What comprehensive actually covers
Comprehensive (sometimes called "Other Than Collision" or OTC) is an optional Section 7 coverage under the Ontario Automobile Policy (OAP 1). It pays for physical damage to your vehicle from causes other than a collision with another vehicle or object.
The standard perils covered include: fire, theft and attempted theft, vandalism, hail and other weather damage, falling or flying objects, wildlife strikes, explosions, earthquakes, riots and civil disturbances, and damage during covered transit (e.g. car carrier).
Like collision, it pays out subject to a deductible — typically $500 or $1,000 — and the carrier covers either repair cost or actual cash value, whichever is lower, up to the policy limit.
What comprehensive does not cover
Mechanical breakdown, normal wear and tear, depreciation, and damage caused by manufacturer defects are not covered. Neither is damage that happens while the vehicle is being used commercially without the appropriate endorsement, or while being driven by an excluded driver under OPCF 28A.
Hitting a deer is comprehensive (wildlife). Hitting a pothole is collision (impact with an object). Hitting a curb in a parking lot is collision. The distinction is purely whether the cause was a collision event or one of the named non-collision perils.
Rodent damage to wiring — increasingly common as automotive wiring uses more soy-based insulation — is usually covered under comprehensive as vandalism or "damage by animals." But carriers vary on the wording, so it’s worth confirming on a specific policy before assuming.
The deductible decision
Comprehensive uses its own deductible, separate from collision. You can mix them — for example, $500 comprehensive paired with $1,000 collision — to align the deductible with the kind of claim you’re more likely to actually file.
Two specific endorsements let you fine-tune further. OPCF 13C drops the deductible (often to zero) specifically for glass claims, which are the single most common comprehensive claim in Ontario. OPCF 40 sets a separate deductible for fire and theft. Both are inexpensive ways to keep predictable out-of-pocket on the perils that drive most of the claim frequency.
When dropping comprehensive starts to make sense (rarely)
Comprehensive premiums are usually a smaller share of the total auto premium than collision. They are also harder to "save" by changing your behaviour — you can drive defensively to avoid at-fault crashes, but you can’t drive your way out of a hailstorm or a theft.
Because of that, the threshold for dropping comprehensive sits lower than for dropping collision. Drivers who self-insure their vehicle entirely (older vehicle, modest replacement cost, financial cushion) sometimes drop both. Drivers who only want to shed the collision premium often keep comprehensive — sometimes called running "fire and theft only."
A note for vehicle owners who finance or lease: lenders and lessors almost always require both collision and comprehensive in force for the duration of the loan or lease. Cancellation is not your call until the vehicle is paid off.
Specified perils — the stripped-down alternative
A few carriers offer a narrower coverage called "Specified Perils" instead of full comprehensive. It covers a named subset — typically fire, lightning, theft, attempted theft, windstorm, hail, earthquake, riot, and explosion — but excludes vandalism, falling objects, and certain other catch-all perils that full comprehensive includes.
Specified perils is usually cheaper but the gap in coverage is larger than the price gap. For most drivers, the small extra cost of full comprehensive is the better buy. Specified perils is mostly relevant for collector vehicles and very old daily drivers.
Frequently asked
Does comprehensive cover damage from a deer or other wildlife?
Yes. Hitting an animal — deer, moose, raccoon, dog — is treated as a comprehensive loss, not a collision, even though there was technically an impact. This is one of the most common comprehensive claims in Ontario outside the GTA.
Will a comprehensive claim raise my premium?
A comprehensive claim does not affect your at-fault driving record, and most carriers do not surcharge a single weather or theft claim. However, claim frequency on your file is a rating factor — multiple comprehensive claims in a short window can affect renewal pricing and, in extreme cases, your acceptability at certain carriers.
Do I need comprehensive if I park in a locked garage?
Garage parking reduces but does not eliminate the perils comprehensive covers. Hail and weather damage happens while the car is on the road. Vandalism, theft, and break-ins still occur in driveways and garages. And glass claims — the single most common comprehensive event — happen during normal driving. The premium savings from dropping comprehensive on a garaged vehicle are rarely large enough to justify the gap.
Is glass damage covered automatically?
Yes — windshield and other glass damage is covered under comprehensive, subject to your deductible. Because glass claims are common and predictable, OPCF 13C is sold separately to lower (or eliminate) the deductible on glass-only claims without affecting your overall comprehensive deductible.