Insurers and car-service centers are pressed for time to complete OSAGO repairs within the legal window of 30 calendar days. During the roundtable discussion on “Import replacement in OSAGO,” held in the Civil Chamber of the Russian Federation, representatives from insurance companies and service stations proposed easing the statutory deadlines and allowing temporary repairs using available options, including used spare parts.
Also attending the roundtable was a Za Rulem representative who questioned these proposals alongside the insurers. He acknowledged that the OSAGO landscape is presently challenging.
Expert opinion
Maxim Kadakov, editor-in-chief of the magazine Behind the Wheel, notes:
— The insurers’ proposals work for some, but they raise a critical question: what is the alternate path? Vehicles require repair, and high-quality original spare parts are often in short supply. One option is to defer entirely to the owner—if the owner agrees to repair with used parts, proceed; if not, wait six months or longer for the desired part.
The troubling reality is that when a customer asks whether their car can be repaired for cash, the common answer is yes. Casco insurance is more frequently involved in repairs. When OSAGO is involved, spare parts are frequently unavailable. This frustrates people. The refusal to renew OSAGO policies has already begun, and at this roundtable Kadakov openly challenged insurer representatives, warning that the trend could drive people away from automobile insurance altogether. Such a shift risks undermining this form of coverage.
There are already regions where half of drivers operate without OSAGO, and in many areas, including wealthier cities, roughly 25–30% choose not to purchase a policy. That leaves victims unprotected. While damages can be pursued in court, many individuals struggle to navigate the process promptly.
Insurers are increasingly using the term “unscrupulous victim.” This label targets not the scammers, but the car owners who simply seek fair treatment and timely repair under the policy and related service centers. If owners reject a minimal compensation and demand proper repair, they risk being branded as unscrupulous. Kadakov warns that this dynamic could prompt widespread refusal to buy OSAGO, especially as policy prices rise. He notes that insurers may rely on video surveillance to verify policy presence in the near future, a plan that has already faced delays in earlier commitments. If implemented, cameras could push the industry toward stricter enforcement, potentially at the cost of repair quality, particularly in major cities with dense camera networks.