Auto insurance covers damage to your car from hail, flooding, and vandalism. If you discover that someone has broken into your car and slashed your tires, it will likely be covered by your auto insurance company.
To find out if it is covered for sure, check the details of your policy or contact your auto insurance company. They will be able to tell you exactly how much will be covered as well as how much you’ll need to pay out of pocket. Your insurance company will also likely ask for a police report number before they can move forward with any claim.
If the car has a comprehensive plan, you should be covered for damage to your tires, even if your tires are slashed.
If your car has a comprehensive plan, you should be covered for damage to your tires, even if your tires are slashed. (In fact, the tire would be covered even if it were only damaged slightly while parked in a lot—say by a stray shopping cart or an overzealous parking garage attendant.) However, keep in mind that your policy will only cover the cost of repairing the tire. You’ll have to pay for the replacement out of pocket.
If the vandalism did cause other damages to the vehicle—such as dents or scratches to the paint job, or damage to any parts attached to your car—those may also be covered by comprehensive insurance. Just remember that any repairs resulting from vandalism must meet your deductible before you can receive reimbursement from your insurance provider.
If your car is stolen or vandalized and you have an auto insurance plan that includes comprehensive coverage, you will be covered for the damage to your tires.
Can you file an insurance claim?
It depends on the situation and your insurance plan. Generally, if your vehicle is stolen or vandalized, then yes, you can have your car’s tires replaced with the help of an auto insurance claim.
If you have comprehensive coverage (also called “other than collision” coverage) as part of your auto insurance policy, your car’s tires will be covered if they are damaged by vandalism or theft. Auto insurance claims are paid based on replacement cost value (RCV) instead of actual cash value (ACV), so this means that when the damage is repaired or replaced, the tire will be comparable to a new tire.
When filing a claim for vandalized and/or slashed tires, law enforcement may need to investigate damage and file a police report in order for the claim to be approved.
