Last Updated August 2026

If your car is struck by lightning, stay inside, pull over when it’s safe, don’t touch door handles or other parts that may contain metal and wait until well after the storm passes. Check for dashboard warning lights or unusual behavior. Avoid driving if anything seems off, and even if the car seems fine, have a mechanic check it out. Document what happened, in case you need to file an insurance claim.

What to do after a lightning strike

If your car is struck by lightning — or you strongly suspect it was — a step-by-step response can help protect your safety and limit further damage.

Do this right away

• Pull over and stay inside the vehicle.
• Don’t touch anything inside the car that has metal in it — door handles, the steering wheel or gear shifter.
• Wait 30 minutes after thunder stops to get out of the car and check for exterior damage.
• Don’t turn the engine back on until you’ve checked for damage.
• Once you turn it on, look for warning lights or unusual behavior.
• Avoid driving and call for help if the car stalls or electronics malfunction.

Do this next

Check for damage. Some lightning damage may be visible right away, such as a melted antenna or cracked glass. Electrical problems and other issues may not be noticeable until later. A professional inspection can help identify hidden damage.

Document any damage. Photos of scorch marks, broken glass, blown tires or a melted antenna, plus notes from a mechanic, can help support an insurance claim.

File an insurance claim if there’s damage. Lightning is generally considered a non-collision weather event. According to the Insurance Information Institute, lightning damage to your vehicle may be covered under comprehensive coverage in your auto insurance. Your agent can help you understand exactly how your policy might cover lightning damage.

If a lightning strike causes you to lose control and crash into another car or a stationary object like a guardrail or tree, collision coverage might apply. After a crash, drivers should:

• Make sure everyone is ok, then move to the side of the road.
• Report the accident to police.
• Document the crash with notes and photos.
• Exchange personal and insurance information.
• Contact insurance companies.

Thunderstorms that bring lightning often bring hail as well. If your car suffers hail damage in a storm, learn how your coverage may apply.

Can you still drive after lightning hits your car?

It depends on how severe the damage to your car is. Lightning could blow out one or more of your tires or your lights and ignition, leaving you stranded. Some damage may not be apparent right away, and you may only discover an affected system when you try to use it. For example, when you turn on the defroster or engage the lane assist system and it doesn’t work. Delayed electrical problems can affect braking systems, steering assistance and safety features. If anything feels off, stop driving and have the vehicle inspected.

What happens when lightning strikes

Lightning is a sudden discharge of electricity — often carrying more than 300 million volts — that seeks the easiest path to the ground. It can travel through air and objects in a fraction of a second.

Cars are rarely struck directly because they’re low to the ground. Lightning tends to hit trees, mountains, buildings and other tall objects. But open areas and exposed roadways can be targets, and a moving vehicle can be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

You may think your car’s rubber tires protect you, but when lightning strikes a vehicle, the electrical current typically travels along the frame and discharges through the tires and into the ground. This is called the Faraday cage effect — the metal body helps direct the electricity around the passenger cabin rather than through it. This is why people in a car hit by lightning often escape harm.

Convertibles and vehicles with large sunroofs have less metal coverage overhead, which may leave occupants more exposed. Hardtop vehicles generally offer better protection.

While passengers typically are spared in a strike, the National Weather Service warns that the same surge can cause significant and costly damage to a vehicle. It can:

• Overload onboard electronics and damage wiring, sensors and control modules.
• Superheat air inside tires as lightning moves through the steel belts inside the rubber and cause a blowout.
• Crack rear windshields if they have defroster wires running through the glass.
• Melt the antenna.
• Send sparks flying as metal bits burn off.

In rare cases, a strike can ignite a fire in the engine compartment or fuel system. If you smell fuel or see smoke after a strike, move away from the vehicle and call 911.

Modern cars vs. older cars when lightning strikes

While an aging jalopy leaking oil in your driveway might go up in smoke if hit by lightning, modern vehicles also come with vulnerabilities.

Framing. Most modern vehicles offer some protection against lightning for the same reason older cars do: they’re built with a continuous metal frame — doors, roof, pillars and floor — that conducts the electrical charge around the passengers and to the ground. However, some modern cars — often EVs and luxury cars — are built using carbon fiber, fiberglass or other composite materials that are less conductive than steel. To compensate, some manufacturers weave metal mesh or metallic strands into the composite panels to help maintain a conductive path around the cabin in some vehicles.

High-tech electrical systems. Older vehicles with simpler electrical systems sometimes fare better against electrical surges than newer cars. Modern vehicles rely heavily on electronic control modules, sensors and onboard computers, all of which are more vulnerable to a high-voltage surge. A surge that might blow a fuse in a 1985 pickup could destroy multiple electronic control modules in a modern vehicle loaded with sensors, cameras and driver-assist technology.

Common electrical systems that can be damaged by lightning include:

• Engine control unit (ECU) and onboard computers
• Audio, navigation and infotainment systems
• Power windows, locks and sunroof motors
• Safety systems such as airbags, anti-lock brakes and lane assist
• Battery and charging systems

The information contained in this page is provided for general informational purposes only. Read our editorial standards for Insurance Questions and other content. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied. This does not refer to any specific insurance policy and nothing herein is intended to replace or modify any terms in your actual policy.

Farmers may also provide information on topics that are not directly about insurance policies or coverage that we believe could be helpful to you. Information in such articles is not meant as professional advice, and any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

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