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Finder Car Insurance Consumer Survey 2020
38% of Kiwis have been the victim of a hit and run and 89% think car insurance should be mandatory.
Updated

We surveyed more than 2,000 New Zealanders on their experiences with car insurance – from what they want most from their cover, to incidents with uninsured drivers. This is what they told us.
The survey questions
Select a question to jump to those responses.
- Do you think car insurance should be mandatory?
- What type of car insurance cover do you have?
- Have you ever had your car damaged and the offending driver didn’t hang around?
- Have you ever been in a car accident where one of the two cars involved was not insured?
- What factors are most important to you when choosing a car insurance policy?
- When you last made a car insurance claim were you satisfied with the outcome?
- What was the main reason why you were unsatisfied?
1. Do you think car insurance should be mandatory?
Number of respondents: 2,001
Key points
- A huge majority believe car insurance should be made mandatory in New Zealand
- Younger respondents were less likely to have the opinion that car insurance should be mandatory.
2. What type of car insurance cover do you have?
Number of respondents: 2,001
Key points
- Comprehensive is the most popular car insurance type by far
- Those in Gen Y and Gen Z are much more likely to have third party cover than those of older generations
3. Have you ever had your car damaged and the offending driver didn’t hang around?
Number of respondents: 1,882.
Key points
- Respondents were more likely to have had their car damaged and offending driver did not hang around than any other option
- Only 35% said their car had never been damaged
4. Have you ever been in a car accident where one of the two cars involved was not insured?
Number of respondents: 1,882.
Key points
- Almost a quarter of respondents (22%) have been in car accident in which the other driver was unisured
- Only 2% of Baby Boomers say they’ve been in an accident in which their car was uninsured
5. What factors are most important to you when choosing a car insurance policy?
Number of respondents: 1,846.
Key points
- Overall, the price of insurance is the most important factor when choosing cover
- But price is more important to younger generations. 91% of Gen Z chose price as the most important factor versus 70% of Baby Boomers
- A family recommendation is much more valuable to those new to driving. 17% of Gen Z chose it as the most important factor.
6. When you last made a car insurance claim were you satisfied with the outcome?
Number of respondents: 1,787
Key points
- Generally, Kiwis are happy with their performance of their insurer at claim time
- Women are less likely to have made a claim than men
7. What was the main reason why you were unsatisfied?
Number of respondents: 106 (only those who responded that they were unsatisfied with their last car insurance claim in the previous question were asked).
Key points
- Getting a smaller payout than expected at claim time was most common reason respondents were unhappy with car insurance provider
- 15% were unsatisfied as they were told they were not covered for the incident in question
Survey methodology
This survey was designed by Finder and conducted by Qualtrics, a SAP company.
It was conducted online in July 2020 using a nationally representative sample of 2,001 New Zealand residents aged 18 and over.
To learn more about the survey or to request a full copy of the data, please email nzpr@finder.com.
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