4WD and 4×4 Insurance

While standard car insurance providers may agree to cover vehicles designed for off-roading on a case by case basis, you may find that your modified or accessorised vehicle needs specialised cover. It really comes down to the work you have done to your vehicle and if fits within the cover of a standard policy.

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Name	Product	Roadside Assistance	Accidental Damage	Storm	Choice of Repairer	Agreed or Market Value
Budget Direct Comprehensive		Optional			Optional	Agreed or Market	Finder's summary: Awarded the 2019 Finder Award for the Best Value Car Insurance, this policy offers solid coverage at a low cost plus you will get 15% discount on first year's premium when you take out a policy online. Budget Direct’s claims service has received a 4.2/5 based on nearly 5,000 customer reviews. Who it might be good for: People who want a comprehensive policy without breaking the bank.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Bingle Comprehensive						Market	Finder's summary:Bingle consistently comes up as one of the cheaper insurers out there. It only covers the basics, so you don't get to choose your own repairer, you're not covered for personal items in the car and unless you add it as an option, you won't get a hire car if your car is stolen. But this keeps its premiums low. Who it might be good for: Someone who wants a low-cost option that covers them for the basics.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Coles Comprehensive		Optional				Agreed or Market	Finder's summary: Coles have two-tiers of comprehensive car insurance to choose from. You'll earn double flybuys points at Coles supermarkets and you can get $10 off your Coles grocery bill every time you redeem 2,000 Flybuys points. If you're over 30, you can get roadside assistance free for a year. Who it might be good for: Coles customers and Flybuys collectors.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Poncho Comprehensive						Agreed	Finder's summary: Poncho works like a monthly subscription – you pay monthly and can cancel and leave at any time. You can also list multiple cars and drivers under one policy, making it ideal for families and groups living together under one household. Who it might be good for: People who want their car insurance month to month.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Woolworths Comprehensive		Optional				Agreed or Market	Finder's summary: Woolworths catches our eye due to some unique perks like a price-beat guarantee, where it'll beat any current comparable comprehensive renewal notice if you're over 25. You'll also get 10% off your grocery shop once a month and can add roadside assistance onto your policy for just $7.35 per month. Who it might be good for: Woolworths shoppers and those that want to take advantage of its price-beat guarantee.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Qantas Comprehensive		Optional			Optional	Agreed or Market	Finder's summary: You'll be able to choose how comprehensive you want your cover to be with optional extras like choice of repairer and the option of agreed or market value. Plus earn Qantas Points for joining and paying your premium. Sign up by 2 May 2021, you can earn up to 30,000 Qantas Points (points awarded will be based on your premium). T&Cs and eligibility apply.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
ahm Comprehensive		Optional				Both	Finder's summary: ahm comprehensive car insurance lets you choose higher excess to reduce your premiums plus you can get up to 15% off when you purchase a new car insurance policy. T&Cs apply. Additionally, their Fixed Kilometre Plan can save you up to 30% compared to their standard comprehensive cover. Who it might be good for: People who drive less than 15,000 km per year.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Virgin Comprehensive		Optional			Optional	Agreed or Market	Finder's summary: Finalists for the 2019 Finder Awards for Best Value Car Insurance, Virgin Comprehensive provides a good level of cover for a decent price. Get 15% off on your first year’s premium when you purchase a new eligible comprehensive car insurance online. T&Cs Apply.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
QBE Comprehensive					Optional	Agreed or Market	Finder's summary: QBE is a sustainable insurance company and also Finder's Green Insurer of the Year 2020 Award winner. This policy offers the highest level of protection available from QBE including three-year new car replacement. You can also save $75 when you purchase a new comprehensive policy online. T&Cs apply. Who it might be good for: Those that are looking for a more environmentally friendly insurance choice.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Stella Comprehensive		Optional				Agreed or Market	Finder's summary: Stella’s a female-focused insurer. It'll cover you if your car is damaged as a result of domestic violence. It offers higher cover for baby gear than most, with up to $2,000 cover for prams, strollers and child seats. Get $50 cash back when you purchase online between 1 April – 30 June 2021 using the code STELLA50. T&C apply. Who it might be good for: Someone who wants a female-centred car insurance policy (it will cover men too).	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Youi Comprehensive					Optional	Agreed or Market	Finder's summary: Youi Comprehensive Car Insurance is one of the few providers to include roadside assistance in its policy. You'll also get access to YouiRewards which gives you discounts on furniture, parking and more. Youi also has a live chat feature on its site to talk through any questions. Who it might be good for: People over 25 who want comprehensive cover with a focus on customer service	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Real Comprehensive		Optional				Agreed or Market	Finder's summary: Real Comprehensive Car Insurance provides similar coverage to other insurers for the important stuff like looking after your car if it's stolen or you crash. They're also one of the few insurers who offer a Pay As You Drive policy, so you might be able to save big if you don't drive much. Who it might be good for: Those that don't drive much can take advantage of their Pay As You Drive policy.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Australia Post Comprehensive					Optional	Agreed or Market	Finder's summary: Australia Post car insurance offers comprehensive cover for things like theft, fire, new for old replacement and emergency accommodation and transport. Cover also extends to anyone who uses your car, not just you. Who it might be good for: If multiple people use the one car and you don’t want to worry about listing all drivers.	Get Quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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What is covered by specialised off-road 4WD car insurance?

