Question about insurance on broken down car

missbunbury

I have a car that has recently developed mechanical issues that apparently will be very expensive to fix. I am comprehensively insured on my car, which includes allowing me to drive cars owned by others. Last week when my car gave up the ghost I borrowed a car from a family member to use while I waited for the garage to give a verdict (I phoned and checked with my insurance that I was okay to drive this other car.) Now it appears my car is going to be off the road for a while (because I need to save up a thousand pounds to fix it!) and the tax is due today. My question is, if I were to SORN my current car, would that invalidate my insurance, meaning I couldn't then drive the borrowed car? As if so it's going to be cheaper for me to just tax the broken one. But I don't want to do anything I shouldn't, the insurance company said last week it was fine to borrow a car but they didn't say how long I could keep doing so.

Quentin

Sorn won't affect your insurance.

You do realise that the car you are borrowing won't be covered by your doc cover. Or more importantly the family member does realize that should you be to blame in any accident and damage the car it won't be covered by insurance!

onomatopoeia99

Quentin wrote: »

You do realise that the car you are borrowing won't be covered by your doc cover.

Why won't it be covered by the 'doc' cover? I'd have expected it to be, but as always third party cover only which meets the definition of "insured" as far as the legal requirements for insurance go..

glentoran99

onomatopoeia99 wrote: »

Why won't it be covered by the 'doc' cover? I'd have expected it to be, but as always third party cover only which meets the definition of "insured" as far as the legal requirements for insurance go..

It wont be covered, IE crash the car the car the OP is borrowing wont be repaired under insurance

System

This. Most "driving other vehicles" cover is third party only and won't pay out the cost of the repair of the car you're driving, it'll just pay out the other party's claim.

Quentin

onomatopoeia99 wrote: »

Why won't it be covered by the 'doc' cover? I'd have expected it to be, but as always third party cover only which meets the definition of "insured" as far as the legal requirements for insurance go..

Your expectations are wrong - good job you read here!


As advised there is no cover whatsoever with DOC for the car you are borrowing - it provides only TP cover!

Raxiel

Quentin wrote: »

Your expectations are wrong - good job you read here!


As advised there is no cover whatsoever with DOC for the car you are borrowing - it provides only TP cover!

So it provides cover, but only the third party level cover, which as onomatopoeia99 says, meets the legal obligations on the road. The car itself isn't covered comprehensively with DOC, but I don't think anyone here has stated that it would.


Strictly speaking DOC is covering the driver, not the vehicle. Perhaps that's what you meant but I think it's splitting hairs.

Quentin

Raxiel wrote: »

So it provides cover, but only the third party level cover, which as onomatopoeia99 says, meets the legal obligations on the road. The car itself isn't covered comprehensively with DOC, but I don't think anyone here has stated that it would.


Strictly speaking DOC is covering the driver, not the vehicle. Perhaps that's what you meant but I think it's splitting hairs.

No hair splitting at all.

My post #2 was "split" when onomatopoeia quoted it. If you read it in full you will see no ambiguity. The fact that the car is not covered was spelt out!

Mercdriver

Quentin wrote: »

Your expectations are wrong - good job you read here!


As advised there is no cover whatsoever with DOC for the car you are borrowing - it provides only TP cover!

Depends on the insurance. I have fully comp cover on any car not ordinarily kept at my property. Third party is normal though. If the OP wants fully comp, then they could use a short term insurance if only needing cover for a shorter period.

missbunbury

The car I'm borrowing is rubbish enough that it would be written off in practically any accident to be honest, it's only worth a couple of hundred quid. Plus I'm only using it a couple of times a week, I don't drive a great deal. The owner is more than happy for me to drive with my cover and the insurance company have confirmed I'm fine to do so. I've actually retaxed my own (broken) car now because I was worried that not doing so would mess with the insurance covering me on the borrowed car but I've opted to pay monthly which I don't usually do but I thought easier to do that than try to get a refund if it turns out fixing the car isn't economical.

Quentin

missbunbury wrote: »

,.......I've actually retaxed my own (broken) car now because I was worried that not doing so would mess with the insurance covering me on the borrowed car but I've opted to pay monthly which I don't usually do but I thought easier to do that than try to get a refund if it turns out fixing the car isn't economical.

You started your thread in this money saving forum to ask if you could sorn your busy car and still use the doc cover on your insurance.

Your question was answered yet you still tax it??

Waste of money and waste of our time advising you if you intended to ignore.