Consumables fall into two categories. They can be anything that your car consumes (hence the name), such as coolant, brake oil, engine oil, grease, lubricants, so on and so forth. And consumables could also refer to parts in your car that have to be replaced regularly such as air filters, oil filters, nuts, bolts, screws, ball bearings, washers, etc.
Car insurance does not cover the replacement of such parts.
Even if you have comprehensive car insurance, the policy will not cover the replacement cost of any consumables. Therefore, in case of a claim, you would have to pay for these parts & materials yourself. They might seem like small expenses but, add them up and you could be looking a sizeable amount. Moreover, having to pay for such elements despite having comprehensive car insurance can be annoying.
The solution is the consumables cover add-on.
As you know, car insurance comes with a number of add-on features you can purchase to increase the protection of your policy. One of these features is the consumables cover. Choose to include this add-on to your motor insurance policy and the replacement cost of all consumable will be borne by the insurance provider. Sure, it will cost you to purchase the add-on and include it in your policy. However, you need to know that the premium amount for the add-on will be next to nothing when compared the cost of replacing the consumables out of your own pocket.
Who should buy the consumables cover add-on?
The consumable cover add-on is better suited for certain car owners. To begin with, anyone who is not keen on paying the replacement cost of these minor but numerous elements should definitely invest in this add-on. On the other hand, anyone with a car older than 60 months should not consider this add-on as most motor insurance companies will only provide the add-on for cars below 5 years of age.
The consumable cover is only applicable to claims.
Consumables aren’t covered under warranty as well. This is why you have to pay for them out of your own pocket on normal services. Keeping this in mind, some individuals buy the add-on thinking that it will cover the cost of replacement in such scenarios. However, the add-on can be claimed in case of an accident or other such situations covered under your car insurance policy.
Conclusion.
Your car insurance policy does not cover consumables and leaves you to pay for their replacement. However, if you do not wish to do so, you can choose the buy the consumables cover add-on. It will offer to bear the cost of all consumables in case of a claim. The entire list of consumables is very long but the add-on will cover them all including AC Gas, Gearbox Oil, Brake Oil, Engine Oil, Coolant, Air Filters, Oil Filters, Nuts, Bolts, Screws, etc.
Hope this has been helpful and gives you a better idea of consumables cover in car insurance. Good luck and all the best, drive safe!