Courtesy car insurance cover

Unfortunately, accidents do happen. When they do, the last thing you need is to be left without an essential means of transport while your car is in the garage for repairs. That’s when courtesy car insurance could come to the rescue. Find out how by reading our guide.

What is courtesy car insurance?

Courtesy car insurance is a feature of many annual car insurance policies. It gives you access to a temporary replacement car to use while yours is in for repairs following an accident. It’s commonly included with comprehensive car insurance policies. This isn’t guaranteed, though, so check the small print.

If it isn’t included, or you have a lower level of cover (such as third party, or third party, fire and theft), you may be able to pay extra for a courtesy car add-on.

How does courtesy car insurance work?

If you have courtesy car cover through your own car insurer, then you will usually be offered a courtesy car while your vehicle is being repaired following an accident.

There may be certain conditions attached. For example, you might only get a courtesy car “subject to availability”, or if you take your car to one of your insurer’s approved repair centres. And you may not be covered if your car is written off completely.

Even if you don’t have courtesy car cover through your own insurance provider, if you are involved in a collision and the other driver is at fault, you could make a claim on their insurance for a courtesy car.

When can you get a courtesy car?

Even if your insurance includes courtesy car cover, this doesn’t mean that you will automatically get a courtesy car every time you might need one. Below, we’ve outlined common reasons for being left without a car, and whether or not a courtesy car will typically be supplied by an insurer that includes courtesy car cover. There may be exceptions to these rules. For example, some policies may offer a courtesy car if your car is stolen.

* A courtesy car may be supplied until your car has been formally confirmed as written off.

Do all car insurance policies include courtesy car cover?

Not all policies include courtesy car insurance, but the vast majority of comprehensive policies do.

Financial analysis firm Defaqto publishes insights into more than 300 car insurance policies. Its website indicates that more than 90% of comprehensive car insurance policies offer courtesy car cover after an accident as standard.

How long can you use a courtesy car?

Even when your car insurance policy includes courtesy car cover, it may not last as long as you need it to.

Most policies limit how long you’ll have access to a courtesy car. This is typically between 14 and 30 days, depending on the policy. Check the small print to make sure you don’t get an unpleasant surprise if your insurer asks you to return the courtesy car before you have your own set of wheels back.

Will I be insured to drive a courtesy car?

Don’t assume that your main insurance policy will automatically cover you to drive a courtesy car. Check the terms that relate to your courtesy car cover carefully to find out:

1. Whether the policy will insure you to drive a courtesy car at all. If the insurer has sourced and directly supplied the courtesy car, you are more likely to be insured to drive it. However, if – depending on the terms of cover – you have sourced the replacement car yourself, or its been supplied by the repair garage, you may not be covered by your regular policy. If this is the case, you’ll need to make sure you are insured separately.
2. Whether the policy offers the same level of cover as for your own car. For example, even if you have comprehensive insurance for your own car, the policy may only cover you to drive a courtesy car on a third party basis.

If in doubt, check with your insurer. If it doesn’t cover you to drive a courtesy car, or the default level of cover isn’t as good as you want, you could ask the insurer to add the courtesy car to your policy for the duration of repairs (this is likely to cost extra). Alternatively, consider stand-alone, temporary car insurance.

How can I get a car insurance policy that includes courtesy car cover?

When you get quotes for car insurance directly from an insurer or on a price comparison site, it’s usually clearly highlighted which insurers include courtesy car cover as standard and which ones don’t. Price comparison sites may let you filter to only see policies that include courtesy car cover.

There may be occasions when you want to consider policies that don’t include courtesy car cover as standard, but offer it as an upgrade or add-on. For example:

• If a policy that doesn’t include courtesy car cover as standard is significantly cheaper than those that do. In such cases, buying the cheaper policy plus an add-on might be more cost-effective.
• If you want more comprehensive courtesy car cover. Upgraded policies can offer benefits such as cover for a stolen or written-off car, like-for-like cover, longer time limits and a guarantee that you’ll get a car (rather than it being subject to availability).

Can anyone drive my courtesy car?

With many insurers, only the main driver will be allowed to drive a courtesy car provided under the terms of the policy.

