Does your insurance go up after a theft claim?
Asked by: Dr. Adela Hermiston | Last update: October 8, 2025Score: 4.5/5 (70 votes)
How does car insurance work with theft?
Comprehensive coverage will usually cover theft, as well as repair costs from break-in damages. Liability insurance likely won't cover theft, as it usually protects against bodily injury and property damage resulting from an accident.
What kind of claims make your insurance go up?
Filing an insurance claim can have long-term ramifications, such as a hike in your premium or difficulty in switching providers in the future. Certain types of claims, such as dog bites or slip-and-fall incidents, can have a significant impact on your rates and may even disqualify you from coverage with some carriers.
How much will insurance pay for a stolen car?
Car Theft Insurance: When Am I Entitled to Coverage? Downey drivers whose cars are stolen in Califonia will have car theft insurance if they have comprehensive coverage. That should cover you up to the Actual Cash Value (ACV) of your vehicle. If your car is damaged due to a break-in, you'll also be covered.
How does an insurance company determine the value of a stolen vehicle?
The Bottom Line
Insurance companies generally use your car's ACV to determine whether it's a total loss after an accident. If you have comprehensive or collision coverage, most auto insurance policies will also largely base your payment on the car's ACV after it's totaled or stolen.
How to Make the Best Theft Insurance Claim : Insurance Advice
Does theft claim increase insurance?
Other Claims: Theft or Damage
If you have coverage for theft or damage, then there's a good chance your premiums will increase after a claim.
How much value does a stolen car lose?
The car's next title will be referred to as a salvage title, even if the car is in perfect condition. Previously stolen cars with a salvage title can lose anywhere from 20% to 40% of their original value.
How long does insurance take to pay out a stolen car?
How long does it take for insurance to pay out on a stolen vehicle? The timeframe of an insurance payout for a stolen vehicle varies based on the company. But in general, you should expect the funds after a 30-day waiting period.
Does insurance pay off your car if it's stolen?
Stolen vehicles are protected by comprehensive coverage
If someone steals your vehicle and it's not recovered, your insurer will cut you a check for your car's current value if you have comprehensive coverage. This may be true even if the car was stolen with the keys in it.
Should I call my insurance if my car was stolen?
If you have a tracking device on your vehicle, this could help you recover it, but after contacting the police, you'll want to call your car insurance company next.
Will my insurance go up if I submit a claim?
In general, when you make a claim against your insurance policy above a specific amount due to an incident that is primarily your fault, an insurer will increase your premium by a certain percentage.
Will a small claim affect my insurance?
Many assume that only major claims affect premiums, but even minor claims can lead to increased rates. In fact, it's often the reporting of an incident, rather than the insurance claim itself, that triggers higher premiums.
Do you have to pay a deductible for theft?
The market value of your vehicle is what it was worth at the time it was stolen, not what you initially paid for it. With Comprehensive, you would also need to pay a deductible before your insurance pays out.
What to do if someone steals out of your car?
Immediately Contact Law Enforcement and Your Lenders
The first thing you should do is notify your local law enforcement authority that your car was broken into and tell them what items were stolen. A police report is a vital document when recovering from any account fraud or other crimes using your identity.
How long does a stolen vehicle remain on file?
Unrecovered stolen vehicle records (including snowmobile records) which contain VIN's or OANs will remain in file for the year of entry plus 4. b. Unrecovered vehicles wanted in conjunction with a felony will remain in file for 90 days after entry.
Will my insurance rates go up if my car is stolen?
Comprehensive claims
Your rate may go up if you have comprehensive auto coverage and file a claim for incidents like car theft and vandalism, hitting a deer, fire, glass breakage (including a cracked windshield), hail/weather-related damage, and other acts of nature.
What happens when someone steals your car?
After you've filed a report with the police, the next call you need to make is to your insurance company. They will guide you through the process of filing a claim. Be prepared to provide them with information such as your policy number, the police report number and any other relevant details they may require.
How long does it take to recover a stolen vehicle?
If you report your car as stolen immediately to police, there's a better chance it will be recovered. In fact, according to NICB data, 35% of recovered stolen vehicles are recovered on the same day as the theft, and 45% are recovered within two days.
What happens if your car gets stolen before you pay it off?
You still owe the money. Your theft insurance should cover most of the replacement cost. All loans require collision and theft insurance for the vehicle that you DO NOT own but are paying for.
How does insurance determine the value of a stolen car?
Instead, they pay out the cost to replace it minus depreciation. An insurance company looks at comparable vehicles for sale in your area to decide how much yours is worth. They will also take into account the mileage on your odometer and other factors to determine the actual cash value of your stolen vehicle.
What happens if your car gets stolen and you don't have insurance?
Unfortunately, if your car is stolen and you don't have insurance coverage, you may be responsible for the full cost of replacing your vehicle. When a car is stolen, the owner typically files a police report and notifies their insurance company.
How much money will I get if my car is stolen?
If your car is stolen, you would file a police report, then file a car insurance claim. For a covered claim, your insurer would cut you a check for $7,500 (the actual cash value minus your deductible), to help you replace your stolen vehicle.
Can I trade in my car if it was stolen?
If a Dealer accepts a vehicle as a trade-in and learns the vehicle has been reported as stolen, the vehicle must be returned to the rightful owner.
How does gap insurance work if your car is stolen?
So, if you took out a loan or leased a car, and the car is totaled or stolen before you can pay off the loan, GAP insurance will cover the difference between what you owe on the loan and the car's resale value.