Comprehensive Coverage: What It Actually Means
Comprehensive insurance covers damage to YOUR car from non-collision events.
What comprehensive covers: • Theft: If your car is stolen • Vandalism: Keying, broken windows, slashed tires • Weather damage: Hail, flood, hurricane, tornado • Fire: Vehicle fires (not caused by collision) • Falling objects: Tree branches, rocks, debris • Animal strikes: Hitting a deer, collision with any animal • Glass damage: Broken windshield from road debris • Civil unrest: Riot damage, looting
What comprehensive does NOT cover: • Collision damage: Hitting another car or object (that's collision coverage) • Your liability: Damage you cause to others (that's liability coverage) • Your injuries: Medical bills after an accident (that's PIP or MedPay) • Mechanical breakdown: Engine failure, transmission problems • Wear and tear: Routine maintenance, deterioration • Personal belongings: Items stolen from your car (use homeowners/renters insurance)
Why it's called "comprehensive": The name is misleading—it doesn't comprehensively cover everything. It covers a comprehensive list of non-collision perils. Think of it as "everything except collisions and liability."
Full Coverage: What It Actually Means
"Full coverage" is industry slang for a policy that includes all three major coverage types:
1. Liability coverage (required by law in 49 states) • Bodily injury liability: Pays others' medical bills when you're at fault • Property damage liability: Pays for others' vehicles/property you damage • Protects: Other people from you, and your assets from lawsuits • Does not protect: Your own car or your own injuries
2. Collision coverage • Pays: To repair or replace YOUR car after accidents • Covers: Hitting another car, hitting objects (poles, guardrails), rollovers, single-car accidents • Works: Regardless of who's at fault • Requires: Deductible payment ($500-$2,000 typical)
3. Comprehensive coverage • Pays: For non-collision damage to YOUR car • Covers: Theft, weather, vandalism, fire, animals, falling objects • Requires: Deductible payment (often lower than collision, $250-$1,000 typical)
The "full coverage" package: When someone says they have "full coverage," they mean they have all three. This protects: • Other people (liability) • Your car in accidents (collision) • Your car from other perils (comprehensive)
Important: "Full coverage" doesn't mean everything is covered—it's just these three core coverages. You might still need gap insurance, rental reimbursement, roadside assistance, and other optional coverages.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Here's how comprehensive and full coverage compare:
Your car stolen: • Comprehensive only: ✓ Covered • Full coverage: ✓ Covered (via comprehensive component)
Your car damaged in accident (you're at fault): • Comprehensive only: ✗ Not covered • Full coverage: ✓ Covered (via collision component)
Other driver's car damaged (you're at fault): • Comprehensive only: ✗ Not covered • Full coverage: ✓ Covered (via liability component)
Windshield broken by rock: • Comprehensive only: ✓ Covered • Full coverage: ✓ Covered (via comprehensive component)
Your car totaled in hailstorm: • Comprehensive only: ✓ Covered • Full coverage: ✓ Covered (via comprehensive component)
You hit a deer: • Comprehensive only: ✓ Covered • Full coverage: ✓ Covered (via comprehensive component)
You hit a guardrail: • Comprehensive only: ✗ Not covered • Full coverage: ✓ Covered (via collision component)
Someone vandalizes your car: • Comprehensive only: ✓ Covered • Full coverage: ✓ Covered (via comprehensive component)
Bottom line: Comprehensive is narrower—it only covers non-collision damage to your car. Full coverage is broader—it covers your car (collision and comprehensive) plus your liability to others.
Cost Comparison
How much each costs:
Comprehensive only (annual average): • National average: $150-$350/year • Varies by: Car value, location (theft rates, weather risk), deductible • Typically cheapest coverage type: Lower risk, fewer claims than collision
Full coverage (annual average): • National average: $1,400-$2,200/year • Breakdown: - Liability: $600-$900/year - Collision: $400-$700/year - Comprehensive: $150-$350/year - Other coverages: $100-$250/year
Cost difference: Full coverage costs roughly 4-6× more than comprehensive alone—but that's because it includes liability (required) and collision (expensive).
