Aviva car insurance review

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.

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Our verdict

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
Cons
  • EU cover is an optional extra
  • No courtesy car as standard
Aviva Comprehensive
Finder Award
★★★★★
Finder score

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 NameThird party, fire and theftComprehensive 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 protectionOptional
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 optional extras

Aviva offers a range of additional protection to bolt onto your policy, including:

  • Breakdown cover. Aviva offers a variety of levels: Roadside Assistance, Recovery and At Home and Onward Travel.
  • Courtesy car. Aviva offers standard and enhanced options of a replacement car.
  • Motor legal. Aviva will help to recover any compensation or financial loss after an accident that wasn’t your fault.
  • Enhanced European cover. You’ll be covered to drive in most European countries beyond the basic minimum that’s included.
  • 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?

ResponseAviva customersAverage for all brands in our survey
This year83.72%80.55%
Last year81.79%78.53%
Source: Finder survey by OnePoll of 750 Brits

How do I 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

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.

To find out more, read our full methodology.

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 (July ’24). 51% of car insurance customers could save £523.17
Liz Edwards's headshot
Written by

Editor-in-chief

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 108 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Consumer rights and protection
  • Saving money
  • Buy now, pay later
  • Insurance
  • Consumer trends
Jason Loewenthal's headshot
Co-written by

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

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