision insurance, at about $134 versus $290, respectively. If the cost of comprehensive coverage on an older car is considerably more than the car’s market value, it may not make financial sense to continue carrying the coverage. You can choose to carry comprehensive coverage on an older car even if you no longer want collision coverage. Having comprehensive on your policy can offer coverage for some physical damage scenarios, but you will not have coverage if your car is damaged after hitting another car or object. SHARE: Carol Pope is an insurance writer for Bankrate and prior to joining the team, she spent 12 years as an auto insurance agent. During this time, she sold, serviced and underwrote auto insurance for people across the country. She also has experience selling supplement coverage such as umbrella insurance. Amelia Buckley is an insurance editor, covering auto, home and life insurance. She emphasizes creating informative, engaging and nuanced content to support readers in making personalized insurance decisions.

Related Articles