The value proposition: • Comprehensive alone: Cheap insurance against catastrophic non-collision events • Full coverage: Complete protection (but required if financing/leasing)
Why comprehensive is so cheap: • Lower claim frequency than collision • Smaller average claim sizes • More predictable risk (insurers can model weather, theft rates) • No fault determination—either a covered peril occurred or it didn't
Deductible impact: • Comprehensive deductible: Often lower ($100-$500) because claims tend to be smaller • Collision deductible: Usually higher ($500-$2,000) to reduce premiums • Choosing higher deductibles reduces premiums significantly
When You Need Full Coverage
Full coverage is required or strongly recommended when:
1. You finance or lease your vehicle • Required: Lender mandates collision and comprehensive • Why: Lender owns the car (or has lien) and needs it protected • Non-negotiable: Contractual requirement • Until: Loan is paid off, then you can drop to liability-only if desired
2. Your car has significant value • General threshold: More than $5,000-$10,000 • Why: You couldn't easily replace it out of pocket • Protection value: Insurance makes financial sense • Peace of mind: Protects against major financial loss
3. You couldn't afford to replace the car • Limited savings or emergency fund • Car is essential to your livelihood (work, family) • Losing it would create financial hardship • No backup transportation available
4. You're in a high-risk environment • Heavy traffic, long commute • High accident rates in your area • Combined collision and comprehensive risks • Full coverage provides complete peace of mind
When full coverage becomes optional: • Car is paid off (no lender requirement) • Car value drops below $3,000-$5,000 • You have solid emergency savings • Annual premium exceeds 10% of car's value
For more on when to drop coverage, see full coverage vs liability.
When Comprehensive-Only Makes Sense
Consider carrying comprehensive without collision when:
1. Your car has moderate age but still some value • Example: 8-10 year old car worth $4,000-$7,000 • Not valuable enough to justify expensive collision coverage • Valuable enough that total loss from theft/weather would hurt • Comprehensive protects against catastrophic non-accident losses
2. You live in a high-risk area for comprehensive perils • High theft rate: Car theft is common in your area • Severe weather: Frequent hail, floods, hurricanes • Wildlife: High deer population, frequent animal strikes • Comprehensive is cheap insurance against these specific risks
3. You're a safe driver willing to self-insure collision risk • Clean driving record, low accident risk • Comfortable taking responsibility for accident damage • But want protection against uncontrollable events (theft, weather) • Middle ground strategy between full coverage and liability-only
4. Collision premium is high relative to car value • Collision might cost $500-$700/year • Comprehensive might cost only $150-$250/year • Drop the expensive coverage, keep the cheap one • Saves 60-75% of your collision + comprehensive premium
5. Your car is paid off and you have emergency savings • No lender requiring full coverage • You can handle collision repairs/replacement yourself • But comprehensive is cheap enough to keep "just in case" • Rational risk management strategy
Real-world example: • Car: 2016 Honda Civic, paid off, worth $9,000 • Location: Denver (hail risk, moderate theft) • Driver: Clean record, emergency fund of $15,000 • Decision: Drop collision ($550/year), keep comprehensive ($220/year) • Rationale: - Can afford to repair/replace car after accident - Cannot control hail or theft - Saves $550/year while maintaining catastrophic-loss protection - Over 10 years, saves $5,500 while still protected against weather/theft
Common Misconceptions
Myth 1: "Comprehensive means it covers everything." • Reality: Comprehensive only covers non-collision damage to your car • Doesn't cover collisions, liability, mechanical breakdown, personal items • The name is misleading—it's comprehensive within a narrow category
Myth 2: "Full coverage means everything is covered." • Reality: Full coverage is liability + collision + comprehensive • Doesn't include gap insurance, rental reimbursement, roadside assistance • Doesn't cover mechanical breakdown, wear and tear, or personal belongings • "Full" is relative to the three core coverages, not literally everything
