With the S4 the dividing line does not run between third-party liability and comprehensive cover but between damage and defect: an own-damage policy pays for an event, not for a broken drivetrain.
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A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
The S4 is the mid-range version with a six-cylinder engine and permanent four-wheel drive, mostly driven as an everyday car. On this model the most expensive bills rarely come from a collision. It is the drivetrain, the transmission, the turbo or the electronics that cost money, and that is precisely where car insurance stops. Own-damage cover pays for damage caused by a sudden external event; wear and defects fall outside it.
That distinction is not always immediately clear when a claim is handled. If a defect arises while you are driving and a collision follows as a result, the collision damage is covered and the defect is not. The reverse applies too: if a driveshaft or a differential is damaged in a collision, that does belong with the claim. So have an assessor set out those items explicitly in the report, because adding them later to a closed file is difficult.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Compulsory
Third-party liability
Damage you cause to others.
Required by law
As long as the registration is in your name
Suspend the registration when not in use
Third-party liability plus
Third-party, fire and theft
Causes beyond your control.
Fire and storm
Theft
Windscreen damage
Comprehensive cover
Comprehensive
Including damage you cause yourself.
Own fault
Vandalism
Replacement-as-new period
What is covered
Situation
Third-party liability
Third-party, fire and theft
Comprehensive
Damage to the other party
Yes
Yes
Yes
Theft
No
Yes
Yes
Fire and storm
No
Yes
Yes
Damage you cause yourself
No
No
Yes
Wear and mechanical defects
No
No
No
Driving without a valid licence
No
No
No
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Technology that breaks is not insured damage
A worn clutch, a transmission that no longer changes gear, a failed turbo or a control module that has given up fall outside every own-damage cover, however high the bill. That is not an exception but the essence of what indemnity insurance is: there has to be a sudden event. For costs of this kind there are warranty and repair products from the manufacturer or the dealer; those are separate from your car policy and have their own exclusions and maintenance obligations.
The wrong fuel and water damage
Filling up with the wrong fuel is included under some comprehensive policies and expressly excluded under others. It is never included as standard in third-party, fire and theft. If you drive through a flooded road and the engine draws in water, many sets of conditions call that a consequence of your own act and not of the flood. Check both points in your conditions before you need them, because they are the two most common arguments over engine damage.
After a collision the drivetrain needs attention
On a car with permanent four-wheel drive the transmission of power runs the whole length of the chassis. A knock from the side or a firm hit against a kerb can affect driveshafts, mounting points and alignment without anything being visible from the outside. After a collision, always have the geometry measured and have that check included in the damage report. If the item is not recorded, you will have no basis later for claiming those costs after all.
What else falls outside
Wear to brakes, tyres, clutch and exhaust is not paid for, not even where it occurs more quickly after an incident. Also excluded are driving on a circuit and taking part in speed events, consequential damage from deferred maintenance, and damage caused by intent or recklessness within the meaning of Article 7:952 DCC. A fall in value after a properly executed repair is not insured damage but, where appropriate, a claim against the liable other party.
What does your premium depend on?
Repair costs for this version. Four-wheel drive and a six-cylinder engine make the average repair bill higher than on the base model.
List price and rating group. Power and value determine the group in which the insurer places this model.
Excess chosen. A higher excess lowers the premium, but shifts small repair bills onto you.
Glass and repair arrangements. Repair within the insurer's network often means a lower excess or none at all.
Annual mileage. A car driven daily with high mileage falls into a different class from a weekend car.
Age, experience and claims history. Age, how long you have held a licence and previous claims together determine the step on which you start.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your wishes.
We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Is engine damage covered under a comprehensive policy?
No, not where the engine fails of its own accord. Own-damage cover pays for damage caused by a sudden event such as a collision, fire or theft. A technical defect, even an expensive one, is not an event in that sense. For those costs there are separate warranty and repair products, which have their own conditions and maintenance obligations.
Will I be paid for putting in the wrong fuel?
That depends entirely on the conditions. Some comprehensive policies include it as damage caused by your own mistake, including flushing the system; others exclude it. Under third-party, fire and theft it is never covered. If in doubt, do not start the engine and have the car towed, because it is driving on that causes the expensive consequential damage.
What if the car pulls to one side after a collision?
That is then part of the claim. Have the geometry measured and the measurement included in the assessor's report, together with a check of the driveshafts and suspension. With four-wheel drive, invisible damage can show up later in wear to tyres and drivetrain. If the item is not recorded, claiming afterwards is virtually impossible.
When is third-party, fire and theft enough for this car?
As soon as the market value has fallen so far that the premium plus the excess is no longer in proportion to what you would get back on a total loss. If finance is still running, it is not a free choice: the lender usually requires comprehensive cover for as long as the loan is being repaid. Have the tipping point recalculated once a year.
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
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