Who is AA?
The Automobile Association was created in 1905 with the aim of protecting the new breed of motorists driving on our roads. With over 14 million members the AA is now the UK's largest motoring organisation offering a range of products and services including car insurance, breakdown cover, travel insurance, financial products and leisure and lifestyle services.
AA car insurance policies
The AA offers three main car insurance policy types:
Comprehensive
A Comprehensive policy is the highest level of insurance available with cover for accidental damage to your car, injuries to others, theft and vandalism.
Third Party Fire and Theft
A Third Party Fire and Theft policy provides cover for damage caused to a third party's vehicle or property and personal injury but does not cover damage to your own vehicle. It also provides cover for damage to your own vehicle caused by fire or the theft of your own vehicle.
Third Party
A Third Party policy is the minimum cover required to drive a vehicle on the road and provides cover for damage and injury to a third party but does not provide cover damage to your own vehicle caused by fire or the theft of your own vehicle.
AA car insurance extra benefits
Serious injury to you and your partner
If the policyholder or partner suffer serious accidental injury (loss of a limb, loss of sight in one or both eyes) or dies as the result of an accident involving the insured car or while travelling in or getting out of any other private car then an amount of up to £5,000 is payable. If at the time of the claim the policyholder is an AA breakdown member then this cover is increased to £7,500.
Personal belongings
Personal belongings up to a total of £250 are covered for loss or damage while in or on the insured car. If at the time of the claim the policyholder is an AA breakdown member then this cover is increased to £500.
Courtesy car
A courtesy car will be provided under a comprehensive policy while your vehicle is repaired at an approved garage. A courtesy car will also be provided under a comprehensive policy for up 21 days if your car is written off or stolen and not recovered.
Overnight accommodation or onward travel
If you are unable to continue your journey as a result of damage to the insured car then a payment of up to £300 per person (£500 maximum for all occupants of the insured car) towards onward travel or 1 night's hotel accommodation.
Uninsured driver promise
If you are involved in an accident and the other vehicle is not insured then your policy will still cover the costs of repair to your vehicle. If the accident is not your fault then you will not lose any No Claim Discount (NCD) or have to pay your excess. It will help in getting your claim resolved if you can provide full details of the uninsured car and driver.
No claims discount
AA car insurance operates a panel of insurers who apply their own No Claim Discount (NCD) scale. If you make a claim in any one year your NCD will be reduced at the next renewal in accordance with the insurers' 'step back' scale (typically 0, 1 or 2 years). No Claim Discount Protection is available at an additional premium which will prevent the reduction of your NCD for up to 2 claims in 3 years.
Medical expenses
If any occupant in an insured car is injured in an accident, medical expenses will be covered up to £400 for each person. If you are an AA breakdown member then the limit will be increased to £500.
Emergency treatment
If any emergency treatment is required as a result of an accident then this will be covered as required by the Road Traffic Acts.
Travelling abroad
This policy automatically provides the policyholder or any other permitted driver with the same level of cover when travelling abroad for a period of 90 days in any one period of insurance. A courtesy car is not provided should you make a claim while travelling abroad.
Lost or stolen keys
Cover for lost or stolen keys or the transmitter for a keyless entry system up to £1,000. Cover includes transporting the car to the nearest repairer when necessary and delivering it to your home address after repair.
Child car seats
A replacement child car seat or booster seat of similar standard if your car is involved in an accident or suffers any loss or damage caused by fire, theft or attempted theft
Car sharing
Cover is provided when carrying passengers in the insured car for social or other similar purposes provided that the total payments for the journey do not involve an element of profit or in the course of a business of carrying passengers
Glass damage
Cover provided for the repair or replacement of glass in the windscreen, windows or sunroof of the insured car and any scratching of the bodywork caused solely by this damage. NCD will not be affected if this is the sole claim and a windscreen excess will be applied as shown in the policy documents.
The table below shows the benefits that apply to each policy type.
Note: Lost or stolen keys. Child car seats and Glass damage only apply if directly caused by Fire or Theft.
How do AA car insurance benefits compare with other insurers?
To provide a comparison between AA and other similar car insurance providers, we have selected three insurers in the comparison table below that are 'Recommended Providers' by Which? according to their survey of the best and worst car insurance. We have used the AA comprehensive car insurance policy benefits for this comparison.
AA | Direct Line | LV= | Aviva | |
Guaranteed car hire | Yes | Yes | £19.90 for small hatchback, £29.90 for similar car to own | Yes |
Transport after accident | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
No Claims Discount protection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Breakdown cover | New customers get AA Roadside Assistance for first year from £15 | From £25 p.a. | From £30 p.a. | Individual cost calculation |
Motor Legal protection £100,000 | Individual cost calculation | £28 p.a. | £25.99 p.a. | £29 p.a. |
Multi-car discount | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Black box available | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Admin fee for policy amendments | £19.50 | No | £15 | No |
Available on comparison sites | No | No | Yes | No |
How to make a claim a claim with AA car insurance
If you have an accident or your car is stolen then you should contact the AA on 0800 269 622 (available 24/7).
To help AA process your claim swiftly please provide the following information
- Your policy number and documents
- Your vehicle registration number
- Details of what happened and when
- Photographs or dashcam footage of the incident (if available)
- Details of any other vehicles, people or property involved
- Contact details for any witnesses
- Crime reference number, if applicable
AA multi-car insurance discount
The AA offers a multi-car discount of 10% for all existing customers The discount is applied to each new policy taken out for cars that are registered at the same household. The discount only applies to the core insurance premium and is not applied to any optional policy add-ons.
AA car insurance customer reviews
AA is ranked 7th out of 16 car insurance providers with consumer website Which? and scored 4.3 out of 5.0 on independent customer review site Trustpilot. Competitive premiums and good overall service were cited as the main positive comments with poor processing of claims being cited as a negative experience with some customers.
Summary
AA car insurance is a reputable long-standing company offering comprehensive benefits with some enhanced benefits for AA breakdown members. As AA car insurance is not available to buy via a comparison site it would be advisable to include them when obtaining quotes for your car insurance requirements.