Am I Covered If My Car Breaks Down?

Last Updated on December 15, 2025

Auto insurance is designed for sudden, unexpected events — not the predictable costs of owning a car. So if your vehicle breaks down because of age, wear and tear, or skipped maintenance, a standard car insurance policy won’t pay for the repair.

That said, there are situations where insurance can help with repairs (when damage is tied to a covered claim), and there are optional add-ons — like mechanical breakdown insurance (MBI) and roadside assistance — that can reduce out-of-pocket costs.

Key Takeaways

• Standard auto insurance usually won’t cover repairs from mechanical failure, wear and tear, or routine maintenance — those costs are considered part of owning a car.
• Insurance may pay for repairs to mechanical parts only when the damage is tied to a covered event (like a crash, hitting an animal, theft, or storm damage) and you have the right coverage.
• Mechanical breakdown insurance (MBI) is an optional add-on (typically for newer, lower-mileage vehicles) that can help cover certain breakdown-related repairs after you pay a deductible.
• Roadside assistance can help with towing, lockouts, jump-starts, and flat tire help — but it won’t pay to fix the underlying problem causing the breakdown.

Ordinary Car Insurance Does Not Cover Vehicle Repairs

An ordinary car insurance policy does not cover vehicle repairs caused by mechanical failure, normal aging, or maintenance issues. That means you generally can’t file a standard claim for a worn-out transmission, a failing alternator, or an engine that dies from long-term wear.

The biggest exception is when a mechanical part is damaged because of a covered incident. For example, if an accident damages your radiator and the car overheats, that repair could be part of a collision claim. But if the radiator simply fails due to age, insurance won’t cover it.

The only time car insurance covers many “breakdown-style” repairs is when you have mechanical breakdown insurance (MBI). MBI is optional coverage typically available for newer vehicles, and it works more like an extended warranty: you pay extra, and the policy helps cover certain repairs when covered parts fail.

Some drivers also add roadside assistance. If you have roadside assistance, then car insurance could cover the cost of towing your broken vehicle to a repair facility, or the cost of replacing your tire with a spare tire. However, roadside assistance will not cover the cost of repairing your vehicle.

Coverages Included with an Ordinary Auto Insurance Policy

A typical car insurance policy includes some combination of the following:

Liability Insurance: Most states require drivers to carry two types of liability insurance, including bodily injury liability coverage and property damage liability coverage. If you damage someone while driving, or if you injure another person, then your liability insurance covers the cost of making the other person ‘whole’ again. It covers medical bills, vehicle repair costs, and other damages for which you may be liable after an at-fault collision.

Collision Coverage: Optional in all states, collision coverage can pay to repair your own vehicle after an accident — regardless of fault — after you pay your deductible. Collision is also the coverage that commonly applies if you hit a pothole, curb, guardrail, or another vehicle.

Comprehensive Coverage: Also optional in all states, comprehensive coverages covers damage to your vehicle that occurs outside of an accident, including theft, vandalism, broken windshields, and collisions with animals. If your car is stolen, for example, then you make a claim through comprehensive coverage, and insurance compensates you for the full value of the stolen vehicle (up to your policy limits, minus your deductible).

Other Coverages: Some states also require uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, personal injury protection, and medical payments coverage, among other coverage options.

None of the coverages above will cover mechanical breakdowns, maintenance-related costs, wear and tear, and similar “it wore out” vehicle repair costs.

What Does Insurance Cover?

Most drivers carry full coverage car insurance, which usually means liability plus collision and comprehensive.

If you have a full coverage car insurance policy, it can cover repairs related to events like:

• Single-vehicle and multi-vehicle accidents
• Fire
• Theft
• Vandalism
• Natural disasters
• Collisions with animals
• Falling objects (like a tree branch)

Important: even when a claim is covered, you’ll usually owe a deductible (for collision and comprehensive). And insurers cover repairs that are tied to the covered event — not unrelated wear and tear found along the way.

What Does Insurance Not Cover?

A typical car insurance policy does not cover:

• Wear and tear
• Vehicle maintenance
• Tire repairs and replacement
• Mechanical failures that happen over time (like an old transmission failing)

The purpose of car insurance is to protect you from unexpected losses — like collisions, theft, and storm damage. Maintenance is an expected part of owning a vehicle. Because those costs are predictable (oil changes, brakes, batteries, worn hoses, etc.), standard insurance doesn’t cover them.

Optional Car Insurance Coverage for Vehicle Repairs

There are two common add-ons people use to soften the financial hit of breakdowns:

Mechanical Breakdown Insurance: Mechanical breakdown insurance (MBI) is optional car insurance coverage available on new vehicles. It’s only offered by select insurers. Typically, your vehicle needs to be relatively new (often within the last couple model years and under a mileage limit) to qualify. With MBI, your insurance helps cover certain repairs when covered parts fail.

Roadside Assistance: If you have roadside assistance, then your insurance covers certain costs related to vehicle breakdowns, including towing, spare tire changes, and fuel delivery, among other costs. If your vehicle breaks down 50 miles from home, for example, and you need towing to the nearest repair facility, then roadside assistance can cover the cost of dispatching help. However, roadside assistance does not cover the cost of repairing your vehicle.

How Mechanical Breakdown Insurance Works

Ordinary car insurance does not cover vehicle breakdowns. However, if you have mechanical breakdown insurance, then you may be covered for certain repairs when covered parts fail (subject to your policy’s terms, exclusions, and deductible).

Mechanical breakdown insurance functions similarly to a vehicle’s extended warranty offered by a car dealership or places like CarShield. Unlike an ordinary car insurance policy, mechanical breakdown insurance does cover certain breakdowns and repairs.

