No Rental Car Coverage? Why We Provide a Loaner Anyway
No Rental Car Coverage? Why We Provide a Loaner Anyway
If your policy has no rental reimbursement, being without a car can feel like the worst part of a repair. Here are your real options, and why we keep you moving in most cases even when your insurance will not.
You did everything right after the accident, and now the only question keeping you up at night is a simple one: how am I supposed to get to work tomorrow? When you call your insurer and learn there is no rental coverage on your policy, that worry gets sharper. The good news is that being without a car is a problem with several real solutions, and at our shop a loaner is one of them, free of charge in most cases, even when your insurance will not pay a dime toward a rental.
Key Takeaways
- Rental reimbursement is an optional add-on that many drivers skip, so having no rental coverage is common, not a mistake you alone made.
- Without coverage you still have options: pay out of pocket, claim against an at-fault driver, lean on public transit, or use a body shop loaner.
- Lakeside provides a free loaner in most cases even with no rental coverage, so transportation is rarely a reason to delay your repair.
Why so many drivers have no rental coverage
If you just found out you have no rental reimbursement, you are in very large company. Rental reimbursement is an optional coverage, not a standard part of a basic auto policy, and it is one of the first line items people drop when they are shopping for the lowest premium. The Insurance Information Institute notes that this coverage is available for a small extra amount on nearly every policy, but that the option is often bypassed by drivers focused on cost, leaving many surprised to learn their auto insurance does not automatically cover a rental when their car is in the shop.
It is easy to see how it happens. Rental reimbursement usually rides on top of comprehensive and collision coverage, and Progressive explains that you typically need to carry both comprehensive and collision before you can even add rental reimbursement. So a driver with a liability-only policy, or one who declined the add-on years ago and never revisited it, simply does not have it. The coverage also does not appear on its own when you need it. The insurance regulators at the NAIC group rental as one of the optional coverages a policy may not include unless you specifically choose it.
None of this is a character flaw. Most people buy insurance once, set it, and forget it. The first time the question of a rental ever comes up is usually the worst possible moment to find out the answer is no. If you want the full picture of how this coverage is structured, we walk through it in our guide to what rental reimbursement coverage is and how to tell if you have it.
Pull up your insurance declarations page before you assume you have nothing. Rental reimbursement is sometimes listed as transportation expense or extended transportation, separate from your collision line. If you see a daily and total dollar figure, you have it. If that section is blank, you do not.
Your realistic options when you have no coverage
Being without rental coverage does not mean being stranded. It means choosing among a handful of practical paths, each with its own cost and hassle. Here is an honest look at all four so you can decide what fits your situation, not just the one a shop happens to prefer.
1. Pay for a rental out of pocket
The most direct option is to rent a car yourself and absorb the cost. The catch is that the cost is rarely small, especially in the Los Angeles area. A 2025 survey of rental rates at 100 U.S. airports found the average daily rate was about $73 a day, with Los Angeles around $78 and Burbank near $76. The Insurance Information Institute also points out that the average car spends about two weeks in the shop after an accident. Two weeks at local rates can run well past $1,000 before taxes, fees, and the optional damage waiver the rental counter will push. Paying out of pocket is fast and flexible, but it is the most expensive route by far.
2. Claim a rental from the at-fault driver
If someone else caused the crash, their insurance is generally responsible for your loss of use, which is the inconvenience and cost of being without your vehicle. You can file a claim against the at-fault driver's liability coverage for a rental even if you carry no rental coverage yourself. The trade-off is time. As the Insurance Information Institute notes, the details of a claim take time and you may have to wait for the other driver's insurer to agree to pay before anything is reimbursed. Progressive makes the same point, that using your own coverage tends to be quicker than waiting for the other company to finish its investigation. The fault has to be reasonably clear, and you often front the money first and get paid back later.
3. Lean on public transit, rideshare, or a borrowed car
For shorter repairs, you may not need a full rental at all. A week or so on the Metro, a few rideshare trips, carpooling with a coworker, or borrowing a relative's second car can bridge the gap for a fraction of a rental's cost. This works best when your repair is quick and your daily driving is light. It falls apart fast if you commute long distances, carry kids and gear, or your job depends on the car. Be realistic about your actual week before you choose this path.
4. Use a body shop loaner or courtesy car
The fourth option is the one many drivers do not know exists: a courtesy car from the repair shop itself. Some collision shops keep a small fleet of loaner vehicles and provide one to customers while their car is in the bays, separate from anything your insurer does or does not cover. When a shop offers this, it can erase the transportation problem entirely. The key is to ask up front, because not every shop has loaners and the ones that do may have conditions. We explain exactly how this works in our deep dive on how free loaner cars from a body shop work.
How a shop courtesy car actually works, and who qualifies
A shop loaner is straightforward in spirit: you drop your car for repair, and the shop hands you a key to one of theirs so you are never stuck. In practice there are a few sensible details to understand so there are no surprises.
