Does Fully Comp Mean Your Windscreen is Covered? Maybe Not

A timely warning from Defaqto on windscreens. The T&Cs are crucial when it comes to claims, so insurers need to spell out exactly what is, and what isn’t, covered in some detail. Maybe it’s time to retire the word “Comprehensive” from insurance docs, as it isn’t an all-encompassing back-up, but rather a specific contract. Many consumers assume Fully Comp means just that – all risks are covered.

Here’s the word;

Changes to windscreen cover in policies including removal from comprehensive products need to be clearly communicated to customers, warns Defaqto. As windscreens become more hi-tech and costly to replace it’s an area which has seen a lot of change for consumers.

Mike Powell, Motor Insurance Expert at Defaqto, said: “As windscreens become increasingly advanced, the cost of replacing them can be as much as £2,500. At the same time, we’ve started to see a number of ‘comprehensive’ motor insurance products remove windscreen cover from their offering.”

Defaqto data shows that the percentage of insurance products that do not offer this benefit has almost tripled since 2020.

“Our concern is that although these products clearly explain that cover is not available, some consumers may simply look at the overall price and not realise that windscreen cover is excluded. In line with Consumer Duty regulation, including being open and honest, it needs to be made clear to customers if windscreen cover is included.”

The cover limit provided for the costs of windscreen replacements has also changed. Five years ago, 69% of comprehensive insurance products would pay out the full costs to replace a windscreen. By 2024 that had reduced to 48%, with just under half of all products now applying a ‘market value’ clause.

Many modern cars have Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) such as emergency brake assist, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping and centering, which are typically controlled by sensors in the windscreen. When a windscreen is replaced, these sensors need to be ‘recalibrated’ so that the ADAS systems continue to work.

The team at Defaqto has been tracking what is stated within insurance providers’ policy documentation to confirm that the costs for a ‘windscreen recalibration’ are covered under the windscreen cover of a comprehensive car insurance policy.

Mike Powell, insurance insight “We look at whether cover is clearly defined with specific wording, is not clearly defined, or if cover is specifically excluded. Back in 2020, 81% of products did not clearly define whether cover was provided or not. Today, there are still around a third of products that do not clearly define this area of cover, so although the market is improving, there are still improvements that could be made to wording to help customers understand clearly what they will be entitled to when it comes to recalibration.”