RACV Comprehensive Car Insurance Review

Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) was founded back in 1903, growing over the past century to become a trusted Australian brand and the largest member organisation in Victoria. At the time of writing, RACV says more than 1 million Victorians are insured with RACV car insurance.

While RACV is only available for registered Victorian drivers–other states have other reciprocal insurance companies, such as RACQ in Queensland–members are covered when travelling Australia-wide.

Additionally, when insured by RACV, members can choose to be insured on either an agreed value or a market value, depending on their preferences.

From the 638 reviews on ProductReview, RACV has received a customer satisfaction rating of only 1.8 stars. Here’s a deeper look into RACV’s Comprehensive Car Insurance policy so you can see if it is right for you.

Related: How to Find the Best Car Insurance for You

If you break down, are broken into, or are involved in an accident, RACV’s Comprehensive Car Insurance offering will get you back on the road, no matter where in Australia you’re driving through.

While there’s a range of car insurance policies available through RACV to suit individual needs and budgets, the RACV website states all of its policies provide the below at a minimum:

• Liability cover up to $20 million for unintentional collision damage to someone else’s vehicle or property when you’re at fault;
• Lifetime guarantee on workmanship of authorised repairs, as long as you’re the owner of the vehicle;
• Automatic cover for vehicle modifications, options and accessories attached to the vehicle; and
• Legal representation up to $10,000 if your vehicle is involved in an incident.

Further inclusions and exclusions to RACV’s Comprehensive Car Insurance policy are explained below.

Break ins, accidents, and after accident care

Accidental damage to your vehicle is covered by RACV. However, if such accidental damage causes you to require a hire car while repairs are completed, you will need to pay for the optional add-on. The hire car add on is limited to $60 per day for a maximum of 14 days.

In terms of after accident care, RACV will cover you if you’re more than 100 kilometres from home by providing both emergency transport and accommodation (with a limit of $1500). Regardless of your distance from home, towing is covered from the incident to the repairer or another safe place as determined by the insurer.

If your car is broken into, RACV will cover personal property up to $500. Baby capsules and child seats are considered separate to personal property, and are also covered for up to $500.

Will RACV replace my car if it’s written off?

Yes, RACV will replace your car if it is written off in an accident, as long as the car was purchased as new or as a demonstrator; has a tare weight of less than 2.5 tonnes; and the incident occurs within the first two years of registration.

Can I choose my own repairer?

For the standard RACV Comprehensive Car Insurance policy, choice of repairer is not included. However, if you wish to use your own repairer, you are able to include this in your policy as an optional add-on.

Is free roadside assistance included?

No, free roadside assistance is not automatically included in your RACV Comprehensive Car Insurance policy. It is available to be purchased separately.

RACV Customer Service (aka How Easy is it to Make a Claim?)

RACV offers its customers a customer service line for enquiries from 7am-11pm every day, including weekends and public holidays. There’s also a separate phone line for claims and another for roadside assistance.

Additionally, RACV has nearly 30 face-to-face stores throughout the state of Victoria for in-person service, and allows its customers to manage their policies via an online portal.

This makes the process of claims a simple one, with numerous options on how to submit the claim. RACV’s website says it takes only 10 minutes to make a claim online, or you can call RACV to complete the process over the phone.

To manage existing claims, pay an excess or follow up on your claim’s process, RACV members can also use the online portal or call the insurance claims hotline.

While roadside assistance and windscreen cover are not automatically included with RACV Comprehensive Car Insurance, they can be added on as additional extras.

In terms of exclusions–being any circumstances that would void a claim–RACV states that intentional acts are not covered, nor is driving unlicensed or under the influence.

It will also void any claims that are made if the vehicle has been used improperly, such as reckless acts, unsafe towing conditions, illegal street racing and so forth.

A comprehensive list of RACV’s exclusions can be found within its PDS for its comprehensive car insurance offering.

Some car insurance providers offer their customers a ‘no claims bonus’, in which they offer discounts for policyholders who do not have a history of making claims. While RACV doesn’t have a specific no claims bonus outlined, it does factor an individual’s claims history into the price of the policy premium.

If you have other policies with RACV, such as home or travel insurance, you can receive a multi-policy discount. Additionally, discounts for continuous years of membership may be available.

RACV does not offer a ‘drive less, pay less’ policy for its members, so if you don’t use your car on a frequent basis, it may not be the best choice for you.