Specialised off-road car insurance policies are often largely equivalent to comprehensive car insurance with a few additional features.

• Full cover anywhere in Australia
• Comprehensive cover of accessories and modifications
• Extended personal effects cover, to include items even while they are not necessarily inside the vehicle
• Cover while your vehicle is in transit, including being loaded or unloaded from boats or trains
• Includes cover of off-road recovery costs, for recovering an undriveable vehicle
• Trailer cover, often included automatically and sometimes as an extra

Before you can get a quote, you’ll generally need to discuss it with an insurer and do a more in-depth application.

This is not only because of modifications, but also because you generally need to explicitly mention to insurers that you’ll be taking it off road, what kind of driving you do and how frequently you generally do it.

What additional options are there?

The additional options you’ll find with off-road car insurance depends largely on the policy. Some insurers might include some options automatically, while others won’t have them available at all.

• Additional hire vehicle cover: Lets you get a replacement vehicle if you are unable to drive your vehicle due to damage from an insured event.
• Excess free windscreen or window glass cover: Replacement of windscreen or window glass with no excess, following an insured event.
• Additional off-road recovery costs: Lets you choose an additional cover amount for off-road recovery, where your policy includes this kind of cover.

• Optional roadside assistance: This won’t help off road, but can still be a useful optional extra to consider.
• Emergency accommodation and repair: If you get stuck a long way from home, this policy feature can help cover emergency repairs to get your vehicle operational again, and accommodation costs resulting from needing make unplanned stops.
• No fault excess: No excess payable for claims where you are not at fault. Note that with all policies this generally means you will need to be able to prove that someone else was at fault.

Other options can include some savings as well as extra costs. For example, if you only go off-roading occasionally and don’t use the 4WD as your daily driver then you might want to look for a limited-use policy option or one that lets you specify a lay-up period.

What won't I be covered for?

The main exclusions to consider when you take out an off-roading policy are naturally whether or not a policy will cover you to take the vehicle on sand dunes, on a bush track or while you make your own track.

Other key exclusions you’ll generally find with almost all policies, no matter whether it’s standard car insurance or specialised 4WD, are:

• No cover while driving under the influence of anything not prescribed by a doctor.
• No cover outside of Australia.
• No cover while your vehicle was being used for business or hire. If you take passengers offroad for pay, you’ll generally want to look at insuring a vehicle for business use.
• No cover for rust, deterioration, rust, corrosion, electrical failure or breakdown following a failure to maintain your vehicle.
• No cover while using your vehicle in a way that’s inconsistent with manufacturer specifications, even if you might have the modifications to do it.

However, just because a policy includes cover while off road, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will actually be covered.

There are some other key exclusions which might make or break a policy if you’re looking a more standard car insurance policy.

• No cover while not meeting registration requirements

  Many policies will state that you are not covered while your vehicle does not meet the registration requirements in your state or territory.

  For example, if you have adjustable suspension then you might only be insured while under a certain height, or some off-road tyres might not be legal for street driving.

• No cover for certain modifications or accessories

  With accessories and modifications you’re generally only insured for what’s specified in your policy document. With all car insurance, whether standard or specialised for 4WDs, you’ll need to specifically ask about modifications.

  Depending on the insurer some might not cover any performance affecting modifications, while others will only cover a few kinds. Custom suspension, engine modifications, roll bars and generally anything that affects how the car handles in any way counts as performance affecting, and can be harder to find cover for.

