We’ve analysed car insurance cover from Aviva car to help you decide if this major insurer, which also offers multi-car and temporary cover, can give you a good deal.
Aviva is the biggest insurance provider in the UK and, while size isn’t everything, its policies generally deliver. It was the winner in the Finder Car Insurance Innovation Awards 2024.
That said, you get what you pay for, so Aviva’s policies are not the cheapest on the market. Of course, everybody’s circumstances vary and so it’s always worth getting a quote.
If you have read this review and decided that Aviva is not for you, you can also compare other car insurance policies on the market.
Best for: Low APR instalments
Pros
24/7 claims service
Uninsured driver promise
Fee-free cancellation
Option to pay interest-free monthly instalments with a credit or debit card
The biggest insurer in the UK gets good customer feedback, but it’s worth knowing that you don’t get a courtesy car as standard in comprehensive cover – some other policies do include this. Here’s what else you need to know.
Who is Aviva?
As the largest general insurance provider in the UK, Aviva offers an extensive range of financial products including car, van, motorbike, travel, pet, home and life insurance.
While Aviva has roots as far back as 1696 – in the “age of highwaymen” – it was essentially created when Norwich Union and CGU plc merged in 2000. Although known as CGNU after the merger, the name Aviva was adopted a short time later in 2002.
The Aviva Group is made up of several businesses, including Aviva Insurance Services UK Ltd and Aviva UK Digital Ltd, among others.
Who underwrites Aviva car insurance?
Aviva car insurance policies are underwritten by Aviva Insurance Ltd.
Aviva Insurance Ltd is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
What’s covered under my policy?
See the table below for what’s included in each option of Aviva car insurance.
Product Name
Third party, fire and theft
Comprehensive cover
Damage to your car
✓
Damaged windscreen and window glass
✓
Fire and theft
✓
✓
Personal accident cover
✓
Medical expenses
✓
Personal belongings
✓
Liabilities to third parties
✓
✓
Alternative travel costs
✓
No-claims discount
✓
✓
No-claims discount protection
Optional
Replacement locks
✓
Permanently fitted audio equipment
✓
What are Aviva’s different policies?
With every comprehensive car insurance policy, Aviva says it guarantees protection against uninsured drivers, and covers you to drive someone else’s car if you’re aged 25 or over. Aviva also offers third party, fire and theft cover. These are annual policies and there’s an admin fee if you cancel them once cover’s started.
Aviva’s comprehensive policies cover for loss or damage, uninsured driver cover, vehicle recovery, driving someone else’s car if you’re over 25, legal costs and motor injury protection.
Multi Car policies have the same cover as above, the difference is you can have up to 5 vehicles on the same policy if they’re all registered at the same address. And get a discount for doing so.
This policy includes cover for stolen or damaged batteries and other accessories unique to an electric car, such as charging cables and wallbox chargers installed in your garage. If your battery runs out of juice a mechanic will come to charge it for you so you can get to a charging point or back home, depending on which is closer.
Telematics insurance uses technology to calculate a premium based on how you drive. If you’re aged 17–24 and are a safe driver, you can save money on your insurance with this type of policy.
With this policy you can get cover for a van under 3.5T GVW, including box vans, light vans, pick-ups and electric vans. Benefits include cover for tools, glass replacement or repair for your van’s windscreen, sunroof or windows and replacement locks if your keys are lost or stolen.
If you want more than the legal minimum but don’t want to pay for comprehensive insurance then this type of insurance is for you. It will cover for fire and theft, liability to a third party and has a no-claims discount, but it won’t cover any damage to your own vehicle.
If you have a vehicle or van that you use for work then you’ll need business insurance. Comprehensive cover includes replacement vehicles so you can keep working, tool cover and passenger cover for colleagues.
This is great if you’re test-driving new cars, using your car for work or going on a short trip. You can get cover from just 1 hour to 30 full days.
You can get insured for when you need, from just a few hours to a few months. It gives you the flexibility you need while you’re learning, especially if you’re not driving the same car all the time.
Cover for your pride and joy, whether it’s defined as a modern classic, classic, vintage or veteran.
