Does the Car Insurance Policy Cover Suspension?

Posted on: Oct 19, 2022 | | Written by:

Does the Car Insurance Policy Cover Suspension?

Published on October 17, 2022. EST READ TIME: 3 minutes

A short discussion if car insurance covers suspension

Even if you hold a valid driving license, you simply cannot drive your car from the showroom right after purchasing it. You must first ensure that all the legal paperwork is duly completed before your endearing vehicle hits the road. This paperwork can never exclude at least the mandatory third party insurance plan. However, if your car is more luxurious, it is better to opt for comprehensive coverage, ensuring the enhanced scope of coverage.

Whatever the type may be, you must hold a valid and active car insurance policy under any circumstance. It acts as a protective shield in case of any accidental circumstance involving your vehicle. But, you must remember that even a comprehensive plan with add-ons will not offer coverage for every damage your car may experience.

There are always a set of inclusions and exclusions maintained by the concerned company. In this article, we will focus if the suspension damage comes under the purview of a standard active car insurance coverage plan

What is a suspension in a car?

Every vehicle involves a special suspension system. It involves a fixed set of springs, tyres, tyre air, and shock absorbers, along with exclusive linkage connecting the wheels and tyres to the car, allowing balanced and synchronised movement between these two.

The primary function of an active suspension system in a vehicle is to ensure that the wheels of the concerned vehicle remain in contact with the road surface as much as possible, maintaining proper tyre pressure. Moreover, a properly functioning suspension system even acts as a protective shield for the tubes and tyres of the vehicle from natural damage, wear, and tear, that occurs with regular usage. However, depending on the make, model, and variant of the car concerned, the particular design of the rear and the front suspension executed may vary accordingly.

To cut a long story short, suspension is that part of the vehicle that consistently opposes all the unwanted forces that the driver may face while driving on the road. The road conditions are not always even, and it develops potholes, bumps, cracks, etc., especially during the rainy season, making driving a bit more challenging for the driver.

Things that damage your car suspension

Certain particular reckless driving habits cause severe damage to your car’s suspension system, thus making it more vulnerable, especially on uneven terrains. Here are some of the basic driving faults that you must try to avoid at any cost to reduce damage to your beloved vehicle’s suspension system:

1. Never try to slam the brakes too hard:

At times, while on-road driving, you may face unavoidable circumstances when you suddenly need to hit the brakes quite hard to avoid any unfortunate accidental circumstance. But, such feats must be restored for extreme emergencies only.

Never ever inculcate the habit of hitting and slamming the brakes hard whenever you need to push it. When you are hitting the brakes hard, it unnecessarily locks the tyres, confronting the ABS present in the vehicle. Such frequent jerks eventually damage the entire suspension system prematurely over a short span.

2. Reduce speed over speed breakers and bumps:

All drivers are well acquainted with speed breakers and bumps present on the roads while driving. These are placed for several varieties of reasons and one of them is controlling the speed of the vehicles. These bumpers act as speed controllers.

In case you try to cross these bumpers without affecting the existing speed, you are bound to face a damaged suspension at that very moment. It is considered to be extremely hazardous for the vehicle not to control speed while driving through speed breakers and bumpers. The excessive jerks that it experiences for those few seconds are enough to cause significant damage.

3. Exceeding the recommended weight limit:

Every type of vehicle comes with a designated weight limit, depending on its usage patterns. You cannot compare the weight limit of a truck with that of a sedan. Not every passenger car also possesses a similar weight limit. For example, you cannot make any comparison between the carrying capacity of Beetle with that of Innova.

Every pattern of car possesses an exclusively designed suspension system capable of handling up to a certain fixed amount of weight. Exceeding that set limit will unnecessarily strain the suspension system, creating excessive tension. This eventually damages it.

4. Frequent servicing of the suspension:

Servicing your beloved vehicle on time is one of the major factors ensuring proper care and maintenance. Befitting and punctual servicing ensures extended longevity of the vehicle concerned, which eventually saves you a lot of hassles. Similar to any other existing systems in your vehicle, the suspension system also needs proper care and frequent servicing. In case you fail to appear for the scheduled servicing, be prepared to face the expensive consequences.

5. Keep your adventure spirit in check while driving:

Another major reason for the damaged suspension is reckless driving. Off-road driving also causes similar damage. Each vehicle is specifically designed for handling the stress and strain of a particular terrain. In case you are exceeding that limit and keep driving on bumpy roads, through potholes, or rough hilly terrain, you are bound to damage your car’s suspension system.

It is best to stick to the conventional form of driving and drive responsibly, maintaining proper speed limits and managing you’re driving nature and etiquette to retain the health of your car as a whole, with a major focus on the suspension system.

Is suspension covered under your car insurance?

The suspension system of a vehicle is composed of tyres and tubes. Well, you can well understand tyres are most exposed to vulnerability and are prone to maximum damage, wear, and tear when compared to any other component of the vehicle. Considering the average road conditions of the Indian roads, it is extremely important to insure your vehicle to avoid excessive repair and replacement costs.

Under the purview of a standard comprehensive plan, if the vehicle’s tubes and tyres get damaged, the insurer is liable to pay only 50% of the cost of replacement. In the case of entire coverage, you need to opt for the add-on of Zero Depreciation Cover.

However, this comprehensive plan never covers minor punctures or minor repairing. It also does not include the damage caused due to normal wear and tear.

However, you can opt for the add-on coverage of tyre protection under a comprehensive policy. It covers the costs of damage and repair of the tyre, along with other accidental damages to the tyre, including the expenses and labour costs incurred during the replacement process.

Conclusion

The above discussion sheds light on all the important and related aspects regarding the suspension system of the vehicle. Whether you opt for a comprehensive car insurance policy with special add-ons, it is your duty to drive responsibly, exercising proper control of your driving habits to avoid accidental circumstances and damage to your vehicle.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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