Will car insurance cover rim damage? [Rates, Repair Cost, + More]

There are a number of car insurance options available to drivers, depending on your car and whether you own it outright, lease the vehicle, or are paying off a financed car loan.

Does car insurance cover rim damage? These insurance options provide different amounts and types of coverage for car rims and similar damage to your own vehicle.

The most basic type of car insurance available is liability insurance. This type of basic insurance covers only damage to another person’s car or property and is only available to insure a vehicle that you fully own. However, collision or comprehensive car insurance could provide coverage for damaged, bent, stolen, or otherwise injured rims. (For more information, read our “How long should I keep collision insurance on my car?“).

You can compare the costs of different types of car insurance and what different insurers may charge in order to ensure that you have the coverage that you want for your rims and wheels.

Does insurance cover rims and tires damage? It’s never too late to compare different policies. Enter your ZIP code above and make sure you’ve got the best rate and coverage.

Does my car insurance cover rims?

Does insurance cover bent, aftermarket, or scratched rims? In order to make sure that rim damage to your own car is included under your insurance policy, you will need to purchase either collision coverage or comprehensive coverage.

Most likely, if you have collision coverage. Collision car insurance coverage is exactly what its name implies. It covers damage to your vehicle caused by a collision with another vehicle or with an object. (For more information, read our “Does my car insurance cover me in other cars?“).

It can also cover damages caused by running over a pothole, a frequent cause of bent and damaged rims. If your rim is cracked, bent, or damaged in any kind of collision, this type of coverage will protect your investment.

Comprehensive coverage goes further. So, does insurance cover stolen rims?

This type of car insurance covers fire and weather damage, car theft or theft of parts, vandalism like tire slashing, or other events beyond vehicle collisions.

How much is tire and rim insurance? These are the average rates across the U.S. for collision and comprehensive, compiled with data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

Average Annual Car Insurance Rates by Coverage Level

Read more: What does full coverage car insurance include?

It will change based upon your own personal factors such as driving record and credit history, location, and more.

You can add comprehensive and collision to your insurance, but you have to have liability by law. Each state’s requirements are different, as you can see below in the table using compiled requirements by theInsurance Information Institute (III).

Minimum Liability Car Insurance Requirements by State

If you’re looking at California’s limit of 15/30/5, that means you must have $15,000 bodily injury coverage for each individual in a car accident, $30,000 for all people in the accident, and $5,000 for property damage.

Read more: How much does insurance cover in an accident?

If your rims are damaged, cracked or bent in an attempt to steal them or vandalize the car, comprehensive insurance may still pay out. You can compare options online through various insurers to make sure that you choose the coverage that fits your needs.

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Exceptions to Coverage for Rims

However, even if you have the right kind of insurance, it may not cover custom aftermarket parts like specialized rims. Every insurer may have a different policy in this regard, so it is important to check to find out exactly what is covered under your specific policy.

Sometimes, you can add a special addition to your insurance policy for custom modifications and equipment installed permanently in your car.

If your rims are only one part of your vehicle customization, you might find this type of coverage useful. This custom coverage may be used to provide insurance for customized alloy wheels, rims, roll bars, performance suspension or spoilers, electronics or custom paint jobs.

Read more: Does car insurance pay for paint jobs?

In some states, this coverage may be part of comprehensive or collision packages. When comparing the options available from each insurer, you can see how much coverage is provided for specialized parts and equipment.

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Rim Work Covered By Insurance

Many insurers will prefer to pay to replace rather than repair a cracked rim because it could be dangerous to drive on even a repaired cracked rim.

In the case of a bent rim, insurers may prefer to repair the rim; it depends on the type of damage that your car has suffered.

Your rims are always at risk of further damage because of the inevitability of encountering the following:

• curbs
• potholes
• particularly cracked roads

When the lug holes of the rim are damaged, a replacement can also be necessary.

If you opt for rim work to address the damage, your insurer is likely to insist on replacement rather than a potentially dangerous repair option.

When determining which car insurance choice is the right option for you, it is important to consider the extent of coverage provided by the policy, particularly for items like rims.

If you have aftermarket or custom rims, it can also be critical to compare the amount of coverage provided for custom parts and equipment and the availability and cost of a rider for additional coverage.

Whether you opt to take advantage of your car insurance coverage to replace your damaged rims, it can be reassuring to know that the option is there to address all of the points about your car that matter most.

Should you make a claim for rim damage?

It’s also important to consider whether it is in your best interest to file a car insurance claim for rim damage. This could depend on the cost of your rims and the type of wheels you have. Most car insurance policies carry a deductible of $500 or more; in some cases, this may be the cost of a new rim.

Even if you don’t receive reimbursement because the amount of your claim was below the deductible amount, you may still experience a rate hike after filing the claim.

The potential rate increase may be a concern for filing this kind of claim for minor damage. However, any rate increase is likely to be fairly low, as the cost of repairing or replacing a rim is not very high.

If you have filed a number of small, minor claims, however, you could begin to see a larger monthly increase in your car insurance premium.

This scenario is not likely to occur after one claim for a bent or cracked rim, however. It may impact your insurer’s view of your risk profile; you may be seen as a higher risk driver who has experienced a number of small accidents.

When considering filing a claim against your car insurance, it’s best to consider your own history. If you have gone for a long period without claims, it could be worth it to file for the cost of the rims.

But if you’ve had a number of small claims in the past few years, you may want to reconsider filing a claim for this kind of small damage.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Rim and Wheel Damage Coverage

Keep reading for more FAQs about your car insurance and what it covers.

Does full coverage cover pothole damage?

Yes, as we mentioned above, as long as you have collision coverage, pothole damage should be covered.

Read more: When is full coverage car insurance worth it?

Does insurance cover tire blowout damage?

Unless the blowout is a direct result of a vehicle accident, a blowout may not be covered. But always check with your insurance agent to conifrm.

How much does it cost to unbend a rim?

If your rim has a slight bend in it, it will probably cost about $75 for a mechanic to fix it.

This video from AMMO NYC goes into what it takes to properly fix a bent rim.

If you have to actually replace the rim, the price varies, but most will cost between $200 and $500.

Does insurance cover wheels?

Does car insurance cover tires? The short answer here is that: yes, it can cover your wheel damage.

Does insurance cover aftermarket wheels? Yes, if you have the right coverage. However, it’s important that you know that your rates might go up.

You need to really think about whether it’s worth it to make the claim or just pay for the damage yourself.

Does car insurance cover road damage?

Does car insurance cover hitting something in the road? Most likely, if you have collision insurance, and the repair is higher than your deductible, the damage should be covered.

What other damage will your car insurance cover?

Does insurance cover curb damage like curb rash? It’s probably not worth it for you, as you’ll end up having a claim on your vehicle which can increase your rates. You’d end up paying more in the long run.

Does car insurance cover frame damage, broken axles, or alignment? If you have full coverage, you’ll be able to claim it. However, it all comes down to how much it’ll raise your rates. Less expensive repairs should probably just be fixed out-of-pocket if you don’t want your rates to increase.

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!

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