AA car insurance review

The AA offers two main levels of cover: third party, fire and theft, and comprehensive.

Third party, fire and theft

With an AA third party, fire and theft policy, you will be covered for the following:

• Injuries to other people: if you injure or kill someone in a car accident, AA will deal with the costs
• Damage to other people’s property: AA will cover claims up to £20 million, as well as £5 million for legal costs and expenses
• Fire damage: if your car is damaged by a fire, lightning or an explosion, you can claim up to the market value of your vehicle
• Theft: if you car is stolen, or damaged in an attempted theft, you can claim up to the market value of your vehicle
• New car replacement: if you have a new car that is stolen and not recovered, or damaged by fire to the extent that repairs will cost more than 60 per cent of the vehicle’s UK list price, AA will provide you with a like-for-like replacement
• Manufacturer-fitted in-car equipment: if any in-car equipment that was fitted when the vehicle was made is stolen or damaged by a fire, you can make a claim
• Aftermarket in-car equipment: if any in-car equipment that was fitted after the vehicle was made is stolen or damaged by a fire, you can claim up to £750 (or £1,000 as an AA member)
• Replacement locks and keys: you can claim up to £1,000 if your keys are stolen or damaged in a fire
• Child car seat cover: if you have a child car seat, and your vehicle is stolen or damaged in a fire, you can get the seat replaced
• Onward travel: if you are unable to continue your journey due to an insured event, you can claim up to £300 (or £500 for AA members) for travelling expenses or one night’s hotel accommodation
• Driving other cars: if you are eligible, you can drive other cars with third party only cover
• Driving abroad: you will receive the minimum level of cover required to drive in the European Union (EU), and a selection of other European countries, for up to 90 days

Comprehensive

With AA comprehensive car insurance, your cover will include everything found in the third party, fire and theft policy, as well as:

• Accidental damage to your vehicle: if your car is damaged in an accident, you can claim up to its market value
• New car replacement: as well as fire damage and theft, you can get a like-for-like replacement for a new car under 13 months old that has been in an accident where repairs will cost more than 60 per cent of its list value
• Manufacturer-fitted in-car equipment: you can claim for in-car equipment fitted when the car was made in the event of an accident, fire damage or theft
• Aftermarket in-car equipment: you can claim for in-car equipment fitted after the car was made in the event of an accident, fire damage or theft, up to £750 (or £1,000 for AA members)
• Replacement locks and keys: you can claim up to £1,000 for ignition devices that are stolen or damaged in an accident or fire
• Child car seat cover: your child car seat cover will extend to accidents, as well as fire damage and theft
• Personal belongings: you can claim up to £250 (or £500 for AA members) for personal belongings lost or damaged due to an insured event
• Damage to trailers: you can claim up to £500 for damage to a single-axle trailer
• Medical expenses: you can claim up to £400 per injured person (or £500 for AA members) in the event of an accident
• Personal accident cover: you and your partner can claim up to £5,000 in personal accident cover (or £7,500 for AA members)
• Uninsured driver promise: if you’re in an accident that isn’t your fault, and the other driver isn’t insured, you won’t have to pay your excess, and your no-claims bonus won’t be affected

AA Silver, Gold and Platinum car insurance

Alongside its standard third party, fire and theft and comprehensive car insurance, AA offers three levels of cover exclusively through price comparison websites: Silver, Gold and Platinum. 

Each level will offer more cover and benefits than the last, but will also cost more per year.

