With the continual pouring since April 16th, 2024 in the UAE, car garages and mechanics have been receiving loads of calls for vehicle repairs. Remarkably, the repair costs upon inspections are coming to as high as AED 40,000 for several vehicle owners with motor insurance claims getting rejected. 

Naturally, this invites the question -

What is Causing Such High Repair Costs?

As per several automobile experts in the country, the UAE floods have damaged numerous cars’ crucial parts like electrical circuits and engines. In these parts, water can lead to transmission failure, hydro-lock, and engine breakdown. 

Getting these parts replaced is usually a costly affair — most of the damaged parts are expensive as they need to be imported from the vehicle’s country of origin. 

The UAE flood has greatly increased the number of inquiries for vehicle repairs, with garages getting as high as over 300 enquiries on average every day. 

It’s worth remembering that the costs of repairs can only be estimated after a thorough inspection of the car by mechanics. These costs depend on various factors — the make of the vehicle, the damaged elements, the duration of the repair, and the replacement of the spare parts. 

Electric vehicles have faced more extensive damage in their digital and mechanical system including the steering. Since only authorised centres repair such vehicles, getting them repaired is becoming even more difficult.

Insurance: To The Rescue (But Not Without Terms and Conditions)

If you have a comprehensive car insurance plan, chances are that your insurance provider will pay for the repair costs. However, if your claim remains pending or gets rejected, there might be some reasons for that. 

For instance, if your flooded vehicle gets stalled in designated parking lots and is towed by the insurance-approved garages, only then will the incurred damage repair costs be covered by the insurer. 

So make sure that you have comprehensive car insurance for that. Otherwise, the claim will be rejected. 

Another factor that can lead to claim rejection is that you attempt to start the engine of your vehicle if your vehicle is parked in a waterlogged or partly submerged area. In fact, intentionally parking your vehicle in such an area during these weather conditions can also result in claim rejection. 

Also, know that damaged wipers of the vehicle can lead to your claim getting rejected. 

We understand that the current times are tough and we all have places to go. It is, however, important to ensure that you and your mode of transportation are protected too. 

Stay safe on the road!

Related Links - 

Does Your Car Insurance in UAE Cover Rain Damage?

Flood Car Insurance Coverage