The Car Insurance Blog

FALSE! You have the responsibility for your car and even though you were not present during the accident, you will still receive a mark on your insurance record.

6. No-fault insurance means, it’s not my fault!
No. No-fault insurance means that your insurance company will pay for the damages regardless of who’s fault it was.

7. Even without comprehensive coverage, I’m still covered for theft, windstorms, hail and deer accidents.
This is not true.. Car owners only purchase collision insurance believing that they will also be covered for incidents like vandalism, hail, animal accidents and fire accidents. This is certainly not true.

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False. Your credit score will be a basis for the insurance company to decide whether to increase or renew your auto insurance coverage.

4. Males under the age of 25 pay more for auto insurance
This can be both true and false. Male under the age of 25 could pay more than female drivers of this age. But sometimes, teenagers and people who are older tend to pay more because this is the age group who are more involved in accidents.

5. I lent my car to a friend and he met and accident. His or her car insurance company will pay for the damages right?

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Here are 8 myths about car insurance that have bothered most car owners. Many owners believe and drive by these fallacies everyday.

1. The color of my car will affect my insurance rate
No. The factors that will affect your insurance rate are your vehicle’s year, make, model, body-type, engine size and driving record.

2. My insurance rate is set by the government
This is not true. The government will not set your insurance rate. Your address, credit score and marital status will determine the premium that you will receive.

3. My credit score will not have any effect on my car insurance rate

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It’s not uncommon: Your mechanic goes under the hood to make a repair, and in the process, spots another part in need of fixing. Unfortunately, it’s also as common to be charged as if the mechanic were taking apart your car twice, rather than just once to access both problems. To get to a damaged water pump, your mechanic would remove several belts. Should he notice a problem with a belt, he’s not going to do twice the work (for example, sticking the belt back in the car and then remove it later for repair). Why should you pay for twice the labor? He was going to take the parts off anyway.

Car owners must have a basic working knowledge of the common parts of their vehicles. Sometimes deceitful mechanics will look for opportunities to take advantage on their clients’ lack of knowledge about their own cars. A favorite trick of these sneaky mechanics involves your car’s motor oil. What they do is hold the dipstick in a way that it won’t go all the way so to show that your car’s short on oil. Now, that is just a cheap trick but others can be quite expensive and surprising, too. A detached spark plug can look like and fake engine trouble. Car owners who know more about their car parts are less likely to be fooled by these sly mechanics so, in short, read your car’s manual or find a basic repair book.

Collision insurance only covers accident involving objects. To fully protect your car from all accidents, you should purchase both collision and comprehensive coverage.

8. I’ve never had or been involved in a car accident, so I don’t need automobile insurance.

False. You were lucky enough that you weren’t involve in any accidents, for now. But what if you’ve encountered an accident? You are at great risk of losing everything. Car insurance is the best thing that you can have in the event of an accident occurs. You are also required by law to have a basic form of car insurance, and failing to do so has its repercussions.

Stalling car? It might be your fuel injectors or maybe your fuel pump. But, beware of so-called parts-replacers and mechanics who seem to have no clue what the problem even is, yet, are still more than happy to “fix” your car. They merely keep guessing and what’s worse is that they even charge you for their little guesswork. In reality, most parts-replacers simply do not have the proper skills to determine car problems. Some even have the nerve to rely on the idea that customers will keep coming back.

Thus, the best answer is to demand a certain guarantee or warrant on the next repair attempt. If the mechanic still doesn’t fix the car problem, then most likely you’ll have to find a better one.

When it comes to your car’s regular scheduled maintenance, your vehicle manufacturer and your mechanic will agree on one thing — your car will need some repair at some point. However, their opinions on just exactly what and when it should be done are, shall we say, worlds apart. Also, expect that the dealership’s list will surely be four times as long since obviously, there is a lot of profit to be made in repairing things that don’t need to be fixed.

Take the 2005 Honda Accord, for example. After one year of usage or 10,000 miles, Honda will recommend that the tires be rotated and the engine oil replaced. In comparison, Majestic Honda dealership in Lincoln, R.I., will advise 17 points worth of inspection and repair (from testing window wipers to lubricating door hinges) after just 7,500 miles.