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Does insurance pay if my car is stolen while warming up?

In short

Does insurance pay if my car is stolen while warming up? In Germany, in principle yes: theft is covered by partial cover (Teilkasko). But if you leave the car alone with the engine running and the key inside, the insurer may cut payment for gross negligence. Courts have upheld cuts of 25 to 100 percent where keys were within reach of thieves. Idling the engine also costs a EUR 80 fine.

Does insurance pay if my car is stolen while warming up?

What it costs

Fine and cut rates from the law, the fines catalogue and published judgments.

ExampleTypical range
Running the engine unnecessarily while stationary, section 30 StVOEUR 80 fine
Cut for keys within reach of thieves, milder casesabout 25 percent
Cut in medium casesabout 50 percent
Cut in serious cases90 to 100 percent

As of November 2026.

The cut rates come from judgments about keys within reach of thieves,

not explicitly about a running engine; courts decide case by case.

Car value, deductible and cut in the worked example are a guide value from our quoting practice.

We check how your policy handles gross negligence in theft cases and obtain the exact quote.

Worked example

Engine running, driver goes back into the house for her bag

A driver starts the car, leaves the key in and goes back into the house. The car is gone. Value EUR 18,000, partial cover with a EUR 150 deductible.

Replacement valueEUR 18,000
Minus deductibleEUR 150
Cut by half for gross negligenceabout EUR 8,925 paid
Without a cutEUR 17,850 paid
Fine for idling, if recordedEUR 80

With a cut by half she is about EUR 9,000 short for her next car. With a cut to zero she bears the whole loss herself. Calculation with guide values.

What partial cover pays after a theft

Theft and robbery of the car are covered by partial cover (Teilkasko), and comprehensive cover (Vollkasko) includes partial cover. You usually get the replacement value, meaning what an equivalent used car costs, minus your deductible.

If you only have motor liability insurance, you get nothing for the stolen car. Liability insurance only pays for damage your car causes to other people.

Why the running engine becomes a problem

If you cause the loss through gross negligence, section 81(2) of the Insurance Contract Act (VVG) lets the insurer cut payment in proportion to how serious your fault was. The model motor insurance conditions apply this rule to Kasko cover.

A car with the engine running and the key in the ignition is about as easy to take as it gets. Stiftung Warentest has collected judgments in which courts upheld cuts of 25, 50, 90 and 100 percent for keys left within reach of thieves. How large the cut is in your case depends on the details, for example how long you were away and whether you could see the car. The insurer has to prove gross negligence.

SituationPartial coverLiability
Engine running, you sit in the carno issue, a robbery would be coverednot affected
Engine running, you scrape the ice right next to itcut possible, case by casepays damage the thief causes to others
Engine running, you are in the housea clear cut is likelypays damage the thief causes to others
Parking heater, car locked, key with youpays in fullnot affected
Liability only, car stolenno partial cover, no paymentpays damage to others

Does the gross negligence waiver help?

Many newer policies waive the right to cut for gross negligence. According to Stiftung Warentest, this waiver usually does not apply to theft.

Check the gross negligence section of your policy conditions. Do not rely on it: even with full payment you still have the deductible, the hassle and the waiting time.

Warming up the engine is not allowed anyway

Section 30(1) of the German road traffic regulations (StVO) prohibits running engines unnecessarily while stationary. The fines catalogue sets EUR 80 for this. Scraping ice is not a reason to leave the engine running.

Section 14(2) StVO also requires you to secure a motor vehicle against unauthorised use when you leave it. A car with the engine running and the door open is the opposite.

If the thief causes an accident

If the thief causes an accident with your car, section 7(3) of the Road Traffic Act (StVG) makes the thief liable first. As the keeper, you remain liable alongside if your own fault made the journey possible, for example the running engine.

Your motor liability insurance pays for this damage to others. It does not pay for your own car, which needs Kasko cover.

When you do not need to worry

If you stay in the car while the engine runs, for example while the windscreen defrosts from inside, you have not left it unattended. If someone takes the car from you by force, that is robbery and covered by partial cover.

A parking heater or a windscreen cover overnight makes warming up unnecessary. The key stays in your pocket and the car stays locked.

Step by step

  1. Call the police immediately and report the theft.
  2. Report the theft to your insurer without delay.
  3. Describe what happened truthfully, including the running engine.
  4. Keep all your keys ready to hand over.
  5. Have a cut reviewed if you only stood next to the car briefly and could see it.

Checklist

  • Never leave the key in an unattended car
  • Scrape the ice with the engine off
  • Parking heater or windscreen cover instead of warming up
  • Partial cover for a car you could not replace out of your own pocket
  • Check in your conditions whether the gross negligence waiver also covers theft

Common mistakes

  • Leaving the engine running and popping back into the house
  • Not telling the insurer that the engine was running
  • Relying on the waiver clause without knowing the theft exception
  • Believing liability insurance pays for theft of an older car without Kasko

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Does liability insurance pay if my car is stolen?

No.

Liability insurance only pays for damage to others.

For the stolen car you need partial or comprehensive cover.

Is warming up the engine always grossly negligent?

It depends on the case.

If you walk away and leave the key in, expect a cut.

If you sit in the car, you are not being careless.

How much can the insurer cut?

As much as matches the degree of your fault.

For keys within reach of thieves, courts have upheld 25 to 100 percent.

What is the fine for idling the engine?

EUR 80 under the fines catalogue.

Section 30 StVO prohibits running the engine unnecessarily while stationary.

Does the gross negligence clause help me?

For theft, according to Stiftung Warentest, usually not.

What counts is the wording of your conditions.

Who pays if the thief crashes my car into someone?

The victims are paid through your motor liability insurance.

Your own car is only paid by Kasko cover.

Sources

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