Some key points about mechanical breakdown insurance include:

• Helps pay for covered repairs after a covered part fails (you usually pay a deductible first)
• Typically only available for newer, lower-mileage vehicles
• Works like an extended warranty, but is attached to your auto policy with “pay as you go” pricing
• Not available from all insurance companies
• May be unnecessary if you already have strong factory warranty coverage or a service contract

MBI is designed for sudden, unexpected failures — not older cars that are statistically likely to need big repairs. That’s why many insurers restrict MBI to vehicles that are only 1–3 years old (sometimes less) and under a mileage cap.

What Does Mechanical Breakdown Insurance Cover?

Mechanical breakdown insurance can cover many crucial components of your vehicle — often the same types of systems covered by a manufacturer warranty (engine, transmission, drivetrain components, steering, electrical systems, and more), depending on your policy.

Mechanical breakdown insurance covers repairs to mechanical parts of the car except for maintenance and wear and tear. It’s built for unexpected failures — not routine upkeep.

Mechanical breakdown insurance does not cover routine maintenance, and it typically won’t cover damage caused by neglect (like skipping oil changes) or problems that were happening before you purchased coverage.

How Much Does Mechanical Breakdown Insurance Cost?

MBI pricing depends on your insurer, state, vehicle, and deductible. But many drivers see pricing that’s relatively low compared to dealership extended warranties — often somewhere in the ballpark of a few dozen dollars to around $100 per year, with deductibles commonly in the $250 to $500 range.

The greater the value (and potential repair cost) of your vehicle, the more you’ll typically pay for mechanical breakdown insurance.

Some insurers offer mechanical breakdown insurance, while others do not. GEICO is one of America’s largest insurers offering mechanical breakdown insurance. Progressive and 21st Century also offer mechanical breakdown insurance, but most other large insurers, such as State Farm, do not.

Does My Vehicle Qualify for Mechanical Breakdown Insurance?

Not all vehicles qualify for mechanical breakdown insurance. Typically, you need to have a newer vehicle with relatively low mileage to qualify.

Once you have mechanical breakdown insurance, you can often renew it for a certain period of time, up to a maximum number of miles or years (this varies by insurer and state).

Here are GEICO’s mechanical breakdown insurance qualification requirements, for example:

• GEICO offers mechanical breakdown insurance on new or leased vehicles that are fewer than 15 months old and have fewer than 15,000 miles
• Once you’ve purchased MBI from GEICO, you can renew it for up to seven years or 100,000 miles (whichever comes first)

Tip: with many MBI policies, you’ll need authorization before repairs begin (especially for major repairs). Always read your policy and follow the claim instructions so you don’t accidentally void coverage.

Check Your Warranty or Extended Warranty

Ordinary car insurance does not cover you when your car breaks down. However, you may be covered through your warranty or extended warranty.

Factory Warranty: Most new vehicles include a manufacturer warranty (often a basic warranty plus a longer powertrain warranty). If a covered part fails during the warranty period, the manufacturer pays for the covered repair — as long as you’ve maintained the vehicle properly and the issue isn’t excluded.

Extended Warranty: Car dealerships and third-party providers may offer extended warranty coverage (often called a “vehicle service contract”). In exchange for an added fee, the coverage can extend protection past the factory warranty. Coverage, exclusions, deductibles, and claim rules vary widely, so always read the contract carefully.

Most older vehicles are not covered by a factory warranty. Once your vehicle is several years old and has higher mileage, warranty coverage is less likely — and that’s also when bigger repairs become more common.

Many car manufacturers provide a basic warranty that’s often in the range of 3–5 years and around 36,000–60,000 miles, while powertrain warranties are often longer. Exact coverage depends on the automaker and model.

Most car manufacturers also offer a powertrain warranty that can cover major drivetrain components like the engine and transmission. A powertrain warranty covers the powertrain of your vehicle, which includes the engine, transmission, axles, driveshafts, seals, gaskets, transfer case, and other components.

What Does a Car Warranty Cover?

A car warranty compensates you for the cost of repairing or replacing certain parts of your vehicle. If your vehicle is relatively new and has a relatively low number of miles, then it may be covered by a warranty.

A typical car warranty covers:

• All major vehicle systems
• Air conditioning and heating systems
• Electrical components
• Steering
• Safety features
• High tech systems
• Select emissions components

Specific coverages vary based on the type of warranty – like a basic, powertrain, or bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Mechanical breakdown insurance covers a similar list of items (depending on the policy), but it’s attached to your auto policy instead of your manufacturer.

What Does a Car Warranty Not Cover?

Car warranties do not cover certain damages. A typical car warranty or mechanical breakdown insurance plan excludes all of the following:

• Wear and tear to most parts of your vehicle
• Damage to your exterior or body panels, including dings and scratches
• Damage caused by poor maintenance (like skipping oil changes or driving dangerously)
• Damage to the interior, including holes or scratches in the seats
• Damage from an accident (that’s what auto insurance is for)
• Damage from the environment, including hail damage or wind damage (unless specifically covered by the warranty/contract)

Warranty coverage varies. Always check your warranty booklet or service contract to confirm what’s covered, what’s excluded, and what you must do (like maintenance records) to keep coverage valid.

FAQs on Car Breakdowns and Insurance Coverage

Final Word on Being Covered for Breakdowns

No — a standard car insurance policy usually will not pay just because your car breaks down.

Car insurance is built for sudden losses (crashes, theft, storm damage), not maintenance-related breakdowns or general repairs. If you want coverage for certain failures, check whether you still have a factory warranty, consider an extended warranty/service contract, or look into mechanical breakdown insurance (MBI) if your vehicle qualifies.