Suitable if you want a short break or you’re going away for a while, with up to 365 days of European travel cover for motorhomes or up to 90 days for campervans.
Aviva’s optional extras
Aviva offers a range of additional protection to bolt onto your policy, including:
No-claims discount protection. Your premium will stay when you come to renew even after making one claim.
Motor Injury Protection Plus. You, your partner or any named drivers will receive injury cover and physiotherapy after an accident.
How do I make a claim?
You should call the Aviva claims line on 0345 030 6925 to make a claim. This is a 24-hour claims line open 7 days a week. Alternatively, you can make a claim online on Aviva’s claims page.
You will need to provide the following information:
Details about the incident
Names and contact details of everyone involved in the incident such as third parties, passengers and witnesses
Details about the damage or injuries sustained
It’s vital that you let your insurer know about an incident as soon as possible, even if it’s not your fault. Failure to do this could result in a rejected claim later on.
What is my excess?
Your car insurance excess is the amount of money you will need to pay towards a claim. Your insurer won’t pay out for a claim that costs less than this amount. A compulsory excess amount might vary depending on the age of your car and your driving experience.
A voluntary excess is on top and is normally set by you when taking out a policy. You’ll have the option of adding or increasing a voluntary excess – which should lower your premium.
You’ll find details about any compulsory or voluntary excesses in your policy document.
Aviva car insurance customer reviews
Customers who took part in Finder’s 2024 customer satisfaction survey were on the whole positive about Aviva, with many highlighting its good customer service.
One customer said Aviva is “easy to contact and the staff at the customer service centre are always very helpful and understanding”. Some respondents complained that Aviva had hiked their renewal premium.
In the survey, 84% of Aviva customers said they’d recommend the brand to a friend.
What proportion of Aviva car insurance customers would recommend it to friends/family?
Response
Aviva customers
Average for all brands in our survey
This year
83.72%
80.55%
Last year
81.79%
78.53%
Source: Finder survey by OnePoll of 750 Brits
How to cancel Aviva car insurance
You need to call Aviva to cancel your insurance on 0345 030 6984.
You are able to cancel your car insurance with Aviva up to 14 days after your start date and will be refunded the premium you paid minus a leaving fee. After this time period, a £38 cancellation fee will be charged.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Cover can start instantly.
Yes, Aviva offers policies that can be paid in full or by monthly direct debit payments.
Yes. Aviva offers temporary car insurance for 1 day up to 30 days.
Norwich Union and CGU plc merged in 2000 and became known as CGNU. But the new company switched to the name Aviva in 2002.
Aviva has lots of constituent companies which have come together to form the current brand such as Friends life, CGU, La Paix and Norwich Union.
You can see all your policy details online through the MyAviva customer portal.
Car insurance scores
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
Finder scores, in blue, are based on our expert analysis. We also show reviews from users, where we've received more than 10, with a score in yellow. We gather more reviews from customers every year in Finder's customer satisfaction survey.
The offers compared on this page are chosen from a range of products we can track; we don't cover every product on the market...yet. Unless we've indicated otherwise, products are shown in no particular order or ranking. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations), aren't product ratings, although we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it; this is subject to our terms of use. When making a big financial decision, it's wise to consider getting independent financial advice, and always consider your own financial circumstances when comparing products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
*Based on data provided by Consumer Intelligence Ltd, www.consumerintelligence.com (Mar ’24). 51% of car insurance customers could save £539.54
Liz Edwards has been a consumer writer and editor for more than 20 years. She led award-winning teams at the campaigning publisher Which?, and has covered a range of consumer rights and personal finance topics including pensions, credit, banking and insurance. Liz has appeared frequently in national media such as The Sun, Metro, HuffPost and The Independent. She loves to cut through waffle to give consumers the real lowdown. And she loves puns. See full bio
Liz's expertise
Liz has written 107 Finder guides across topics including:
Jason is a freelance writer and editor. He worked as a senior subeditor for Finder for 5 years and in that time became familiar with a wide range of financial products and services. Before that, he worked for Australian Associated Press. He has a BA from Macquarie University in Australia. Jason loves to help other people find new ways to save money. See full bio
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