Beautiful Maui!

Recently my family went to the beautiful island of Maui for a vacation. To discover the island, we rented a 2019 Ford Explorer. Driving in Maui is very different than driving in Minnesota.

Maui has many distractions - the ocean, whales, scenery, many visitors from all over the world, hair pin turns, one lane roads (paved and unpaved) and bridges, steep cliffs, blind corners, etc.

Having an auto accident with the 2019 Ford would have caused stress dealing with the damaged vehicle. Also, loss of vacation time dealing with the rental car company.

My Minnesota Personal Auto Insurance policy would have potentially covered the physical damage for the Ford Explorer however, it would be subject to the property damage perils and coverage limitations. The minimum property damage limit available is $10,000. Most policies can be increased to $500,000. (Please make sure the property damage limit is high enough to coverage the value of the rented vehicle. For example - the manufactured suggested retail price of a 2019 Ford Explorer ranges from $33,000 to $43,000.) The rental car company may also charge the damages to my credit card while the insurance company settles the claim and I may be responsible for loss of use of the rental car while it is being repaired and have to pay those costs out of my pocket. What a damper this would have put on our vacation.

The rental car damage claim would be subject to two contracts - the Minnesota Personal Auto Insurance Policy and the Rental Car Contract. Both contracts are very lengthy with terms and conditions. To avoid possible gaps in coverage the insurance industry highly recommends insureds purchase the loss damage waiver or collision waiver from the rental car company in addition to their personal auto policy coverage.

By Ann Valley