12 Car Insurance Add-Ons That Are Worth Considering

Car insurance add-ons, like roadside assistance, comprehensive coverage and gap insurance, can offer useful coverage for specific protections that your current auto insurance policy might not cover. However, you’ll want to be mindful about which auto insurance add-ons you buy, as they might not all be equally useful for every driver due to their situational natures.

Keep reading to learn more about different auto insurance add-on options and how they can protect you in specific circumstances.

On This Page

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  What Is a Car Insurance Add-On?

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  12 Top Car Insurance Add-Ons

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  How Do Car Insurance Add-Ons Work?

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  Are Car Insurance Add-Ons Worth It?

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  FAQs

What Is a Car Insurance Add-On?

Also called endorsements or riders, auto insurance add-ons are optional coverages that drivers can buy. Insurance companies offer add-ons to widen the coverage in your auto policy, helping you reduce out-of-pocket costs for certain situations through an increased premium. Add-ons are not replacements for an auto insurance policy but can be purchased in addition to one to cover specific scenarios. For example, roadside assistance coverage helps pay for tows and fuel deliveries if your car stops or breaks down, while gap insurance steps in if your car is totaled and you still have to pay off your auto loan.

Drivers should note that add-ons only supplement the coverage in their current auto insurance policy and do not meet any insurance requirements mandated by their state. When shopping with a car insurance company, remember to begin with your state's minimum requirements and then purchase additional coverage based on your needs.

12 Top Car Insurance Add-Ons

Below, we’ve compiled a list of common car insurance add-ons and what they do. Keep in mind that the availability and cost of certain add-ons can vary by car insurance company.

1. Roadside assistance: Covers emergency services when your car breaks down, such as towing, fuel delivery, spare tire changes and winching.
2. Windshield repair: Pays to repair or replace a windshield damaged by a covered peril, like hail or vandalism. While this loss is typically covered under optional comprehensive coverage, if you bought full glass coverage, you can get your windshield repairs without having to pay a deductible.
3. Collision coverage: Pays to repair or replace your car if it strikes another vehicle or object, like a fence, tree or guard rail. Collision coverage is typically required if you are financing or leasing your car.
4. Comprehensive coverage: Protects you from non-crash-related damages and losses, including fallen branches, hail, fire, vandalism and theft. Similar to collision insurance, comprehensive insurance is usually required if you are leasing or financing your car.
5. Personal injury protection (PIP): Pays for you and your passengers’ medical costs after a car accident, regardless of which driver was at fault. If you don’t have health insurance, PIP could be a good alternative for medical benefits for auto-related injuries. This coverage is required in some states but optional in others.
6. Uninsured motorist (UM): Pays for your medical injuries and property damages if you get into an accident when the other driver is liable but has zero liability coverage. UM insurance also steps in when you’re the victim of a hit-and-run — a financial lifesaver, considering a hit-and-run occurs every 43 seconds in the U.S.^[1] This coverage is required in some states but optional in others.
7. Rental car reimbursement: Covers most or all the costs of a rental car while your car is being repaired after a covered accident, which can sometimes take a few days to several weeks.
8. Gap insurance: Pays toward the outstanding balance on your auto loan if your car is totaled in a covered car accident.
9. New vehicle replacement: Instead of your insurer paying the actual cash value of your vehicle if it gets totaled, this add-on pays whatever it would cost to replace your vehicle with the same make and model (minus your deductible). Actual cash value deducts for deprecation, meaning that without this add-on, you would have to pay for the difference out of pocket.
10. Custom parts and equipment (CPE) coverage: Covers those who customize their car, such as installing an expensive sound system or a paint job. Many standard car insurance policies don’t cover aftermarket or custom car equipment, but CPE coverage can help provide protection.
11. Mechanical breakdown insurance: Pays for auto repairs when your car breaks down but your warranty has expired or doesn’t cover the broken parts, such as a failed transmission or engine. Keep in mind that this coverage is exclusive to sudden breakdowns and doesn’t cover damage from a collision, routine maintenance or normal wear and tear.
12. Accident forgiveness: Helps keep your insurance premiums from increasing after your first accident and potentially more depending on your insurer’s policy. Accident forgiveness add-ons might require different qualifications from your insurer before being able to purchase it, such as maintaining a clean driving record for at least five years.^[2] 

How Do Car Insurance Add-Ons Work?

Auto insurance add-ons apply additional coverage options to your current auto insurance policy. Add-ons can be purchased through your car insurance company at any time, either at the time of purchase, mid-policy or when renewing your existing insurance policy. Once applied to your existing insurance policy, the add-on will function like an amendment to your benefits unless you remove it or cancel your car insurance plan later.

Are Car Insurance Add-Ons Worth It?

Drivers will have to weigh the peace of mind that add-ons provide against the cost of adding it to their auto policy. There’s no guarantee you will use your add-ons and some add-ons lose their value over time. For example, it is generally recommended to drop comprehensive and collision coverage when the actual cash value of your car falls below 10 times the cost of adding this coverage.^[3]

Some add-ons may be included in your current auto insurance policy and don’t need to be purchased as a rider. 

For example, uninsured motorist coverage may be optional in some states but required in others like Connecticut and Maine.^[4][5] As a result, when you buy a policy in these two states, you will usually see uninsured motorist insurance already included and factored into the cost. Similarly, some auto insurance companies add accident forgiveness to loyal policyholders who renew their policies and have clean driving records.

While auto insurance add-ons are typically optional, some may be required under certain conditions. For example, until you pay off your car loan or your lease is up, your car lender or lessor will usually require you to maintain collision and comprehensive coverage.

In addition, you should double-check that you’re not buying duplicate coverage. For example, some credit card companies or new car purchase contracts include roadside assistance, so buying this benefit from your auto insurance company would be an unnecessary expense.