The AA car insurance review

Most well-known as a breakdown services provider, the AA also sells car, home and travel insurance

It offers three main policies – Silver, Gold and Platinum – though you get slightly better levels of cover if you're an AA member.

The provider also has a sub-brand called 'BEAM by the AA', which sells policies exclusively through comparison websites. 

The AA's policies are underwritten by a panel of insurers. This comprises of AA Underwriting Insurance Company Limited, Ageas, Aviva, Covea, LV, Premier, Prestige and Watford Insurance Company.

To take out an AA car insurance policy, you must be aged between 17 and 99.

Please note that the information in this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular terms and conditions of an insurer before committing to any financial products.

Does the AA offer the best car insurance?

Here's how the AA scored in our latest car insurance survey:

• 63% customer score – joint 12th out of 19 providers with a customer score
  
• 65% policy score on its standard policy – 15th out of the 31 providers we reviewed
• 63% claims score – joint 9th out of the 19 providers with a claims score

See how this compares with the best car insurance.

What does the AA car insurance offer?

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This insurer isn't available on Confused.com, but you can get quotes from other insurers and compare the cheapest with our reviews.

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How good are the AA's car insurance policies?

The AA's standard policy (Gold) was in the top half of our tables.

We gave it a score of 65% – decently above the average score of 61% and in the top 40% of policies rated. If you're an AA member, some added extras – such as additional cover for audio equipment, sat navs and personal possessions – nudged the Gold policy's score up to 66%. 

Unfortunately, the AA's unimpressive customer score meant its policies couldn't be Which? Best Buys.

If you use a repairer that's not part of the insurer's approved network, you'll typically need to pay an extra excess. However, this isn't the case with the AA's Gold or Platinum policies.

We also liked that if you're stranded due to an accident, the AA's policies include £500 'onward travel' cover to get you to where you need to be, or the same amount towards overnight accommodation if you'll need to stay overnight.

The policies didn't do so well in our analysis for admin fees, with £28 charged to set up and renew your policy and £58.50 if you cancel early.

No-claims discount for other drivers

With many policies only the main driver (the person who uses the car the most) can earn a no-claims discount (NCD). This can leave you at a disadvantage if you share a car as a named driver, but don't have your own separate policy.

The AA's policies allow named drivers to build their separate NCD, which is fairly uncommon. However, if you build NCD, it will only be useable if you later take out an AA policy yourself and you can't take it with you to other insurance providers.

Silver, Platinum, Beam, and AA member policies

We gave the AA's Platinum policy a score of 67% (and 68% for the slightly better AA member-only version) – both reasonably close to the top of our tables.

Its less comprehensive Silver policy earned a middling 62% (just above the 61% average).

Beam - an AA brand that's only available through comparison websites and promises 'simple, good quality cover, and additional extras if you need a bit more' - was between Silver and Gold in our tables, scoring 63%.

How did customers rate the AA's car insurance?

We asked the AA's customers who have recently made a claim how they felt about their car insurance.

AA's car insurance earned a middling score of 63%, a little below the average score of 66% and 12th of 19 providers rated. 

Customers were also asked to rate their most recent claim. The AA again received a score of 63%, about average and joint 9th of 19 companies we scored.  

Here's how customers rated the AA in various areas of service:

How can you save money on the AA car insurance?

The AA's policies are available on the following price comparison sites:

• Compare the market
• Confused.com
• GoCompare
• MoneySuperMarket

If you're considering taking out an AA policy, it's worth checking how much it costs through different comparison sites or directly, as different amounts of commission can be charged through each, affecting the price.

If you're an AA member, you may get a discount on your insurance.

Above information correct as of December 2024.

How does The AA compare with other providers?

The AA sits in the lower half of the rankings, with a customer score of 63% and a claims score of 63%. 

Its policy scores 65%, placing it below Direct Line (67%) and Esure (67%), and well behind the highest-rated policies from Allianz and LV, which both score 77%.

The AA: how can you claim?

You can make a claim with the AA either through its website or by calling 0330 053 0322.

If you're a Beam customer, call 0330 041 3689.

• Find out more: is it worth claiming on your car insurance?

Find out how the AA rates for other products

• AA home insurance review