Breaking Down the Most Common Car Insurance Myths

auto insurance

When it comes to car insurance, what you don’t know can hurt you. Many people cling to car insurance myths that leave them uninformed when it comes time to purchase coverage or make a claim. Friends, family and co-workers can be great resources for finding a reliable car, but the same isn’t true when it comes to spreading these car insurance myths.

“No-Fault Insurance Means an Accident Isn’t My Fault, and I Don’t Have to Pay”

Maryland is a state with no-fault car insurance, which means that you must purchase a no-fault policy. These policies mean that your insurance company will pay your medical expenses and lost wages due to an accident regardless of whose fault the accident was. However, that does not mean you cannot be held liable for the accident if you are the cause. Insurance companies will decide whose fault the wreck was and hold that party responsible for paying for property damage and any repairs. No-fault insurance merely means that your insurance company is required to pay for a portion of your medical expenses if you are injured. 

“The Color of My Car Affects My Insurance Rate”

This car insurance myth is one of the sillier ones on the list. In reality, insurance companies change rates based on cost of repair or replacement, safety features of a vehicle and the driver. Certain makes and models generate more frequent claims, which is factored into the premium you are offered.

“Someone Else Was Driving, So They Are Responsible for Damages”

If you grant someone else permission to drive your car and they get into an accident, your insurance policy will be responsible for covering all damages. In most cases with personal automobile insurance policies, the insurance follows the car and not the driver. Remember this whenever you consider lending your vehicle to a friend or family member!

“I Got a Ticket, So My Rates Will Go Up”

Tickets do not mean that you will automatically see a rate increase for your car insurance. In most cases, a minor ticket on an otherwise-spotless record won’t have a consequence on your premium at all. If you have an accident forgiveness policy and get into a minor fender bender, it’s also possible that your rates won’t be increased.

Maven Motors Busts Car Insurance Myths

Maven Motors auto body shop, located in Baltimore City, is dedicated to helping every customer keep the cars that they own in great condition. From car repairs to auto body work, we can meet all of your automotive maintenance needs. We pride ourselves on honesty and integrity and seek to provide the best customer service. To learn more about our services, contact us today by calling (410) 358-1114 or visit Maven Motors in Baltimore.

Should You Get Minor Bumper Damage Repaired?

minor bumper damage

Whether you’ve been in a collision, a wayward shopping cart found its way to your car or someone rear-ended you while checking their email, you are probably facing minor bumper damage. While it’s tempting to ignore superficial bumper damage and delay repairs in order to save time and money, it isn’t a good idea to hold off on repairing bumper damage.

Preserve Your Car’s Resale Value

Any car with minor bumper damage is a huge red flag to any potential buyer because many times bumper damage is the tip of the iceberg. Any noticeable bumper damage can be the difference between categories for your vehicle and downgrade things from “good” to “fair,” costing you hundreds in value. Even if you are trading in your vehicle with minor bumper damage, the rate you are offered will be reduced.

Safety Matters

Your bumper is designed to absorb force during an impact on the front or back of your vehicle and protect the trunk, engine and passengers. Minor bumper damage can weaken the structural integrity of your bumper and prevent it from fully protecting you in a crash. If your bumper absorber or bumper bar was weakened in a collision, it might not be able to stop serious damage to your vehicle next time something happens.

Future Insurance Claims

If you neglect to have minor bumper damage repaired and the bumper bar or absorbers were weakened as a result, you could be in for bad news after a future collision. If an insurance adjuster examines your vehicle and notices the past damage, they could determine that it was the cause of the current damage. Your insurer could deny your claim altogether, or rule that some of the repairs are unnecessary due to the past minor bumper damage. If you can’t afford to pay out of pocket for major body work and engine repair after a collision, you can’t afford not to have minor bumper damage repaired now.

Repair Your Minor Bumper Damage at Maven Motors

Maven Motors auto body shop is dedicated to helping every customer keep their cars in great working condition. We take good care of your car’s body work, repair, and maintenance needs. We pride ourselves on honesty and integrity and always doing what is right for our customers. To learn more about our services, contact us today by calling (410) 358-1114 or visit our body shop in Baltimore.

What Makes a Car Safe?

woman placing seat belt on a child

When you’re searching for the perfect vehicle, what are your top priorities? Other than efficiency, add-on features and comfort, safety is at the top of the list. However, what makes a car safe? There are several features you should always keep an eye out for when shopping for yourself and your family. 

