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Water can seriously damage cars. But if you don’t react in time or behave incorrectly during a flood, you may end up having to pay the costs yourself.
When it rains for days, residents in many regions of Germany look at the water levels of nearby rivers with great concern. Flooding can quickly make houses and apartments uninhabitable. But cars can also be damaged in floods. Depending on how deep the car was in the water, repairs can be expensive – the vehicle may even be beyond repair. If you have the right insurance, you can get the damage reimbursed – but only under certain conditions.
Flood damage to the car: A case for partial insurance
If you, as a car owner, have taken out partial insurance (which is always part of every fully comprehensive insurance policy), you will usually be reimbursed for the costs incurred in the event of flood damage to your vehicle. But be careful: If you were warned about the flood and had the opportunity to get your car out of the danger zone in time, it can be difficult. In such a case, according to the Auto Club Europe (ACE) less – or possibly nothing at all.
Anyone who drives a car despite obvious flooding will have a bad hand in the event of insurance damage. (Symbolic image) © Pond5 Images/Imago
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Insurance does not cover every water damage to a car
Just as important: The damage must have been caused directly by the flood. If, for example, an engine failure occurs because you drive your car into an underpass that is already flooded (so-called water hammer), then according to ADAC the insurance company will either pay nothing or at least not the full amount. Reason: In this case, the damage was caused by gross negligence. There is one exception: if the flooding occurred so suddenly that the driver had no time to turn off the engine, the water hammer is covered by the partially comprehensive insurance.
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Before entering flood areas, check for flood warnings
Despite having the appropriate insurance, there is a risk that you will be left with the costs of any damage – so before driving into a flood area, you should find out whether there are any flood warnings. In the case of other types of storm damage to cars – such as hail or fallen trees – the specific situation also determines whether the insurance will cover the damage.