Alongside the policies mentioned above, AA also offers:

• Electric car insurance: with AA electric car insurance, you can get cover for your battery and charging equipment, as well as liability insurance if someone has an accident tripping over your charging cables 
• Short-term car insurance: AA’s temporary car insurance offers instant cover lasting from one to 28 days
• Learner driver insurance: AA offers both short-term learner driver insurance, lasting between 28 days and 24 weeks, alongside annual learner driver cover

With AA’s car insurance policies, you can add the following optional extras:

• Breakdown cover: starting from £15 a year, you can add Roadside and National Recovery breakdown cover to your car insurance policy
• Motor legal assistance: you can get up to £100,000 in legal assistance to help claim compensation from an accident that wasn’t your fault with AA’s motor legal protection
• Hire car cover: you can upgrade your standard courtesy car insurance to hire car cover that will provide you with a temporary vehicle that is the same size as your own (up to a 2.0 litre engine)
• Motor accident plan: this includes up to £100,000 in additional personal accident cover, as well as up top £750 for physiotherapy sessions following a car accident, and up to £250 for stress or trauma counselling
• Excess protection: with this add-on, you can claim back your excess when you’re at fault
• Protected no-claims discount: this add-on will normally allow you to have up to two non-recoverable claims in a three to five-year period without it affecting your no-claims bonus

If you need to make a car insurance claim through AA, you should complete the following steps:

• Make sure everyone is safe: this includes you, your passengers, and any other third parties involved
• Exchange details: if a third party was involved in the incident, you’ll need to exchange details, including your registration number and insurance policy number
• Take photos: you should also take photos of any damage, and make a note of relevant details such as the location, time of day, and weather conditions
• Contact AA as soon as possible: even if you don’t intend to make a claim, you should let your provider know about the incident as soon as you can. You can call AA on 0330 053 0322, report the incident online, or via its mobile app
• AA will arrange the next steps: once you’ve informed AA about what kind of claim you’d like to make, the provider will let you know the next steps, whether that’s arranging for repairs, or sending out a recovery vehicle

If you want to cancel your AA car insurance, you will need to ring the provider on 0370 160 0138, or write to:

AA Insurance Services Limited
Q3 Quorum Business Park
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE12 8EX

You will either receive a full refund of your premium (if you’re cancelling within 14 days), or a partial refund of the time left on the policy (after 14 days, and as long as you haven’t made a claim). 

Depending on when you cancel your AA car insurance, you’ll pay the following fees:

If you need to contact AA about anything that isn’t related to a claim, you can do so by:

• Live chat
• Phone: 0370 533 2211 (8am to 7pm Monday to Friday; 9am to 5pm Saturdays; closed on Sundays)

If you want to make a complaint, meanwhile, you can:

• Phone or text: 0344 209 0556 or 0161 333 5910
• Email: insurance.complaints@theaa.com
• Write: Member Relations, The Automobile Association, Park Square, Birdhall Lane, Cheadle, SK3 0XN

AA has an ‘Excellent’ Trustpilot rating of 4.3 out of five, based on more than 21,400 reviews. 

It is important to note, however, that these reviews are for AA as a whole, and not just its car insurance services.

Of its five-star reviews that mention car insurance, AA is praised for its claims process, and the value of its cover as a new customer. 

However, there are the familiar complaints about significant jumps in renewal quotes from existing customers, and some issues with the speed of insurance confirmation.

Alongside an ‘Excellent’ Trustpilot score, AA has the following ratings from Defaqto:

• Third party, fire and theft: ★★★ (both members and non-members)
• Silver third party, fire and theft: ★★★★ (both members and non-members)
• Comprehensive: ★★★★★ (both members and non-members)
• Silver comprehensive: ★★★★ (both members and non-members)
• Gold comprehensive: ★★★★★ (both members and non-members)
• Platinum comprehensive: ★★★★★ (both members and non-members)

Thanks to its ‘Excellent’ Trustpilot score, positive praise for its claims process, and a raft of five-star reviews from Defaqto, AA is a good option for car insurance.

It is especially worth considering if you are already an AA member, as you will have more generous claims limits in a number of circumstances. 

There is also a wide range of cover options to choose from, if only when you get a quote via a price comparison website.  

A lack of vandalism promise – where your no-claims bonus is unaffected by acts of vandalism you report to the police – is a point of departure from other, similarly prominent providers. It also has a low personal accident cover limit, even when you’re an AA member, unless you purchase its motor accident plan add-on.