Seat Belts

When a crash occurs, seat belts are designed to keep you from being ejected from the vehicle. Seat belts also lower your chances of colliding with the steering wheel, windshield or dashboard. Modern seat belts are part of what makes a car safe, and some of the features include:

  • Seat Belt Pretensioner: Pretensioners automatically retract the seat belt when a crash occurs.
  • Adjustable Upper Belts: These seat belts can be adjusted to meet the needs of bigger adults without shoulder discomfort.
  • Rear Center Seat Belts: In the past, the rear center seat typically had no seat belt. Today’s manufacturers are adding lap or full seat belts for the rear center seat.

Air Bags

Today’s safest vehicles are designed with front and side air bags. Front air bags prevent occupants from colliding with the dashboard, windshield and steering wheel. Side air bags prevent occupants from crashing into the door or window upon impact. It’s important to know that air bags are designed to be used in conjunction with seat belts, and when seat belts are not used, air bags can be dangerous for those in the car.

Antilock Brake System (ABS)

Antilock brakes prevent a car’s wheels from locking when the car is skidding or “panic” braking, which gives the driver the opportunity to maintain as much steering control as possible. Passenger vehicles with ABS always have 4-wheel ABS. SUVs, vans and trucks can all have either 4-wheel or 2-wheel ABS. Depending on which car you purchase, it may also include brake assist. This recent technology senses emergency braking and increases the power of the brake as needed.

Electronic Stability Control

If you ask today’s car dealerships what makes a car safe, electronic stability control is near the top of the list. This interesting technology helps drivers to maintain control of the vehicle when completing extreme steering maneuvers. Electronic stability control can automatically sense when oversteering or understeering is occurring, and the car will automatically apply the brake to a single wheel to maintain control.

What Makes a Car Safe? Learn More at Maven Motors

Maven Motors auto body shop is dedicated to helping every customer keep their car in top condition. From auto body work to mechanical auto repair, we can meet all of your car maintenance needs. We pride ourselves on honesty and integrity in business and always doing what is right for our customers. Contact us today to learn more about our auto repair services or come visit our collision repair garage in Baltimore.

Our Best Winter Driving Tips

Winter driving

The holiday season might be known as the most wonderful time of the year, but thanks to winter weather it’s also one of the most dangerous times of the year. Winter driving requires patience and preparation, so before you set off to drive over the river and through the woods to grandma’s house, test your winter driving IQ.

Cross Off Preventative Maintenance

Be honest, have you been dragging your feet to get your oil changed or new tires put on? The best time to take care of preventative maintenance is before the first snowfall of the year. Breaking down on a nice night in the summer is much more pleasurable than breaking down in a snowbank when it’s below freezing! Take your car in to Maven Motors body shop in Baltimore MD and have all of the basics checked, from your tire pressure to your spark plugs.

Check Your Coolant and Wiper Fluid

If you will be driving in snow or ice, you need to make sure that you have plenty of the right type of antifreeze. While choosing a 100% coolant mixture might sound the best, a 50-50 mixture has a lower freezing point, making it better for winter driving. When you take your car in for preventative maintenance, have your coolant drained and replaced. This will get rid of any rust or dirt particles clogging up the system and provide you with fresh, new coolant. Beyond filling up the tank before you leave for your road trip, you should also always keep a gallon of antifreeze in your car. On a snowy road trip, you can easily use up a half gallon of washer fluid to keep the windshield clear. If it’s very cold out, you should be prepared to supplement your high-quality windshield wiper fluid with additional concentrate to prevent freezing.

Keep Your Tank Full

In the spring and summer, there’s no harm in letting your gas tank run close to E before stopping at a gas station. However, in the winter it’s dangerous to let your gas tank fall below 50%. Your fuel lines could freeze, and you’ll be in big trouble when you try to get your car going. You also want to have plenty of gas in case you get stranded and need to run your engine while your car idles.

Ace Winter Driving with Maven Motors

Maven Motors in Baltimore, Maryland is a locally known expert in all matters related to auto body work and car repairs. Our skilled technicians excel at frame measuring, frame straightening, auto painting and paint matching, dent removal and much more! We consider honesty and integrity to be the most important values when it comes to running a business. We always do what is right for the customer. To learn more about our body shop, contact us today by calling (410) 358-1114.

