RAC car insurance review

Our verdict

Our verdict

RAC’s Comprehensive policy and Comprehensive Plus policy both offer a good range of benefits, with lock replacement and windscreen cover included as standard. There is a guarantee on all approved repairs and an uninsured driver’s promise.

The RAC website is not easy to navigate, but its policies offer decent benefits, including its third party, fire and theft policy.

If you're unsure RAC car insurance is for you, you can also compare other car insurance policies to find a better fit.

Pros

• There is no excess to be paid for windscreen damage.
• Uninsured driver’s promise – RAC offers protection against uninsured drivers – but only with the 5-star policy.

Cons

• Not much information on third party car insurance.
• Policy information is not easily accessible.

Get a quote

The RAC is best known for its breakdown service, but also offers several levels of car insurance to customers. Check out our guide to find out more about car insurance from RAC, like what’s included, how easy it is to claim and the pros and cons of the policy.

Who is the RAC?

RAC stands for the Royal Automobile Club. The UK-based company was set up in 1897 to provide a breakdown recovery service to those in need. Over the years, it has branched out to provide other services, such as car insurance, home insurance and travel insurance.

The RAC says it aims to provide customers with affordable, quality car insurance.

Who underwrites RAC’s car insurance?

RAC car insurance is administered by BISL Ltd. Policies are underwritten by a panel of insurers. For more information about the underwriters of your policy, please consult your policy schedule.

What’s covered under my policy?

RAC offers 2 levels of comprehensive car insurance. If you are responsible for causing an accident, you’ll be covered for damage to third party vehicles or property, as well as your own car.

Have a look at the table below to see what the two cover options from RAC offer.

What are the RAC’s different policies?

Below is a list of RAC’s policies and some of their features:

• Third Party Only

  Third party is the minimum amount of car insurance that is legally required on UK roads. It covers damage caused to other people’s property or compensation in accidents that are deemed your fault.

• Third Party, Fire and Theft

  Third party, fire and theft cover gives you slightly more protection than the basic third party cover.

  If you are involved in an accident, the RAC will pay out to the third party. This cover also protects your car from damage caused by fire or theft.

  However, it won’t pay out if your car is damaged in other ways such as a crash.

• Comprehensive

  Comprehensive car insurance is one of the most extensive forms of cover you can get from the RAC.

  It covers theft, fire and accidental damage to your own vehicle, as well as third party damage.

• Comprehensive Plus

  This is the highest form of cover offered by the RAC. It has all the cover offered by Comprehensive cover with some added benefits such as lock replacement.

• Learner driver

  This is a flexible policy option so you can be insured only when you need to be, from 1 day to 5 months at a time. It’s fully comprehensive too.

• Black Box

  A black box policy can help young drivers save on their car insurance if they’re also safe drivers.

• Multi-car

  You can get a discount on your insurance if you have more than once car in your household. It comes with separate no-claims bonus policies for each car and you can have different renewal dates for each car if you want to.

• Temporary

  RAC’s temporary cover is ideal for those in need of immediate temporary car insurance. You can choose from 1 hour to 30 days for your policy. Cover begins as soon as you purchase your policy.

• Electric Car

  This helps ensure you have cover specifically designed for an electric or hybrid car. You can get a Comprehensive or Comprehensive Plus policy, with battery cover included.

• Classic Car

  RAC offers specialised cover for classic cars, so you’re pride and joy can be covered the way you want.

How do I make a claim?

If you find yourself needing to make a claim, you can call the RAC claims department on 0330 159 1062.

The hotline is in operation 24/7.

When making a claim, make sure that you have your claims number to hand as you will need it. You can find it in your policy information.

What is my excess?

An excess is the amount of money that you will have to contribute when you make a claim. The amount of your excess can change depending on variable factors such as your car and your driving experience.

Opting for a higher excess where possible could reduce the cost of your insurance premium.

If a claim is decided to not be at fault, it is possible for you to reclaim your excess payment from the third party involved.

Make sure you read through your policy schedule to find the full details concerning excess payments.

RAC car insurance customer reviews

On customer review platform Trustpilot, RAC (as a whole) has 3.9 out of 5 stars and a rating of “Great”, based on more than 118,000 reviews.

Things are not as bright on Reviews.io, where the company has 2.2 out of 5 stars, based on more than 1,100 reviews.

Customers praise the good service, but some complained of extra charges and long wait times for assistance (updated May 2024).

How to cancel RAC car insurance

You can cancel online if you log in to your account or call 0330 159 1031.

Frequently asked questions

• Can I get insurance that starts immediately?

  Yes. When you get a quote online, you can choose for your cover to start the same day.

• Can I pay for RAC car insurance in instalments?

  Yes, you can pay monthly as a direct debit, but you’ll be charged interest for doing so.

• How can I check my RAC car insurance expiry date?

  You can log in to MyRAC to view your policy documents and expiry date.

Written by

Millie Spark

Author

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Millie Spark was a writer for Finder and covered a range of subjects including how to get the best deal on everyday shopping, and insurance. See full bio

Co-written by

Jason Loewenthal

Senior writer

Jason is a 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