  Unless your policy specifically says they’re covered, your modifications may not be insured.

Read the guide to modified car insurance

What impacts the costs?

Think about both the quoted premiums and the excesses when comparing costs. If a policy’s premiums seem suspiciously affordable, you might want to pay special attention to the excesses.

More than one excess can apply to a claim:

• Basic excess: The standard excess that applies to most claims.
• Age or inexperience excess: A driver under 25, or an inexperienced driver will often have an additional excess.
• Special excess: A more individual excess applied based on factors such as driving history, type of driving you do, whether you drive in particularly high-risk areas and similar. Sometimes particular claims might incur an additional excess which needs to be paid on top of the others, such as with off-road recovery costs if a policy includes it.

The excess can have a significant impact on your premiums. A higher excess naturally lowers your premiums, and vice versa.

Factors that affect premiums

Premiums are generally based on how likely you are to make a claim.

• Age: Under 25s can expect a higher excess.
• Location: Where you live affects premiums, as well as whether you park the car in a garage or on the street.
• Driving history: Previous claims and driving history affect your premiums.
• Vehicle type: The more expensive the car, the higher the premiums. This includes the value of modifications and accessories.
• What you use the car for: Insurers will often set premiums according to your driving habits and plans. If you’re planning on doing something different it may be a good idea to let the insurer know ahead of time to make sure you’ll be covered.

How to get off-road insurance

There are several comprehensive car insurance policies that offer an adequate level of cover for some 4WD vehicles. However, you should look at the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to see whether or not you'll actually be covered for the places you plan on going and things you intend to do in your 4WD or 4x4.

You might want to consider getting a specialised off-road 4WD car insurance policy as they specifically cater their policies to off-road 4WD vehicles. They usually come with additional add-ons as well, such as beach and other off-road driving cover.

What is the best 4WD and 4x4 insurance?

There's really no one best policy when it comes to 4WD and 4x4 insurance as nobody is looking for exactly the same level of cover. Nevertheless, there are a few things worth looking out for when it comes to finding the right policy for you. These include:

• Cover for beach and off-road driving: If you want to use your 4WD vehicle off-road, make sure your policy actually covers you for going off-road. Some policies for example won't cover you for beach or private property driving. While most insurers will cover you for incidents and accidents that occur on road, they're less likely to cover you off-road – where something is more likely to happen.
• Additional off-road recovery costs: This is helpful as if you're stranded off-road, far from a main road, recovery costs can be huge. Being able to choose an additional cover amount for off-road recovery helps reduce out of pocket expenses.
• Insure your 4WD vehicle's accessories: Look for an insurer that covers add-ons like specialised tyres, LED headlights and roof racks. These can be really expensive so your insurer needs to know about them or you risk being denied cover should anything happen to your vehicle's accessories.
• Cover for gazetted and un-gazetted roads: Off-roading is all about taking your vehicle into territory other cars can't handle. Making sure you have cover for gazetted and un-gazetted roads throughout Australia is crucial, with many roads not on official road maps.

Companies that offer 4WD insurance

While there are several well-known insurance companies that provide 4WD insurance, you may prefer to go with a specialist insurer. Here are some of the providers who offer 4WD insurance:

• NRMA Insurance
• CGU Insurance
• Club 4×4
• DGA Insurance
• Affinity Insurance Brokers

Alternatively, a comprehensive car insurance policy may be all you need for your 4WD. It really depends on what you plan to use it for.

Modified 4x4 car insurance

When modifying your car, make sure that you don't compromise your insurance policy. With accessories and modifications you're generally only insured for what's specified in your policy document. With all car insurance, whether standard or specialised for 4WDs, you'll need to specifically ask about modifications.

Depending on the insurer, some might not cover any performance affecting modifications, while others will only cover a few kinds. Custom suspension, engine modifications, roll bars and generally anything that affects how the car handles in any way counts as performance affecting, and can be harder to find cover for.

Unless your policy specifically says they're covered, your modifications may not be insured. That's because modifications can void your policy. For instance, if your 4x4 is lifted more than 50mm, there's a good chance it doesn't meet your state's registration requirements. If you crashed your 4x4, it's likely they won't cover you for repairs – even if you had cover for this – as the modification would invalidate your claim. Be sure then, to outline every modification you've made as if you don't, it's likely it won't be covered.

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