10 Auto Insurance Myths You Should Know About

The truth about fallacies of many car owners believing that the insurance premium coverage for their new car is covered, and maybe the truth just might make you change course.
(1) "No-fault insurance means, is it not my fault?" That means that your insurance company pays for your damages regardless of who's at fault. No they don’t!

(2) "Can the color of my car affect my insurance rate?" No!
What do influence your rate are your vehicle's year, make, model, body type, engine size, credit history and driving record.

(3)"If I lend my car to a friend and that friend is in an accident, his or her insurance company will pay for the damages…right?" Wrong!

Your car is your responsibility! And guess what, even though you weren't present at the time of the accident, you still will receive a mark on your insurance record and your insurance premium could possibly go up.

(4) "Is my insurance rate is set by the government?" No!
The government has nothing to do with your car insurance rate. Where you live, your credit score, marital status and your driving record is what actually affects your premium.

(5) "I recently paid my insurance premium. Is my new car I just purchased is covered?"

Not necessarily. Most automobile policies require that the policyholder notify the insurance company or agent within a specified number of days, if indeed coverage is desired for the newly purchased vehicle.

(6) "Is it a fact that male driver under the age of 25 pay more for auto insurance?" Yes! Male driver under 25 years old can potentially pay more for car insurance than female drivers. However, across the board, teenagers and mature adults pay more for auto insurance, due in large part because these age groups are typically involved in more automobile accidents.

(7) "Can my credit score have any affect on my insurance rate?" Your credit score really does matter! Many Insurance companies take your credit score into consideration when deciding to increase or renew your auto insurance coverage.

(8) "Even without comprehensive coverage, am I still covered for theft, windstorms, and hail and deer accidents?" Many drivers believe that if they only purchase collision insurance, which covers accidents involving objects, that they will also be covered for incidents that involve vandalism, hail, animal accidents and fires. That simply is not true. You need to purchase both collision and comprehensive coverage in order to fully protect your vehicle from all of these situations.

(9) "Can my personal auto insurance cover both my personal and business use of my car?"

If you occasionally use your personal car for business purposes such as transporting clients, going to and from meetings or hauling business equipment, then you will more than likely need to extend your personal car insurance to cover your business use as well. Plus, if your employees use their car while working for you, you will want to also obtain a separate non-owned car insurance policy.

(10) "I've never had nor been involved in a car accident, do I still need automobile insurance?" Yes!

Some drivers are lucky enough never to have been or to be involved in an accident. However, if by chance you do have an accident; your risk of losing everything is great. Car insurance is the best protection you can have in the event an automobile accident occurs. It's also a legal issue - you are required, by law, to have some basic form of auto insurance, and failing to do so carries some fairly strict punishments.

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Body Kits

The top reason why people customize their wheels with a body kit is the looks but the body kit can improve as well the overall performance of your vehicle. Before getting started on buying a body kit, take into consideration certain concerns.

A body kit typically includes ground effects usually an air dam and side skirts. These ground effects fit on the vehicle's bottom edges and improves the down force by altering the air flow. The car looks lowered to the ground.

A kit can also include spoilers and wings. Under the front bumper is positioned a front spoiler to lessen the aerodynamic drag. A spoiler on the rear creates a down force to help increase grip or traction during acceleration.

The material that the body kit is made of should be considered. Generally there are two types of materials used in fabricating kits. You have the urethane and the fiberglass. Fiberglass has a better fit and can be repaired if a piece gets damaged. On the other hand, urethane once it gets damaged cannot be repaired but it is more resistant to soft impacts. Fiberglass has a better finish than urethane, and the paint generally looks better on it. Urethane is advisable if you live in an area that has rough roads and snow. Fiberglass is ideal with smooth roads and with a decent weather.

When you have considered a particular kit, calling the manufacturer of that kit would be good. Ask for what material your choice body kit is made of, if there is any warranty and if it is necessary for factory pieces from your vehicle's safety structure to be removed in order that the kit will fit accordingly. If it is necessary for the factory pieces to be removed, then don't bother buying the kit. Avoid purchasing body kits that require factory pieces from your car's structure to be removed.

Quality comes with price. Top quality fiberglass resin made in the U.S. can be expensive, while you can also find cheap fiberglass. It is all up to you how much you are willing to invest in your body kit.

Even the most accomplished do-it-yourselfers find installing a body kit quite complicated that it would be advisable to seek professional help. Ask your body kit manufacturer for recommended dealers in your area or recommended shops that could do the job. Check other sources like the yellow pages and the internet as well. Make sure that the shop has ample experience in such field and could do a good job at painting the kit. Check out pictures of previous works that the shop has done and select the shop that is most comfortable for you.
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Your SUV: Your New Paint Job

Look sharp in cut rate auto body shop or you may lose more than you gain. A good paint job to spruce up your SUV up truck may lose you more than you gain.  A good job takes time, skill and equipment.

Why should you pay big dollars to have your SUV repainted when you can get the job done for much less cost? After all for appearances if you place both of these jobs side by side they may well look fine.

In fact, one may be actually be as good as the other – and you will be in the chips with the cheaper job. A low overhead , a low margin of profit and a volume business can make it possible for one shop to charge bargain basement prices and turn out a job that will stand up for years.

But cutting pries may also mean cutting corners. If you have ever painted a car or even a fence you know that a job takes time, patience and a good degree of skill. There are many chances for cutting corners. Failing to sand off rust for instance. Or skipping various steps in the process.

Here are some defects that might show up over time in a corner cutting paint job.

The most common defect is “Peeling”. Peeling is what happens most often. Sometimes the entire paint film lifts off right down to bare metal and you can see rust that was not removed. Or the sealing has not stuck to the primer coat or finish stuck to sealer.

Next in line is wrinkling. Wrinkling is a condition that you can almost always blame on the man or women who did the job. Perhaps too heavy a coat of paint was applied. Or the painter may have used a thinner that dried too fast.  In warm weather this will produce a very heavy coat that will surface dry too rapidly. Insufficient thinner is another cause of wrinkling.

Cracking and checking may come from too much haste in turning out the job. Applying finish coasts before the coats underneath dry may well have occurred. Sudden temperature changes or the movement of body panels may cause fine cracks.

Should you take back a defective job like this – the painter may tell you that that “spotting in” would fix it up. It will not. The entire panel must be completely refinished.

Blistering of paint can be caused by a variety of conditions but if it happens soon after the car comes from the auto body shop you can almost always blame the painter.

Poor preparation of the metal always causes blisters and bubbles. Perhaps various steps were missed or fudged. Grease oil or dirt may have been left on the surface before painting began. Moisture or oil in the air line of the spray gun can cause blisters as well.

But if the job is done at a time of high temperature and humidity, be cautious about blaming the shop. These conditions may blister the very best paint job. Even nearby chemical plants or pollution can cause this as well.

How can you avoid such defects and problems? True in even in a full high priced job, some of these defects some or even all of these defects can show up. But your chances of missing them are far better.

Above all, know the shop and its reputation. If you are doubtful stand around awhile and watch. You might well do this while awaiting your estimate.

After all it is your SUV. Your vehicle is the best representation of you. Being careful and thorough is always the best policy.
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