1. 75 POINTS
    Charles Newsome
    The answer is an astounding “maybe.”

    Wow, that sounds pretty vague, doesn’t it? Well, it depends on what is stolen from the car. Items that are permanently installed in the car are covered for theft, such as your internal GPS system or sound system. CD’s, tapes, cassettes, and etc. can be covered if you add such coverage to your auto policy.

    What if you have things like a laptop in your car, or textbooks, or things you just bought from the mall and couldn’t bring home yet? NOT COVERED. Unless there is a special coverage available from your insurance company in your state, this is NOT covered under an auto policy. These items are covered under your renters, homeowners, condo, or other property policy as stipulated under your coverages. This is why it is important to have more than just auto insurance, as a missing laptop is emotionally and financially frustrating to replace. Renters insurance can be around $120 a year and will cover these belongings after a deductible of $250-$1,000. Make sure you have these items properly listed on your property policy as some limits are there for theft of valuable items like jewelry, precious and valuable items, electronics for business, and other items. However, that is going beyond the scope of this question.

    In short- auto policies are not designed to cover theft of items from the car. The policy covers some incidental items relevant to the car, but the rest of your items are really covered from your home property policy. So go out and talk to your agent and invest in the right policy to properly cover your contents.
    Answered on February 20, 2013
  2. 2777 POINTS
    Terry A. McCarthy, CLU, ChFC
    President, Insurance Associates Agency Inc., West Chester, OH
    The short answer is that unless the car is stolen, or parts of the car are stolen, theft of items from a car are not covered. You'll seek this coverage from your homeowner insurance. If your car is stolen there is a small amount of coverage that comes from the auto after 48 hours. As usually, check with your local agent or insurance company to see how they have written your policy but what I have described in the common policy construction. Auto policies are not designed to coverage your personal property.
    Answered on February 1, 2015
  3. 37376 POINTS
    David G. Pipes, CLU®, RICP®
    Business Development Officer, T.D. McNeil Insurance Services, Fresno, California
    Automobile insurance covers an automobile. Property is covered by property insurance. If the property is a part of the automobile it is covered under the automobile policy. State law may provide variations of coverage but this is the basic answer. You should know that property coverage outside the residence is normally only a percentage of the coverage listed on the policy and is subject to a deductible.
    Answered on April 23, 2015
  4. 14231 POINTS
    Tom Sheehan
    Agency Owner, The Thomas G Sheehan Agency, 27 Glen Road Sandy Hook, CT 06482
    While car insurance would cover the loss of your car due to theft, provided that you had Comprehensive physical damage coverage included in your policy, the things in the car would probably not be covered. Personal items left in a car are covered under your Homeowner's, Condominium Unit Owner's or Renter's insurance policy. Talk to your Insurance Professional about your particular needs to make sure you are properly protected. Further, be sure to talk about any discounts available to you for insuring both your home and car with the same company.
    Answered on September 15, 2015
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