The Independent’s journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?

Esure car insurance review

Want cheap car insurance? Compare quotes from over 160 providers
In partnership with

Operating since 2000, Esure is an insurance company with a number of different motor policies, including one that is only offered via price comparison websites. This means it may be an option worth considering when you compare car insurance quotes.

Read on for our Esure car insurance review, including what policies it offers, what they cover, and how its customers feel about its service.

Compare Car Insurance Quotes
Compare quotes from over 160 providers to find the best deal
GET A QUOTE
In partnership with MoneySuperMarket

What car insurance cover is offered by Esure?

Esure offers three main car insurance policies: third party, fire and theft, comprehensive cover, and Esure Flex.

Third party, fire and theft

With Esure third party, fire and theft insurance, you’ll be covered for the following:

  • Injury to other people: if you injure or kill a third party, including passengers, in a motor accident, you’ll have unlimited legal liability cover
  • Damage to someone else’s property: you’ll have cover worth up to £20 million if you damage or destroy someone else’s property in an accident
  • Fire damage: if your car is damaged in a fire, you’ll be able to make a claim
  • Theft: if your car is stolen or damaged during an attempted theft, you’ll be able to make a claim
  • Manufacturer-fitted in-car equipment: you can claim an unlimited amount for any manufacturer-fitted audio, navigation and entertainment systems damaged in an insured event
  • Aftermarket in-car equipment: you can claim up to £1,000 for any in-car equipment damaged as a result of an insured event
  • Child car seats: you can claim up to £100 to replace your child car seats following an insured event, even if if there is no visible damage
  • Stolen car keys: you can claim up to £500 to replace a stolen ignition device, and the associated locks
  • New car replacement: if your car is less than a year old, and you (or your partner) are the first registered keeper, you can get a like-for-like replacement if your vehicle is stolen and not recoverable, or the damage from an insured event exceeds 55 per cent of its UK list price
  • Driving other cars: if eligible, you’ll be able to drive other cars under your Esure policy, with third party only cover
  • Driving abroad: you’ll be able to drive for up to 90 days in the European Union (EU) and select other European countries with the same level of cover you have with Esure

Comprehensive

Esure comprehensive car insurance includes everything found in the third party, fire and theft policy (extended in places to include accidental damage), as well as:

  • Damage to your car: you’ll be able to make a claim if your car is damaged in a motor accident
  • Advanced Driver Assistance Systems: if any of your Advanced Driver Assistance Systems are damaged in an accident, you can claim for them to be recalibrated
  • Windscreen cover: you’ll be able to claim for replacing or repairing your windscreens and window glass
  • Courtesy car: if you take your car to an approved repairer following an accident, you can receive a courtesy car
  • Medical expenses: you can claim up to £300 in medical expenses per injured person following a motor accident
  • Personal accident cover: you’ll have up to £5,000 in personal accident cover
  • Hotel expenses: you can claim up to £250 for the driver, or £500 total for the people in your car, if you need to stay in a hotel overnight following an accident
  • Personal belongings: you can claim for any personal belongings stolen or damaged as a result of an insured event, up to the limit dictated by your policy (exclusions apply)
  • Uninsured driver promise: if you’re in a non-fault accident with an uninsured driver, you won’t have to pay your excess
  • Vandalism promise: if your car is vandalised, your no-claims bonus won’t be affected as long as you report it to the police and provide Esure with the crime reference number

Esure Flex

Esure Flex is a comprehensive car insurance policy only available through price comparison websites. It is also digital-only, meaning you’ll only be able to make changes and contact customer service online. 

It differs from Esure’s standard comprehensive policy in the following ways:

  • Lower medical expenses limit: you’ll only be able to claim up to £100 per injured person
  • Lower personal accident cover limit: you’ll only be able to claim up to £2,500
  • No personal belongings cover: you won’t be able to claim for any lost or damaged personal belongings with Esure Flex
  • No replacement keys and locks cover: you won’t be able to claim for any lost or stolen keys (unless you take out optional key cover)
  • No aftermarket in-car equipment cover: you won’t be able to claim for any in-car equipment fitted after the car was made
  • No hotel expenses: you won’t be able to claim for overnight hotel expenses if you can’t get home following an insured event

Other Esure car insurance policies

You can also take our specific comprehensive electric car insurance with Esure (but not with Esure Flex). 