Most shops that offer loaners ask you to carry your own valid driver's license and active auto insurance, since your personal policy typically follows you into a borrowed car. You sign a short loaner agreement, return the car with a similar amount of fuel, and treat it like your own for the length of the repair. Availability is the main variable. A loaner fleet is finite, so during very busy stretches a shop may run out temporarily, which is why we say a free loaner is available in most cases rather than every single time.
Who qualifies usually comes down to a few honest factors: whether the shop has a car free at that moment, the expected length of your repair, and a clean, simple paperwork check. A loaner is most valuable on the exact repairs that take longest, which often means collision and structural work where parts and calibration add days. If you are weighing your choices and want them side by side, our companion guide on what to do when you have no rental reimbursement lays out the same trade-offs in even more detail.
| Option without coverage | Typical cost | Hassle level | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay for a rental yourself | High (about $73+ a day locally) | Low, you control it | Anyone who needs a car now and can absorb the cost |
| Claim against the at-fault driver | Low if approved, but paid back later | High, depends on their insurer's timeline | Clear not-at-fault crashes where you can wait |
| Transit, rideshare, or borrowed car | Low to moderate | Moderate, depends on your routine | Short repairs and light, local driving needs |
| Shop courtesy car or loaner | Often free at participating shops | Very low | Most drivers, especially longer collision repairs |
Transportation should never be the reason a good repair gets delayed. A loaner takes that worry off the table.
What to ask a shop about loaners before you commit
Not all loaner programs are alike, so a few clear questions up front will tell you exactly where you stand. Bring these to any shop you are considering:
- Do you provide a loaner or courtesy car, and is it free while my car is being repaired?
- Is a car available for my drop-off date, or is there a wait?
- What do I need to bring, such as my license and proof of insurance?
- Are there mileage limits, fuel expectations, or a deductible on the loaner?
- If my repair runs long because of parts or calibration, do I keep the loaner the whole time?
A shop that handles loaners routinely will answer all of these without hesitation. Vague answers or a lot of fine print are a sign to keep asking. The goal is simple: you want to know before you hand over your keys that you will still have a way to get around.
You generally cannot add rental reimbursement after an accident and apply it to that loss. Progressive notes that any coverage you add later only applies to future claims. That is exactly why a shop loaner matters now and why it is smart to fix the coverage gap for next time.
How to add rental coverage so this never happens again
Once your current repair is sorted, the fix for the future is quick and inexpensive. Call your agent or log into your policy and ask to add rental reimbursement, sometimes labeled transportation expense. Because it usually requires comprehensive and collision, confirm you carry those first. You will choose a daily limit and a total cap, and the cost is typically just a few dollars a month. To understand how the payouts and limits work once you have it, our article on how rental reimbursement works on a claim breaks down the daily and total caps with examples.
A short word of perspective: even with rental coverage in place, those caps can leave a gap. A policy might pay $40 a day while a local rental runs closer to $75, so you could still owe the difference. That is one more reason a free loaner is so useful. It sidesteps the cap math entirely.
How Lakeside Auto Center Helps
If you have no rental coverage, we have you covered in most cases with a free loaner while we repair your vehicle, so being without a car is rarely a reason to put off a needed repair. We also handle your insurance claim from A to Z and use genuine OEM parts, so the whole process is calmer from the first call to the final pickup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don't have rental car coverage?
You still have options. You can pay for a rental yourself, file a loss-of-use claim against an at-fault driver, lean on transit or a borrowed car for short repairs, or use a body shop loaner. At Lakeside we provide a free loaner in most cases even when your policy has no rental reimbursement, so you are not left stranded while we work.
Will a body shop give me a loaner car?
Some do and some do not, so always ask up front. Shops that keep a loaner fleet provide a courtesy car while your vehicle is in the bays, usually after a quick check of your license and insurance and a short loaner agreement. Lakeside offers a free loaner in most cases, with availability the main limiting factor during busy periods.
Can I claim a rental from the at-fault driver's insurance?
Yes. If another driver caused the crash, their liability insurance is generally responsible for your loss of use, including a rental, even if you carry no rental coverage. The downside is timing: you may have to wait for their insurer to accept the claim before you are reimbursed, and you often pay first and get repaid later.
How much does a rental cost without coverage?
More than most people expect. A 2025 survey put the U.S. average around $73 a day, with Los Angeles near $78 and Burbank around $76. Since the average accident repair takes roughly two weeks, an out-of-pocket rental can easily exceed $1,000 before taxes, fees, and the optional damage waiver. That is the cost a free shop loaner removes.
Should I add rental reimbursement to my policy?
For most drivers who rely on their car, yes. It usually costs only a few dollars a month and spares you a large surprise bill after an accident. Keep in mind it requires comprehensive and collision coverage, and it cannot be added after a crash to cover that same accident, so it is worth setting up before you ever need it.
Ready to get back on the road?
Free estimates and we handle your insurance claim from start to finish. No rental coverage? Ask about our free loaner, available in most cases.