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As part of Direct Line Group, Direct Line is one of the biggest car insurance providers in the country.
Established in 1985, it has four main policies: Third party, fire and theft, Essentials, Comprehensive, and Comprehensive Plus.
Yet if you want to compare Direct Line car insurance quotes, you’ll have to do so directly, as the provider isn’t on price comparison websites.
Read on for our Direct Line car insurance review, including what cover it offers, how it compares to its competitors, and what its customers think of its service.
Direct Line offers four main levels of cover, alongside a number of specialist policies for different driving profiles.
With Direct Line’s third party, fire and theft insurance, your cover will include:
This means you cannot claim for any repairs to your own car if you are in an accident.
Direct Line Essentials if the first of the provider’s three comprehensive insurance policies. It includes:
With Direct Line Comprehensive cover, you’ll have everything included in the Essentials policy, as well as:
Everything at the Essentials and Comprehensive cover is included in Direct Line Comprehensive Plus, alongside:
As well as the main policies above, Direct Line also offers:
Third party, fire and theft | Essentials | Comprehensive | Comprehensive Plus | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Age range | All | All | All | All |
Level of cover | Third party, fire and theft | Comprehensive | Comprehensive | Comprehensive |
Injuries to other people | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Damage to other people’s property | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Theft | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Fire damage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Repairs to your own car following accident | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Motor legal protection | Optional | Optional | Optional | Yes |
Your medical expenses | No | Up to £200 for medical expenses. Up to £5,000 personal accident cover | Up to £200 for medical expenses. Up to £5,000 personal accident cover | Up to £400 for medical expenses. Up to £10,000 personal accident cover |
Driving other cars | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Breakdown cover | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
Courtesy car cover | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Hire car cover | No | Optional | Yes | Yes |
Windscreen replacement | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Personal belongings | No | No | Up to £250 | Up to £500 |
Replacement locks and keys | No | No (but up to £1,000 for theft of car keys) | Up to £1,000 | Up to £1,000 |
Protected no-claims bonus | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
Cancellation fee | Free (within 14-day cooling off period). £48.16 (after 14 days) | Free (within 14-day cooling off period). £48.16 (after 14 days) | Free (within 14-day cooling off period). £48.16 (after 14 days) | Free (within 14-day cooling off period). £48.16 (after 14 days) |
You can add the following optional extras to your Direct Line car insurance policy:
If you need to make a car insurance claim through Direct Line, you should complete the following steps:
If you want to cancel your Direct Line car insurance policy, you will need to get in touch with the provider.
If you cancel your cover before the policy begins, you will receive a full refund. If it is within the 14-day cooling-off period, you’ll pay for the time you’ve had, and get a refund for the rest of the premium. Any cancellations after that will see you refunded for the time you have left on the premium, minus an administration fee.
Cancellation period | Fee |
---|---|
Within 14 days of your policy start date | £0 |
After 14 days, or if Direct Line needs to cancel your policy | £48.16 |
If you need to contact Direct Line for any reason aside from making a claim, you can do so on the following:
Direct Line has an ‘Average’ Trustpilot rating of 3.7 out of five, based on more than 16,600 reviews.
It’s important to note, however, that these reviews are for the Direct Line brand as a whole, and not just its car insurance products.
Of the five star reviews that mention car insurance, Direct Line is praised for the smooth manner in which it deals with claims. Similarly, there was praise for its over the phone customer service, whether it was negotiating a better quote, or helping people find the right level of cover for their needs.
However, the negative reviews repeatedly mention high renewal quotes for loyal customers that are only reduced once challenged.
“Very straightforward to make a claim. Very efficiently dealt with. Kept informed at all stages of the process through [the] repair company and hire car company. Excellent service – very impressed.”
“Car insurance claim with Direct Line. Has always been [a] smooth experience from repair to courtesy car. No dramas or complexities, and [the] online process made it straightforward. Although [I] did have to phone for [the] odd query, but again always smooth.”
“As a ‘valued’ customer I don’t understand why: 1. The renewal rate is often higher than that of a first-time customer. 2. They can literally reduce your renewal price by a 1/3 if you call them/ speak to them on chat to say you are leaving. Just treat your ‘valued/ loyal’ customers right [the] first time and it will save a whole lot of money and time for both parties. The only reason I stay with Direct Line is because they cover car seats to full value in the case of an accident.”
While its Trustpilot score might be average, Direct Line has a number of positively reviewed policies on Defaqto, including:
Provider name | Trustpilot score | Defaqto score |
---|---|---|
Direct Line | 3.7 stars | 5 stars (3 stars for Third party, fire and theft and Essentials) |
People’s Choice | 1.4 stars | 5 stars (4 stars for third party, fire and theft) |
Hastings Direct | 4.1 stars | 5 stars (4 stars for Third party, fire and theft, 3 stars for Telematics, 2 stars for Essential) |
Admiral Insurance | 4.4 stars | 5 stars (4 stars for Telematics, 3 stars for Essential) |
Aviva | 4.0 stars | 5 stars (3 stars for Third party, fire and theft) |
AXA | 4.3 stars | 4 stars (5 stars for Plus) |
LV= | 4.5 stars | 5 stars (3 stars for Third party, fire and theft) |
esure | 3.2 stars | 5 stars (4 stars for Third party, fire and theft) |
Ageas | 4.1 stars | 5 stars (3 stars for Essentials, and Telematics) |
NFU Mutual | 4.4 stars | 5 stars |
All scores are correct as of 4 December 2023.
Praised online for its efficiency when dealing with claims, Direct Line’s Comprehensive and Comprehensive Plus policies seem the pick of the bunch, with both receiving five stars from Defaqto.
The Fair Claim Commitment is one of the standout features of those policies, protecting your no-claims bonus in the event of certain incidents without you needing to purchase a specific add-on. You’ll also receive hire car cover with both policies, rather than standard courtesy car cover.
The Third party, fire and theft and Essentials policies are less recommended, but still each receive three stars from Defaqto.
However, you won’t find Direct Line on price comparison websites. So if you want to compare its car insurance quotes with other providers, you’ll need to do this manually.
Direct Line car insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited.
Direct Line and Churchill, alongside other providers such as Green Flag, are owned by Direct Line Group PLC.
One key difference between Direct Line and Churchill is that Churchill appears on some price comparison websites, while Direct Line does not.
Connor Campbell is an experienced personal and business finance writer who has been producing online content for almost a decade.
Connor is the personal finance expert for Independent Advisor, guiding readers through everything they need to know about car insurance and home insurance. From how much it costs to the best insurance providers in the UK, he’s here to help you find the right policy for your needs.
In his capacity as writer and spokesperson at NerdWallet, Connor explored a number of topics close to his heart, such as the impact of our increasingly cashless society, and the hardships and heroics of British entrepreneurs. His commentary was featured in sites such as The Mirror, the Daily Express and Business Insider.
At financial trading firm Spreadex, meanwhile, his market commentary was featured in outlets such as The Guardian, BBC, Reuters and the Evening Standard.
Connor is a voracious reader with an MA in English, and is dedicated to making life’s financial decisions a little bit easier by doing away with jargon and needless complexity.
Amy is a seasoned writer and editor with a special interest in home design, sustainable technology and green building methods.
She has interviewed hundreds of self-builders, extenders and renovators about their journeys towards individual, well-considered homes, as well as architects and industry experts during her five years working as Assistant Editor at Homebuilding & Renovating, part of Future plc.
The Independent Advisor brand is operated by 3S Media International Limited. 3S Media International Ltd is an introducer appointed representative of Moneysupermarket.com Financial Group Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA FRN 303190).