This includes everything found in the standard comprehensive car insurance policy, as well as:

  • Accidental damage to your car battery, regardless if it is owned or leased
  • Accidental damage to your power cable whilst it is connected to your car
  • Public liability insurance if someone trips over your power cable on a public pathway and injures themselves

Esure car insurance policies at a glance

Third party, fire and theft Comprehensive Esure Flex
Age range All All All
Level of cover Third party, fire and theft Comprehensive Comprehensive
Injuries to other people Yes Yes Yes
Damage to other people’s property Yes Yes Yes
Theft Yes Yes Yes
Fire damage Yes Yes Yes
Repairs to your own car following accident No Yes Yes
Motor legal protection Optional Optional Optional
Your medical expenses No (optional Personal Accident and Medical Expenses Benefits) Up to £300 in medical expenses per injured person; up to £5,000 in personal accident cover Up to £100 in medical expenses per injured person; up to £2,500 in personal accident cover
Driving other cars Yes (if eligible, third party cover only) Yes (if eligible, third party cover only) Yes (if eligible, third party cover only)
Breakdown cover Optional Optional Optional
Courtesy car cover No Yes Yes
Hire car cover Optional Optional Optional
Windscreen replacement No Yes Yes
Personal belongings No Yes No
Replacement locks and keys Up to £500 (theft only) Up to £500 (theft only) Optional
Protected no-claims bonus Optional Optional Optional
Cancellation fee £26 (within 14-day cooling off period); £60 (after 14 days) £26 (within 14-day cooling off period); £60 (after 14 days) £26 (within 14-day cooling off period); £60 (after 14 days)

Esure car insurance optional extras

You can add the following optional extras to your Esure car insurance policy:

  • Motoring legal protection: with motor legal protection, you’ll be able to claim up to £100,000 in legal costs for pursuing a claim, or defending yourself if charged with a motoring offence
  • Breakdown assistance cover: you can choose between three levels of RAC breakdown cover – Roadside, Home and Recovery
  • Personal injury and medical expenses cover: with this increased level of injury cover, you can claim up to £100,000 in personal accident cover. You’ll also be able to claim up to £1,000 in medical expenses for an operation or procedure resulting from an insured event; £200 per night (up to 10 nights) for an overnight hospital stay; up to £750 towards physiotherapy treatment; up to £500 towards cosmetic dental work; and up to £50 towards a consultation to provide evidence of your injury or treatment 
  • Hire car cover: Esure courtesy car cover will only kick-in if your car is damaged in an accident. With optional hire car cover, you’ll also receive a replacement vehicle if your car is stolen or written-off as a total loss. You can have the hire car for up to 21 days
  • Key cover: if your keys are lost, stolen or damaged, you can claim up to £1,500 with additional RAC key cover
  • Misfuelling cover: you’ll be able to claim back costs related to misfuelling your car with this additional cover provided by RAC
  • Protected no-claims bonus: if you choose to protect your no-claims discount at the start of your policy, your bonus won’t be reduced, regardless how many claims you make

How to claim with Esure car insurance

If you need to make a car insurance claim through Esure, you should complete the following steps:

  • Check everyone is safe and secure: this includes you as the driver, your passengers, and any third parties involved in the incident
  • Exchange details: if a third party is involved in the incident, you’ll need to swap details, including your insurance policy number
  • Gather evidence: this includes taking photos and videos of any damage, speaking to witnesses, and making a note of relevant details, such as the time of day and weather conditions
  • Contact Esure: even if you don’t intend to make a claim, you should contact Esure as soon as possible. You can do so through your online account, or by calling the claims helpline on 0345 603 7872 (or +44 141 221 5777 if you are outside the UK)
  • Wait for instructions: once you’ve outlined the claim you’d like to make, Esure will inform you of the next steps

How to cancel Esure car insurance

If you want to cancel your Esure car insurance policy, you’ll need to ring 0345 045 1000.

As long as you haven’t made a claim, you’ll receive a refund for the time remaining on your premium, minus the following fees:

Cancellation period Fee
Within 14 days of your policy start date £26
After 14 days, or if Esure needs to cancel your policy £60

How to contact Esure car insurance

If you need to contact Esure about your car insurance, and your query isn’t related to a claim, you can use:

  • Chatbot: this is available 24/7
  • Live chat: you’ll first need to use the Chatbot before being put through to a specialist within Esure’s operating hours (8am to 8pm Monday to Friday; 9am to 5pm Saturdays; 9am to 2pm Sundays)
  • Phone: 0345 045 1000 (8am to 8pm Monday to Friday; 9am to 5pm Saturdays; 9am to 2pm Sundays)

If you want to make any changes to your policy or payment details, it will cost £26 per alteration.

