Is partial cover still worth it for an old car in Germany?
In short
Partial cover (Teilkasko) is still worth it for an old car in Germany as long as the car's replacement value is well above the premium and the excess. It usually costs EUR 100 to 300 a year on top of liability. If the car is worth less than about EUR 3,000, liability alone is often enough. A partial cover claim does not affect your no claims class.
Published market figures for German car insurance, 2026.
Example
Typical range
Partial cover on top of liability, market range
about EUR 100 to 300 a year
Partial cover on top of liability, per month
about EUR 8 to 25
Excess of EUR 300 instead of EUR 150
saves about 10 to 15 percent
Fully comprehensive on top of liability, market range
about EUR 400 to 900 a year
Guide values from published market overviews.
Your premium depends on vehicle type class, regional class and drivers.
Worked example
Estate car, 11 years old, worth EUR 4,000
What partial cover pays in the worst case and what it costs.
Replacement value
EUR 4,000
Residual value after hail write off
EUR 600
Excess
EUR 150
Highest payout
EUR 3,250
Partial cover premium
about EUR 120 a year
The payout equals about 27 annual premiums, so partial cover is still worth it here. At EUR 1,500 value, EUR 300 residual value and the same excess it would be only about 9 premiums, and liability alone is often enough.
What partial cover pays for an old car
Partial cover pays for damage that is not caused by your driving: fire and explosion, theft, storm, hail, lightning and flooding, collision with game, broken glass and short circuits in the wiring. It does not pay for accidents you cause or vandalism, that needs fully comprehensive cover (Vollkasko).
With an old car the limit is usually the car's value, not the damage. After a write off or theft the insurer pays the replacement value minus the residual value, meaning the price of a comparable used car, not what you once paid.
The calculation that decides
Three numbers tell you whether partial cover is worth it for an old car: car value, annual premium and excess. The highest possible payout is value minus residual value minus excess. Our rule of thumb: if that is only two or three times the annual premium, you are better off carrying the risk yourself. Market overviews see partial cover as worthwhile from a car value of about EUR 3,000 to 5,000.
Stone chips in the windscreen happen to old cars too. Partial cover pays for broken glass regardless of the car's age, minus your excess, and without affecting your no claims class.
Car value
Partial cover usually
Why
over EUR 5,000
sensible
theft or hail would hit you hard
EUR 3,000 to 5,000
do the maths
compare premium and excess with the possible payout
under EUR 3,000
often not needed
the payout is close to a few annual premiums
When to keep partial cover on an old car
If you live in an area with a lot of game, park outside or depend on the car every day, partial cover protects an old car against sudden total loss. If you could not buy a replacement from savings, keep it longer.
For classic cars with collector value the market value matters, not the year. There are special classic car policies, often based on a valuation report.
How to save on partial cover
Raising the excess from EUR 150 to EUR 300 cuts the partial cover premium by about 10 to 15 percent according to market overviews. For an old car that makes sense, because you would pay small damage yourself anyway.
Switch from fully comprehensive to partial cover once the car has clearly lost value. You normally change cover at the main renewal date shown in your policy schedule.
Step by step
Estimate the replacement value on a used car platform.
Find the partial cover share of your premium in the policy schedule.
Work out the highest payout: value minus residual value minus excess.
Compare with the annual premium and be honest about your savings.
Change or drop the cover at the main renewal date.
Checklist
Current market value of the car known
Partial cover premium shown separately
Excess matches the car's value
Game collisions and glass considered
Savings for a replacement car if you drop the cover
Common mistakes
Keeping fully comprehensive cover on an old car
Using the old purchase price instead of today's value
Dropping partial cover although a replacement car would break your budget
Choosing an excess almost as high as the car's value
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
At what age is partial cover no longer worth it?
Age alone does not decide, value does.
Below about EUR 3,000 liability alone is often enough.
Does my premium rise after a partial cover claim?
Partial cover has no no claims class, so a claim does not lead to a higher class.
Does partial cover pay for marten bites?
The model terms cover short circuits in the wiring.
Animal bites and their consequences vary by policy, check the wording.
What does partial cover pay if an old car is stolen?
The replacement value, meaning the price of a comparable used car on the day of the theft,
minus your excess.
Is liability insurance compulsory?
Yes, third party liability (Kfz-Haftpflicht) is compulsory in Germany.
Partial and fully comprehensive cover are optional.
