Swinton car insurance review

Car insurance from Swinton comes in 3 levels of cover. Compare its policies and find out what its customers say about the brand.

3.7 ★★★★★ (174 reviews) Write a review
Swinton

Our verdict

Swinton has a good range of policies, with the Premier policy offering a very comprehensive level of cover. There is no third party only cover available, but the Essentials plan is equivalent of a third party, fire and theft policy.

Opinions regarding the company’s customer service are split. It has good reviews on Trustpilot, but only 63% of customers said they would recommend it in our customer satisfaction survey.

Get started by visiting Swinton’s website and sign up for a policy. If you have read this review and decided that Swinton car insurance is not for you, you can also compare other car insurance policies on the market.

Best for: Convicted drivers

Pros
  • Excess refund available
  • 24/7 claims helpline
  • Extra car hire offered
Cons
  • Protected no-claims and breakdown cover are optional extras
  • No third party only cover available
Swinton Comprehensive
★★★★★
Finder score

Courtesy car cover

Swinton car insurance has 3 levels of cover, with the top one – Premier – offering a long list of benefits including a refund of your excess and cover for misfuelling. Find out what else is included and what the claim process involves in our detailed review.

Who is Swinton Insurance?

Swinton is an insurance broker that was founded over 65 years ago. By 1987, Swinton had grown to be a household name with over 220 branches across the UK. It aims to offer a personal approach to insurance, comparing policies for you to find you the best deal.

Who underwrites Swinton’s car insurance?

Swinton’s car insurance is underwritten by a range of insurers. The insurer that underwrites your policy will be named on your policy schedule and your certificate of motor insurance.

What’s covered under my policy?

Swinton offers 3 different car insurance policies which differ in price, benefits and cover.

BenefitsSwinton EssentialsSwinton ClassicSwinton Premier
Damage to your car
Loss by fire or theft
Driving other cars
Emergency medical costs
Repairs to your car
Audio, satnav and car equipment
Courtesy car
Windscreen cover
Motoring legal expenses
Uninsured driver promise
Driving abroad cover
Lock replacement
Child seat replacement
Personal belongings cover
Excess refund
Hire vehicle
Misfuelling cover

Optional extras

Swinton offer a range of optional extras you can add to your policy to give you even more peace of mind.
Features of this include:

What are Swinton’s different policies?

Swinton provides 3 different levels of cover to choose from: Essentials, Classic and Premier.

How do I make a claim?

If you need to make a claim on any Swinton car insurance policy then you can call the accident and claims line on 0333 035 9003. The Swinton team is available 24/7 for any motor accident, fire or theft, windscreen damage or any malicious damage.

What is my excess?

An excess is the amount of money you contribute to the cost of your claim. The amount of your excess will depend on the level of cover you have and the nature of your claim. Details of your excess amounts will be displayed in your policy schedule.

Sometimes more than one excess will apply and in this case, Swinton will add them together.

The types of excess are:

  • Compulsory excess which is set by the insurer underwriting your policy. This is added to the voluntary excess you choose to give the total amount of excess you will pay if you make a claim.
  • Voluntary excess which is in addition to any compulsory excess. You can set this as low as you want to reduce the amount you have to pay if you make a claim, or you can increase it which may reduce your premium.

Swinton car insurance customer reviews

Customers who took part in Finder’s 2024 customer satisfaction survey were fairly positive about Swinton, with many saying it was “easy to deal with” and highlighting its “friendly” customer service. But a few were unhappy about their renewal quotes.

One customer said: “When this company gave me my renewal quote for my car insurance it jumped from £150 the previous year to £500 the next year. They were unable to bring this down by much and not surprisingly I didn’t renew my car insurance with this company.”

In our survey, 63% of Swinton customers said they’d recommend the brand to a friend, placing it last of 11 insurers in the league table.

On the reviews platform Trustpilot, Swinton Insurance in general gets 4.3 out of 5 – classed as “Excellent” – based on 31,793 reviews (last updated: May 2024).

How to cancel Swinton car insurance

To cancel you need to call 0333 035 9278. Alternatively you can do it via live chat on the Swinton website.

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
Danny Butler's headshot
Written by

Publisher

Danny is a publisher at Finder specialising in insurance and investing. He previously worked at the global insurer Aon and has appeared in national media giving advice on insurance. Danny holds a BA in International Business from the University of Plymouth and has undying loyalty to his average-poor football team, Portsmouth FC. See full bio

Danny's expertise
Danny has written 347 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Car, home and business insurance
  • Helping people save money on their insurance
  • Project management
  • Giving valuable insights to website visitors
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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