Esure car insurance customer reviews

Esure has an ‘Average’ Trustpilot score of 3.1 out of five, based on more than 27,600 reviews. This is a much lower rating than most of its competitors.

It is important to note, however, that this score is for Esure as a whole, and not just its motor insurance products. Esure also offers home insurance and travel insurance

Of the five-star reviews that mention car insurance, many praise Esure for the value of its new quotes, and its easy-to-use website. Customers also spoke positively of Esure’s claims team. 

Esure’s more negative reviews, meanwhile, frequently mention high renewal costs – a complaint common of most providers over the last 12 months. Many reviews also mention difficulties with contacting customer service over the phone, as well as complaints about the quality of that service when you finally get through.

icons8-review-96

“Thank you, you were the most reasonably priced car insurance I could find. Especially as the prices for annual car insurance [have] risen so much. It was so easy to apply and get my documents online.”

 

“I have had two car accidents in the last six months. On both occasions I have had efficient, compassionate customer care, keeping me informed about my claims, [and] even delivering both courtesy cars to my place of work. I certainly recommend Esure car insurance.”

 

“My car was a total loss, [and it’s] only then that you realise how good (or poor) an insurance company really is. They are very difficult to get through to (phone and webchat takes one to two hours on hold). You then get inexperienced or overworked staff. I’m still without a car or pay-out cheque five weeks after the accident! Cheap price [equals] cheap service. Don’t fall for their Defaqto rating, I’ll use Trustpilot when deciding next time.”

What Defaqto rating does Esure car insurance have?

Alongside its ‘Average’ Trustpilot score, Esure also has the following ratings from Defaqto:

  • Third party, fire and theft: ★★★★
  • Comprehensive: ★★★★★
  • Flex: ★★★

How does Esure compare to its competitors?

Provider name Trustpilot score Defaqto score
Esure 3.1 stars 5 stars (4 stars for Third party, fire and theft, 3 stars for Flex)
Ageas 4.1 stars 5 stars (3 stars for Essentials)
Axa 4.3 stars 5 stars (3 stars for standard third party, fire and theft and comprehensive car insurance)
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 3.9 stars 5 stars (3 stars for Third party, fire and theft)
LV 4.5 stars 5 stars (3 stars for Third party, fire and theft)
NFU Mutual 4.4 stars 5 stars

Conclusion

While its third party, fire and theft and comprehensive policies have four- and five-star reviews from Defaqto respectively, there are a few ways in which Esure seems to fall short of its peers.

With an ‘Average’ rating of 3.1 out of five, the brand’s Trustpilot score is much lower than most of its competitors. These reviews contain frequent complaints about the quality of its customer service, and how difficult it is to speak to someone over the phone. 

Its Uninsured Driver Promise appears not to include no-claims protection, while its cancellation fees, especially those incurred during the 14-day cooling off period, are very high. It also only offers maximum personal accident cover of £5,000, and you’re not covered for onward travel.

However, Esure’s no-claims bonus protection add-on does allow for unlimited claims, and its comprehensive medical expenses limit is a healthy £300 per injured person.

Frequently asked questions about Esure car insurance

Sheilas’ Wheels is part of the Esure Group, and many of its policies are very similar to those offered by Esure. Esure Group also owns First Alternative, another motor insurance brand.

Esure car insurance is underwritten by Esure Insurance Limited, and arranged and administered by Esure Services Limited.

Connor Campbell

Finance Writer

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.

Molly Dyson

Editor

After growing up with a passion for writing, Molly studied journalism and creative writing at university in her home country of the United States.

She has written for a variety of print and online publications, from small town newspapers to international magazines. Most of her 10-year career since relocating to the UK has been spent in business journalism, writing and editing for admin professionals at PA Life magazine and business travel managers at Business Travel News Europe and representing those titles at conferences around the world.

Now an Editor at the Independent Advisor, Molly is an expert in a broad range of consumer topics, that include solar panels and renewables, home improvements and home insurance, and consumer technology such as home security and VPNs.

In her free time, Molly can usually be found exploring the outdoors with her husband and their young son or gardening.