QuestionWill my comp insurance cover replacing the engine if a vandal puts sugar in the gas tank? And what percent of repair cost vs vehicle value before they consider the car totaled.
Answer(Note: nothing here is legal advice, but rather general insurance info. However, because insurance laws differ from state to state, you may be well served by contacting an insurance lawyer (or agent) in your own state to advise you on specific laws that may help you out.)
Typically, this is the type of thing that comprehensive insurance covers. However, you need to make sure to read that section of your policy very carefully to see if there are any exclusions that they could use to get out of it. If you don't have a copy of the policy itself (depending on the insurer it could be a booklet or loose/stapled papers, usually between 20-50 pages of medium to fine print) you can request a copy.
As far as what they consider totaled, that's really going to be up to the insurer. Usually comprehensive coverage is required to put you back in the position you were in before the loss. If your vehicle was worth $10,000 before the loss, and it takes $10,000 to fix it, and is still worth $10,000 after they fix it, they are well within their rights to make the repairs. Typically, however, insurers will "total" a car when the repair cost is between 65-90% of the value of the car, depending on the insurer, where you are, the age of the car, the type of car, etc (note, again, that it is possible that there are specific laws or regulations covering this, but there are none in my home state).
In many states the insurer is required to pay diminution in value damages, but this may or may not apply to a comprehensive claim. This means if the value of your car is 10,000 and the costs to repair is $6,000, but the value of the car afterward is only $8,000, then the insurer also has to pay you the $2,000 diminishment. In my state this applies to all liability claims, and many comprehensive claims, but your specific state law and the language of your policy are going to be important factors.
Good luck!
