In our’ marketing pitch, we often say Engine Guards are cheap insurance for engines. And they are. But they protect your engine by warning you before damage occurs. We think that’s a smart approach. It’s going to save you a heap of money, but also big hassles that nobody wants. The stress of waiting for a tow truck to arrive, dealing with mechanics, no car to drive until it’s fixed etc. As they say, prevention is better than the cure.
But if you are paying hundreds each year on comprehensive car insurance premiums, you’d think it would cover engine damage. Chances are, it won’t.
Comprehensive insurance typically only covers damage caused by events like accidents, theft, fire, or natural disasters. Overheating is considered a mechanical breakdown, which is not covered under this type of policy. However, if you have an accident and overheating occurs as a result of damage sustained during the accident, you may be covered but there is a big exclusion.
This is where it gets tricky.
A (sad) story told to me by a customer illustrates how this can play out:
A nice lady called to order an Engine Guard. She drove a Hyundai van for a non-profit organization that took disadvantaged kids on recreational trips to the beach, etc. She had just been put through hell after overheating an engine. It needed a full replacement, and Hyundai didn’t cover it under warranty AND worse still, the insurance company said it was NOT covered. She was getting the Engine Guard installed so it doesn’t happen again.
Here is what happened. She drove the van to the beach and pulled over to the side of the road onto the grass near a council BBQ area. What she didn’t realize (or see) was that someone had bent a white metal road marker post over at 45 degrees. On her approach, it was not visible, but it was perfectly angled so as to punch through the radiator under the van. She didn’t hear the noise over the kids in the van. She went to the beach and didn’t see (or hear) as the coolant ran out onto the grass.
When they left the beach, she backed the van off the marker post and drove away. Not long after the engine lost power and she could smell burning. The engine was toast. The factory gauge didn’t work as there was no coolant in the system for it to read. It’s not covered under the factory warranty as it is caused by accident damage.
Worst of all, the insurance company declined the claim. Why? The policy EXCLUDES mechanical breakdown. The damage to the radiator would have been covered as it directly resulted from the ‘accident’. However, damage that occurred AFTER the initial accident was (in theory) preventable. It’s impossible to argue with the fine print…..
So don’t rely on your insurance OR factory warranty. Want peace of mind? Get an ENGINE GUARD.
