Consumables Cover in Car Insurance

Consumables in car insurance are car parts that require frequent repairs. These parts are bolts, nuts, engine oil, gearbox oil, AC coolant, ball-bearings, grease, washer, oil filter, etc. Since these consumables are not covered by a standard comprehensive car insurance policy, a consumables add-on can be purchased at an additional cost to cover these parts.

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What is Consumables in Car Insurance?

Before letting you know in detail about consumables cover in car insurance, let us tell you what exactly are consumables. In layman terms, consumables refer to all those items in a car that are subject to normal wear and tear over time. So you need to get them replaced or repaired from time to time because of continuous damage, loss, or usage.

Consumables in car include items, such as fuel-filter, nuts-bolts, screws, grease & oils, air conditioner gas, etc. These car parts can only be used for limited time and require repairs/replacement from time to time.

Benefits of Consumables Cover in Car Insurance

As stated earlier, consumables are not covered under a comprehensive car insurance policy. Thus, car owners who wish to obtain coverage for consumable things will have to purchase consumables add-on in car insurance by paying an additional premium amount.

For instance, Kanu's car meets with a minor accident and its radiator gets damaged. In this situation, her comprehensive insurance policy will cover the cost of repairing the radiator of her car but not the radiator coolant.

This is because radiator coolant is a consumable item and thus, is not a part of the policy coverage. But if Kanu gets a consumables add-on cover along with her motor insurance policy, the cost of consumables will also be taken care of by her insurance provider.

Coverage Under Consumable Add-on in Car Insurance

The cost of consumables can add up to a huge amount and therefore, a consumables cover in a car insurance policy is extremely economical and useful. The cost of consumables cover in car insurance is much less than the amount you would be paying from your pocket for repairs.

A consumable cover in car insurance will cover the following items:

• Engine & gearbox oil,
• Nuts-bolts,
• Grease & lubricants,
• Power steering oil,
• AC gas oil,
• AC gas,
• Radiator coolant,
• Washers,
• Oil filters, etc.

The exact coverage may vary from insurer to insurer.

Buying Consumables Cover in Car Insurance: Things to Know

Certain conditions have to be fulfilled to avail of the coverage of the consumables add-on.Here are a few things that must be kept in mind while buying a consumables add-on cover:

• This add-on cover can be availed for cars that are less than 5 years old.
• The consumables add-on cover is not available under a third party car insurance policy.
• The consumables used due to the mechanical or electronic breakdown of the car can't be claimed.
• Any delay in informing the insurer about the damages to the car can deny coverage under this add-on cover.
• Driving the insured car with invalid documents can also reject one's claim.
• Damages due to drunk driving will also lead to denial of the claim.
• Do not use the insured personal vehicle for commercial purposes otherwise raising a claim under this cover may be futile.
• If an insured car meets with an accident, the consumables must be repaired within 03 days to get a claim accepted. If the repair is not made in time, then the insurance company may reject the claim.
• The coverage level of consumable cover can differ from one car model to another.

Why Buy a Consumables Cover inCar Insurance?

Buying consumables add-on in car insurance will help reduce out-of-pocket expenses incurred on consumables items. For instance, while going on a drive, Amar's car gets damaged in an accident. The estimated cost of repairing the car is Rs. 20,000, out of which Rs 5,000 is for fixing or refiling various consumables, such as nuts-bolts, grease & lubricants, and power steering oil.

However, his comprehensive motor insurance policy will only cover his own damage repairs worth Rs 15,000. Without consumables cover, he would have to pay the remaining bill of Rs 5,000 from his own pockets.

However if he has a consumable add-on cover in his car insurance policy, he would not have to spend extra towards the cost of consumables. The whole of the claim amount including consumables would be covered by his insurer. That is why buying a consumable add-on cover is essential under a comprehensive car insurance policy to save money.

How to File a Claim for Consumables Cover in Car Insurance?

For raising a claim against the consumables add-on cover, the policyholder needs to inform their insurer about the accident or damage as soon as possible. Two types of claims can be raised under consumables cover - Cashless Claims and Reimbursement Claims.

• Cashless Claims: The car needs to be taken to a network garage. After the car is repaired, the repair bill amount will be paid directly by the insurance company.
• Reimbursement Claims: The car can be repaired from any garage. However, if getting it repaired at a non-network garage then it is important to inform the insurer. Once the vehicle is repaired, the policyholder can send the repair bill to the insurance company to get the bill amount reimbursed.

Make sure to share all the information regarding the loss or damages to the car with the insurance company before the car gets repaired.