Some insurers may also allow a named driver on the policy to drive a courtesy car, but this is not guaranteed. Check the terms to be sure. If they are allowed to drive it in the first place, they’ll need to make sure they have appropriate insurance cover (at least third party).

What happens if I have an accident in my courtesy car?

If you have an accident in a courtesy car, claim as normal under the terms of your policy. Exactly what you can claim for depends on the level of insurance cover you have to drive the courtesy car. Your policy may not always cover you to the same level to drive a courtesy car as you have on your own car.

If another insured driver was at fault, any damage to your courtesy car should be covered by their insurance policy.

If you were at fault and you have comprehensive cover to drive the courtesy car, you should only have to pay the policy excess. If, however, you are only covered by third party insurance, you may be liable for the cost of damage to the courtesy car.

Bottom line

Courtesy car insurance is a reassuring standard feature of most comprehensive car insurance policies, giving you peace of mind that you won’t be left without a vehicle while your car is in for repairs after an accident. But there’s no guarantee there’ll always be a replacement car available. Even if there is, you may get a smaller car than your own car and there will be a time limit on how long you can keep it. You usually won’t get a courtesy car if yours is written off or stolen, either.

If you wouldn’t be able to survive without the use of your car for a short period or want to guarantee a like-for-like replacement, consider paying for upgraded courtesy car cover.

Frequently asked questions

• Do you have to pay extra for a courtesy car?

  If your car is in for repairs after an accident involving another driver that was not your fault, then the other driver’s insurance company should pay for your courtesy car. Otherwise, it depends on whether your insurance policy includes courtesy car cover, as standard or as an add-on. If it does, you won’t need to pay extra for a courtesy car. Bear in mind that there will be a time limit on its use, after which you may need to pay extra to keep it.

• Can I get a courtesy car if my car is written off?

  If your car is written off or stolen, you may find that your insurer will not give you a courtesy car to use. Always read your policy documents carefully so that you understand exactly what cover you are entitled to.

• What are the alternatives to courtesy car insurance?

  If you’re involved in an accident that was another insured driver’s fault, you should receive a courtesy car paid for by their insurer.

  If, however, the accident was your fault and you don’t have courtesy car insurance, you won’t qualify for a replacement while your car is being repaired.

  If you don’t use your car regularly, this may not be a big deal. However, if you rely on your car to get around on a daily basis, you’ll need to source your own alternative. Options include:

  • Using a family member or friend’s car temporarily, with their permission. If this is an option for you, ask the policyholder to list you as a named driver on their insurance policy. Alternatively, buy temporary car insurance to drive their car or check that you are covered to drive other cars on your own insurance.
  • Hiring a car temporarily. In some cases you may be able to borrow a replacement car from the repair garage (often for a fee) and take out your own, temporary insurance. Alternatively, you could use a mainstream car hire company. In most cases, car hire packages will include insurance to drive the car.

• Can you get temporary car insurance for a courtesy car?

  Yes. You might want to consider this if you don’t have courtesy car insurance and you’re borrowing a replacement car from the repair garage. Temporary car insurance can also be a good option if your main insurance policy does not cover you to drive a courtesy car, or doesn’t offer comprehensive cover.

• What type of courtesy car will I get?

  Just as the length of time you get to keep a courtesy car will vary depending on the insurance provider’s own guidelines, so too will the type of car you are provided with. If you are using your insurer’s standard cover, you may find that a courtesy car is smaller or less powerful than your own car (small hatchbacks are common). If you have paid extra for upgraded courtesy car insurance, you’re more likely to get like-for-like cover. This means the car you get will match the space and power of your own car (though it may not be exactly the same model).

• Can I request a different type of courtesy car?

  If the courtesy car you are given does not meet your requirements (for example, if you have a large family and need extra space), you can try asking your insurer for an alternative. However, unless you’ve paid for upgraded cover that guarantees a like-for-like car, this will be subject to availability.

• Are named drivers insured to drive a courtesy car?

  Not necessarily. Some insurance policies allow named drivers to use a courtesy car under the same terms as the main driver, but this isn’t always the case. Check the small print or ask your insurer to be certain.