Preparing for a Holiday Road Trip

Holiday Road Trip

Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh sounds a lot more fun than it is in real life. While you probably aren’t driving a sleigh to visit family and friends this holiday, you can take steps in advance to ensure that your trip goes as smoothly as possible. Preparing for a holiday road trip doesn’t have to be hard with help from Maven Motors.

Check Your Lights

Turn your car lights on and take a walk around your vehicle. Before you take a holiday road trip and drive through snow, rain and darkness, you’ll want to make sure that all of your lights are shining. High beams, low beams, directional signals, license plate lights and brake lights are all vital to staying safe on the road.

Keep an Eye on Your Fluids

When you’re driving in winter weather, you will use up a surprising amount of windshield washer fluid to keep your windshield clear and visibility high. Beyond refilling your current washer levels, you should also keep a gallon in the trunk in case you need it. If you are traveling in icy weather, you should choose washer fluid that has an antifreeze agent inside.

Under Pressure

Cold weather makes the air in your tires shrink, which can lead to low tire pressure. Underinflated tires lead to poor handling and unsafe braking. Always keep a tire pressure gauge in your glove compartment and check the pressure in all of your tires before you leave for your holiday road trip. Not sure what the right pressure is? Check the inside of your driver’s side door or owner’s manual to see what the recommended amount is.

Complete Your Regular Maintenance

When was the last time you had your tires aligned or your car battery checked? If you can’t answer that question, it’s time for you to have preventative maintenance completed. Maven Motors is a full-service mechanical repair center that can help complete any repairs or maintenance your car needs to stay in optimal condition. Oil changes, new windshield wipers and new tires are just a call away.

Prepare for a Holiday Road Trip with Maven Motors

Maven Motors auto body shop is dedicated to helping every one of our customers with honesty and integrity. From auto painting to collision repair, we can meet all of your car maintenance needs. To learn more about our auto body repair services, contact us today by calling (410) 358-1114 or visit us online.

How Much Will Your Insurance Rates Be Affected After a Collision?

Insurance Rates

Once the dust has settled after an accident and fault has been determined, it’s time to deal with one inevitable side effect of being in an accident—changes to insurance rates. While many insurance companies tout accident forgiveness programs and good driver discounts, a single crash can mean hundreds of dollars added to your car insurance rates.

What Is an Accident?

The first question you need to consider is what counts as an accident in the eyes of an insurance company. For example, State Farm considers something an auto accident when a claim for over $750 of property damage and collision coverage has been filed. The crash also needs to be at least 50% the driver’s fault. GEICO also has a dollar threshold for what counts as an accident, but it varies based on drivers who are deemed “risky.” Other companies have varying definitions based on whether or not a driver is a new policyholder or a current policyholder and treat new customers more harshly.

What Isn’t an Accident?

Defining what isn’t an accident can be complicated when deciding insurance rates. Many companies consider the percentage of fault assigned to the driver. If your role in the accident was under 50%, there’s a good chance it will not be considered in your rates. A number of other factors are used by companies to deem you exempt, including:

  • Accidents caused by contact with missiles or falling objects
  • Accidents when you were lawfully parked
  • Hit and run accidents that are reported to the police within 24 hours
  • Rear-ending accidents where the driver was not convicted of a moving violation related to the accident

What Happens to Insurance Rates?

One study of 5 states examined what would happen to a 30-year old man driving a 2014 Toyota Corolla in the aftermath of an accident that caused vehicular and bodily damage. On average, insurance rates increased by 133% as a result. Accidents that only caused property damage caused less of an insurance rate hike (123% on average). Across insurance companies and states, rates can vary a great deal. What other factors will influence how much your insurance rates climb? If you are young, you are less likely to experience a drastic rate hike, since you are already considered to be a high-risk driver. The number of violations you already have on record will also influence your rate change.

Repair Your Car with Maven Motors

Maven Motors body shop is dedicated to helping every customer find the car of their dreams, and keep the cars that they have in great shape. From auto sales to collision repair, we can meet all of your car buying and maintenance needs. We pride ourselves on honesty and integrity and always doing what is right for our customers. To learn more about our services, contact us today by calling (410) 358-1114 or visit our auto body shop at 4111 Primrose Ave, Baltimore, MD 21215.