Myth 3: "Comprehensive is more expensive than collision." • Reality: Comprehensive is usually cheaper • Collision typically costs 2-3× more than comprehensive • Lower claim frequency and smaller average payouts make comprehensive cheaper
Myth 4: "I only need comprehensive if I live in a high-crime area." • Reality: Comprehensive covers much more than theft • Weather damage (hail, flood) affects all areas • Animal strikes are common in rural/suburban areas • Falling objects, fire, vandalism can happen anywhere
Myth 5: "If I have collision, I don't need comprehensive." • Reality: They cover different things—you typically want both • Collision covers accidents; comprehensive covers everything else • Dropping one doesn't eliminate the need for the other • However, you CAN keep one without the other if it makes financial sense
Myth 6: "Comprehensive covers hitting an animal." • This one is TRUE! Many people think animal strikes are collision • Reality: Animal strikes are covered under comprehensive • Why: Animals are considered "acts of nature," not objects you collide with • Hitting a deer, elk, moose, dog, etc. = comprehensive claim • Hitting a parked car after swerving to avoid an animal = collision claim
How to Decide What You Need
Follow this decision framework:
Step 1: Check financing requirements • If you finance/lease → Full coverage required (no choice) • If you own outright → Continue to step 2
Step 2: Determine your car's value • Use KellyBlueBook.com, Edmunds.com, or NADAguides.com • Be honest about condition • If value < $3,000: Consider liability-only • If value $3,000-$7,000: Consider comprehensive-only (drop collision) • If value > $7,000: Consider full coverage
Step 3: Assess your financial situation • Emergency fund: Could you replace the car tomorrow? • If yes: Self-insurance is viable • If no: Keep comprehensive at minimum (it's cheap)
Step 4: Evaluate your risk environment • High theft area: Keep comprehensive • Severe weather zone: Keep comprehensive • Heavy traffic/long commute: Consider keeping collision • Rural area with wildlife: Keep comprehensive
Step 5: Calculate the premium-to-value ratio • Get quotes for different coverage scenarios • 10% rule: If collision + comprehensive > 10% of car value, consider dropping • Comprehensive alone rarely exceeds this threshold
Step 6: Consider middle-ground strategies • Drop collision, keep comprehensive (saves 60-75%) • Keep both but raise deductibles significantly (saves 30-50%) • Drop both, increase liability limits (reallocate premium to better protection)
Decision matrix:
Car financed/leased → Full coverage (required)
Car worth < $3,000, strong emergency fund → Liability-only
Car worth $3,000-$7,000, moderate savings → Comprehensive-only
Car worth $7,000+, essential vehicle → Full coverage
Car worth $7,000+, backup vehicle available → Comprehensive-only or liability-only
Frequently Asked Questions
Comprehensive is one component of full coverage. Comprehensive covers non-collision damage to your car (theft, weather, vandalism). Full coverage is comprehensive + collision + liability—it's a complete insurance package protecting your car, other people, and their property.
No. Comprehensive insurance only covers non-collision damage to your car. Full coverage includes comprehensive plus collision coverage (for accidents) and liability coverage (for damage you cause to others). Comprehensive is one part of full coverage, not a synonym for it.
Yes, you can carry comprehensive without collision if you own your car outright (lenders typically require both). This is a smart strategy for older cars—you're protected against theft and weather damage while self-insuring collision risk. It saves 60-75% compared to full coverage.
Comprehensive typically costs $150-$350 per year, making it much cheaper than collision ($400-$700/year) or full coverage ($1,400-$2,200/year). The exact cost depends on your car's value, location (theft and weather risk), and deductible amount.
Comprehensive doesn't cover collision damage (hitting other cars or objects), liability for damage you cause to others, your medical expenses, mechanical breakdown, routine maintenance, wear and tear, or personal belongings stolen from your car.
Comprehensive covers hitting a deer or any animal. Even though you "collide" with the animal, it's considered an act of nature and falls under comprehensive coverage, not collision coverage.