Insurance claim - Fire/electrical damage

[Clart]

Had some electrical issues with my touran - interior light fuse kept going and one day it melted the fuse and there was some smoke out of the interior lights. I took it to the garage to get the lights fixed and its not good news. They've taken the dash out and the wires right down to the fusebox has burnt out and taken other wires on the main loom with them. I've been quoted £1500 to get it fixed :dapprove:

My question is will be covered under my insurance? Garage say we are very lucky not to have lost the car completely.

 

[H182]

You'd have to call and ask, but I suspect they'll just categorise it as a fault / breakdown which wouldn't be covered.

 

[Ex-User (60778)]

You'd of been better off with the car going up in flames for sure. Definite insurance claim then

 

[Clart]

Yeah definately, wish id never taken the car in now.

 

[Bluebeard]

Yeah definately, wish id never taken the car in now.

So give the garage £50 for a few beers on a friday and tell them to forget they ever saw you, take the car home and leave it running on the road outside your house. It will either get nicked or it will set itself on fire.

Win Win.

 

[bradsmith88]

Most policies will not provide cover for mechanical/electrical failures/breakdowns.

They will cover resultant impact/fire damage.

Doesn't sound like your car has any fire damage, simply electrical problems so unlikely would be covered.

 

[GrahamS]

^^^^the above is incorrect. Policies do not cover mechanical break down. They do cover fire damage. Some policies are a little confused and do not cover it under accidental damage but do under the fire section of the policy.

Likely if it's smoke damage the car will be written off though depending on how bad it is. The smell, if bad, would mean the whole interior would need replacing and of course the quote would be at MRP which is no way cheap! Could even be a cat B if it's deemed toxic or hazardous.

If it's just a light bit of damage then you also should be covered. You can quite easily explain you took it to the garage and it got too expensive so have had to make a claim. Make sure you emphasise there was smoke coming from the dash though. They will ask about previous repairs, work recently done to the car etc.

Fire and theft excess should be applicable not your accident excess (they are different usually)

Hope that helps.

I used to write off cars which had stereos catch on fire etc.

 

[bradsmith88]

Grazo, I said it was not covered?

Just because there was smoke - does not mean that there was a fire.

You may be covered for smoke damage - but likelihood is that would be sorted by a valet - which would fall below nearly all policy excesses!

Very unlikely to be toxic/hazardous amounts of damage, without serious amounts of flame damage!

The initial failed item would not be covered, its the resultant damage which is covered, however the resultant damage often is great enough to render the vehicle beyond economic repair without contribution of the cost of the failed item from the insured.

The OP says that there are lots of melted wires (electrical failures) but does not mention any resultant fire damage - and in my eyes that means no cover.

 

[Carlycaca123]

Had some electrical issues with my touran - interior light fuse kept going and one day it melted the fuse and there was some smoke out of the interior lights. I took it to the garage to get the lights fixed and its not good news. They've taken the dash out and the wires right down to the fusebox has burnt out and taken other wires on the main loom with them. I've been quoted £1500 to get it fixed 😞

My question is will be covered under my insurance? Garage say we are very lucky not to have lost the car completely.

Got exactly the same problem mate half way through repairing it lol ball ache but not to bad tbh mate my interior light burnt the wires right to the fuse box

 

[Diagro]

costs too much? Take it home and set it alight :wink:




Dont do this ^

 

[Clart]

Got exactly the same problem mate half way through repairing it lol ball ache but not to bad tbh mate my interior light burnt the wires right to the fuse box

Cost me £1100 to get it fixed.

 

[ThomasBrentnall]

How old is the car?

 

[Carlycaca123]

Cost me £1100 to get it fixed.

Did they find out what actually caused it mate