Windscreen excess in car insurance

Reduced windscreen and window glass excess cover is typically an optional extra available on comprehensive car insurance policies, although it can sometimes be a standard inclusion of comprehensive cover. It lowers or completely waives the excess if you need to make a claim for damage to your car windows or windscreen.

If something damages your car windscreen or window glass, repair costs are covered by car insurance, as long as the cause is listed in the policy (e.g. storm or accidental damage). Usually, you have to pay an excess when making an insurance claim – but this might be waived or reduced with windscreen excess cover.

Some providers may still charge an excess, but a lower amount than it would be without this cover. This benefit is sometimes called windscreen excess reduction. Other insurance providers offer excess-free windscreen replacement but may only do this once a year or limit it to just the front or back windscreen. This feature is generally known as excess-free windscreen replacement.

It’s important to note that window glass and windscreen cover may not cover all glass parts of your vehicle. While specific policies may differ, excess-free windscreen replacement generally applies to:

• Front windscreens
• Side windows
• Rear windows
• Window glass seals.

Those glass components which generally aren’t covered by this kind of insurance (depending on the policy and provider) can include:

• Sunroofs and moonroofs
• Headlight and indicator casing
• Side- and rear-view mirrors
• Infotainment display screens.

It’s important that you always read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before purchasing a policy, so you know exactly what you’re covered for as well as the policy limits, exclusions, terms and conditions. Also read the Target Market Determination (TMD) to ensure the policy is right for you.

There are a couple of reasons why you should consider getting windscreen cover through your car insurance policy if you aren’t already covered:

• It can be illegal to drive with a damaged windscreen in Australia (depending on the size of the damage and the laws in your state or territory).
• Small chips and cracks don’t cost much to repair, but if left unrepaired they can expand and become a much more expensive problem to fix.
• Replacing modern car windscreens that have sensors can be quite expensive, so removing or reducing the excess for those claims can be a big help.
• Adding windscreen cover to your car insurance can help take the financial stress out of repairing a damaged windscreen or car window.

Aside from some comprehensive car insurance policies, most other levels of policies don’t cover damage to your windscreens unless it was caused by an insured event.

For example, Third Party Fire and Theft will cover a damaged windscreen if it was caused by a fire, theft or attempted theft. However, excess reduction options generally aren’t available in this level of car insurance. Third Party Property Damage, on the other hand, may not cover your car’s window damage at all.

Your broken windscreen could also be fixed by your provider’s roadside assistance team, subject to the terms of your policy. Just keep in mind that you might not be able to make an excess free windscreen claim for this. Make sure you read the PDS and contact your provider if you have queries.

If your car windscreen or windows are damaged, you should contact your provider to lodge a claim. Many insurance providers have their own network of repairers they work with, and your insurer will help you organise a windscreen repairer to fix the issue.

It’s important that you act quickly when your car windscreen or windows are damaged, even if it’s just a small chip. These little chips and cracks can quickly become bigger if not repaired soon after they appear.

Cracks, chips and scratches on your windscreen may render your car unroadworthy, and it’s illegal to drive an unroadworthy car. A damaged windscreen can impede your vision and is a structural weakness, so it’s important to take swift action to ensure your car is legal and safe.

Most insurance providers will use their own network of repairers, technicians and glaziers to repair or replace your car’s windscreen and windows. This means you may have no choice of repairer, or a limited choice from the insurance provider’s network.

However, some providers do let you choose your own repairer, either as standard for your policy or as an optional extra when signing up. Contact your provider to check if you can choose your glass repairer.

Generally speaking, you may lose your NCD or bonus if you make any sort of claim, even if you have the windscreen excess reduction option. However, some insurance providers may let you keep your NCD after making a claim for damaged windscreens and windows.

You can contact your provider to clarify whether this type of claim would remove your NCD or whether you can maintain your NCD after claiming with windscreen excess reduction cover.

Generally speaking, the more complex your windscreen, the more expensive it will be to repair if it’s chipped or broken. However, the cost of a windscreen repair can vary depending on numerous factors, including:

• Your location
• Car make and model
• Glass type and brand
• Advance Driver Assistance (ADAS) technology
• Repairer costs
• Warranty status
• Insurance level.

For a better idea of how much it’ll cost to repair your car’s windscreen, it’s worth getting a quote from a windscreen repair professional.

You might have some different options available to you if your windscreen gets chipped and needs repairs.

If multiple areas of your car are damaged by an insured event (e.g. accident or fire), in addition to the windscreen, you can lodge a car insurance claim as normal and pay just the basic excess. Excess-free windscreen claims are mostly only available when it’s just the windscreen or windows that are damaged.

If the damage wasn’t caused by an insured event, you have the option to organise and pay for repairs out of pocket instead of lodging an insurance claim. You can still make a claim if you want, but if it’s accepted, you’ll have to pay the full excess applicable to your policy if you don’t have windscreen excess cover.