Guide
Choosing Deductibles for Collision and Comprehensive
How deductibles work, the savings at each level, why collision and comprehensive can differ, glass deductibles, and the break-even logic.
By Chris Delgado · Editor
Published · Updated
Answer in brief
Your deductible is what you pay before collision or comprehensive pays. Raising collision from $500 to $1,000 typically saves 10–20% of that coverage's premium; going to $2,000 saves less per step. The right level is the largest amount you could pay tomorrow without hardship. Many drivers set collision at $1,000 and comprehensive at $250–$500, because comprehensive is cheap and its claims (glass, hail, theft) are frequent. Lenders usually cap deductibles at $500–$1,000.
| Deductible | Collision saving | Comprehensive saving |
|---|---|---|
| $250 | +10–15% (costs more) | +10% (costs more) |
| $500 | baseline | baseline |
| $1,000 | −10–20% | −10–15% |
| $2,000 | −20–30% | −15–20% |
Break-even thinking
If raising collision from $500 to $1,000 saves $150 a year, you come out ahead unless you have a collision claim more than once every three to four years. Most drivers do not. The cash buffer is the only real constraint.
Why comprehensive can be lower
Comprehensive claims are more frequent and smaller—windshield cracks, hail, a stolen catalytic converter—and the coverage is cheap. A $250 or $500 comprehensive deductible costs little extra and gets used. Some states and insurers offer a separate glass deductible of $0–$100.
Deductible waivers and vanishing deductibles
Some policies waive the collision deductible if you are hit by an identified uninsured driver. "Vanishing deductible" programmes reduce the deductible each claim-free year for a fee—do the arithmetic; they are often not worth the cost.
Entries in this guide
Specific questions answered in more depth.
Questions & answers
Is a $1,000 deductible a good idea?
For most drivers who can cover $1,000 in cash, yes—it saves 10–20% on collision with a low chance of needing it.
Can collision and comprehensive have different deductibles?
Yes, and it is common to set comprehensive lower.
Does my deductible apply if someone hits me?
If you claim on your own collision, yes, though your insurer often recovers it from the at-fault driver's insurer and refunds you.
Terms used in this guide
- Deductible
- The amount you pay before collision or comprehensive pays on a claim.
- Collision coverage
- Pays to repair or replace your car after a crash regardless of fault, minus the deductible.
- Comprehensive coverage
- Pays for non-crash losses: theft, vandalism, weather, fire, animal strikes, glass.
- Glass coverage
- A low or zero deductible for windshield and glass claims, offered separately in some states.
Sources and references
Legal figures on this page (minimum limits, filing periods, statutory benefits) are checked against the primary law or the state insurance regulator listed below. Links and figures last verified Nov 2026.
- Facts + Statistics: Highway safety — Insurance Information InstituteStatistical dataCrash, injury and fatality trends used to explain why liability and injury coverages cost what they do.
- Insurance losses by make and model — Highway Loss Data InstituteStatistical dataRelative claim frequency and severity by vehicle under collision, property damage, comprehensive, PIP, MedPay and bodily injury coverages.
- What is covered by a basic auto insurance policy? — Insurance Information InstituteConsumer guidanceDefines bodily injury and property damage liability, MedPay, PIP, uninsured/underinsured motorist, collision, comprehensive and glass coverage.
- Nine ways to lower your auto insurance costs — Insurance Information InstituteConsumer guidanceShop at least three quotes; raising a deductible from $200 to $500 can cut collision/comprehensive cost 15–30%, $1,000 can save 40%+; drop physical damage on cars worth under 10× the premium; bundling, low-mileage and good-student discounts.
- How to file an auto insurance claim — Insurance Information InstituteConsumer guidanceSteps after a crash: document the scene, notify the insurer promptly, understand the adjuster's role.
- What determines the price of an auto insurance policy? — Insurance Information InstituteConsumer guidanceRating factors: driving record, mileage, location, age, gender, vehicle, credit-based insurance score, coverage choices. Notes ZIP-code rating is prohibited in California and Michigan and gender rating is prohibited in seven states.
- Understanding your insurance deductibles — Insurance Information InstituteConsumer guidanceHow deductibles apply to collision and comprehensive and how raising them lowers premium.
- What is gap insurance? — Insurance Information InstituteConsumer guidanceGap coverage pays the difference between a car's actual cash value and the loan or lease balance after a total loss.
Practical guidance on this page is original editorial work. Cited sources support factual statements and do not endorse this site. Dollar ranges described as typical or illustrative are editorial estimates, not figures from these sources.
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