11,230 complaints and counting as Aussies lose trust in car insurers
Key takeaways
- Comprehensive car insurance received the most complaints of any general insurance product in 2024-25, with 11,230 complaints lodged with AFCA.
- Misleading product and service information was the fastest growing complaint issue, jumping from 317 complaints in 2020-21 to 7,515 in 2024-25.
- What's next: If you're unhappy with how your insurer handled a recent claim, you have the right to escalate your complaint.
New data from the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) reveals that comprehensive car insurance is the most complained about general insurance product in Australia, with complaints rising steadily over the past five years.
In 2024-25, AFCA received 11,230 complaints about comprehensive motor vehicle insurance, up from just 4,386 in 2020-21, representing a 156% increase over five years.
The data also reveals a sharp rise in the issues driving those complaints, painting a picture of an industry that many Aussies feel is letting them down.
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What Aussies are complaining about
The top five complaint issues in 2024-25 were:
- Misleading product or service information: 7,515 complaints
- Delay in claim handling: 6,577 complaints
- Claim amount disputes: 5,309 complaints
- Denial of claim: 4,473 complaints
- Denial of claim due to exclusion or condition: 2,503 complaints
What to do if you disagree with your insurer
If your insurer has denied your claim, underpaid you or handled your complaint in a way you feel is unfair, you don't have to just accept it. Here's what to do:
- Lodge a complaint directly with your insurer. Every insurer has an internal complaints process. Your insurer is required to respond within a set timeframe under their obligations to AFCA.
- Escalate to AFCA if you're not satisfied. If your insurer doesn't resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you can lodge a complaint with AFCA for free at afca.org.au. AFCA is an independent body that can investigate your complaint and make binding decisions on insurers.
- Know your rights. Under your policy's Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), your insurer must clearly outline what is and isn't covered. If you were given misleading information at the time of purchase, that may strengthen your case.
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With complaints on the rise, it's worth asking whether your current insurer is still the right fit.
If you've experienced delays, disputes or unexpected exclusions, it might be time to shop around and find a policy that actually works for you.
And if you want to know which insurers are actually keeping their customers happy, check out the 2026 Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards, where we asked more than 1,000 Aussies to rate their insurers on claims experience, value for money and overall satisfaction.
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