Quoting Coverage on a Car With Existing Dents, Cracks or Damage
A dented door, a cracked windshield, a scraped bumper from a previous owner: plenty of cars on the road carry damage nobody has fixed. None of it stops you buying insurance. It does change what the physical-damage coverage can do for you, and handling it properly at quote time avoids an argument at claim time.
- Clear, dated photos of every damaged area, plus a full photo of each side of the car
- Any repair estimate you already have
- How and when the damage happened, if you know
- Whether an earlier claim paid for this damage, and whether it was repaired
- The VIN and the odometer reading
Step 1: know which coverages care
| Coverage | Effect of damage already on the car |
|---|---|
| Liability | None. It pays for harm you cause to others, not for your car. |
| Uninsured motorist bodily injury | None. It concerns injuries, not the car's condition. |
| Collision and comprehensive | Existing damage is not a covered loss later. Some companies inspect before adding these coverages, and that varies by insurance company. |
| Glass | An existing crack may need repairing, or be noted, before glass coverage applies to it. Varies by insurance company. |
| Total-loss settlement | Paid on actual cash value, which in California means fair market value unless the policy says otherwise; a car with unrepaired damage is generally worth less. |
Step 2: photograph before the policy starts
Photos taken before coverage begins protect you as much as the company. If the car is later damaged in the same area, clear before-and-after pictures separate the new loss from the old one. Keep them with the date visible, in the same folder as your policy documents.
Step 3: disclose it when the quote asks
Quote forms commonly ask whether a car has existing damage. Answer accurately and describe it briefly: "crack across lower windshield, passenger side; dent in rear bumper." An accurate description costs nothing now. An inaccurate one is exactly the kind of thing that turns a later claim into a dispute.
Step 4: expect a photo request or inspection
Some companies ask for photos, an app-based inspection or an in-person look before comprehensive and collision take effect, and some set a deadline for it after the policy starts. The rules, and what happens if the inspection is not completed, vary by insurance company. Ask, and put any deadline in your calendar the day you buy.
Step 5: decide whether to repair first
- If you plan to repair soon, it can make sense to quote now and tell the company the repair date, then send photos of the finished work.
- If an earlier claim already paid for the damage and you kept the money without repairing, say so. Companies treat that differently, and it is not something to let them discover.
- If the car is old and the damage cosmetic, ask yourself whether collision is worth carrying at all. On a low-value car the deductible can absorb much of any payout.
Buying a used car with damage
If you are quoting a car you have not bought yet, the seller's description is not enough. Get your own photos at the viewing, and if you are financing, check whether the lender requires comprehensive and collision, because then you will need a company willing to add them on that car. People often ask us whether existing damage makes a car uninsurable; for liability it almost never does, and for physical damage it usually means a little more paperwork.
Send your photos with your details through our quote form and we will tell you which companies will add comprehensive and collision on the car as it is.
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Get My Free QuoteMore of what callers ask
Will my insurer pay to fix damage that happened before I was covered?
No. Comprehensive and collision pay for covered losses during the policy period, so damage already on the car when coverage started is not covered later.
Does existing damage change my price?
It can affect whether a company adds comprehensive and collision, and what the car is worth at a total loss. How it is handled varies by insurance company, so disclose it when quoting.
I was paid on a claim but never fixed the car. Can I claim for it again?
Expect not; the earlier payment was for that damage. Disclose it at quote time, and ask how the company records damage that was paid but not repaired.
Do I have to fix a cracked windshield before buying insurance?
Not to buy liability coverage. For glass coverage, some companies note or exclude an existing crack until it is repaired; ask before you buy.