Courtesy car or replacement car: what's the difference?
A courtesy car comes from your own insurance policy: usually a small car, lent while your car is repaired at your insurer's approved garage, and only if your policy includes one. A replacement car, often called like-for-like, is a car similar to your own, and when the accident wasn't your fault its cost is claimed from the at-fault driver's insurer, not yours. Who was to blame usually decides which one you get.
People use the two names as if they mean the same thing, and on the phone after an accident nobody stops to explain. At Newbridge Accident Repair Centre we arrange both, depending on whose fault the accident was.
Courtesy car vs replacement car, side by side
| Courtesy car | Replacement car | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it comes from | Your own policy, if it includes one | Claimed from the at-fault driver's insurer |
| What you get | Usually a small hatchback | A car similar in size and type to yours |
| When you get it | While your car is with the approved repairer, subject to availability | While your car is off the road after a non-fault accident |
| If your car is written off | Usually stops | Usually carries on for a reasonable period while the claim settles |
| Who pays for it | Included in your policy; you pay for fuel | The at-fault driver's insurer |
What a courtesy car really is
It's a perk of the policy, there to keep you moving while your insurer's chosen garage fixes your car, and the terms reflect that. On most policies the courtesy car:
- is a small car, whatever you normally drive
- comes through the insurer's approved repairer, so using your own bodyshop can mean going without
- is "subject to availability", which in practice can mean a wait
- comes with its own rules on fuel, mileage and who's allowed to drive it
Some insurers sell an add-on that guarantees a hire car, sometimes a bigger one, and some of those keep going if the car is stolen or written off. Look at your policy schedule to see whether you've got it. If it isn't listed, assume you have the basic version.
Why a replacement car is different
When someone else causes the accident, their insurer is responsible for putting you back, as near as money can, where you were before it happened. If you need a car day to day, that includes the use of a reasonable equivalent while yours is off the road. A family with a seven-seater for the school run isn't put back where they were by a small hatchback.
It has to be reasonable, though. You have to genuinely need a car, and the replacement should be comparable to yours, not an upgrade.
You'll usually sign a hire agreement when you collect it. Read it. Ask what happens if the other driver's insurer disputes liability, and whether you could end up responsible for any of the hire charges. Get a straight answer before you sign.
When you might get neither
It does happen. If the accident was your fault and your policy has no courtesy car cover, your insurer won't provide one. If your car is written off under your own policy, most basic courtesy car cover ends when the insurer declares it a total loss. And on a fault claim, choosing your own repairer can mean losing the courtesy car, which we cover in can my insurer choose where my car is repaired?
If it looks as though your car might not be repaired at all, is my car a write-off? explains how insurers decide and what happens next.
Questions to ask before you take the keys
- Who insures it, and what's the excess if it gets damaged?
- Can the other drivers on my policy use it?
- Is there a mileage limit, or anywhere I can't take it?
- What fuel level should it come back with?
- Will a child seat or a dog crate fit?
- What happens if my repair runs over?
Walk round the car before you drive away and photograph any marks already on it, the same as you would with any hire car.
Courtesy and replacement cars from Newbridge
If someone else caused the accident, we can handle it as a non-fault accident claim and arrange a replacement similar to your own car, which costs you nothing, while yours is in the workshop. If it was your fault, your insurer may provide a courtesy car. If it won't, we may have a car from our own fleet to lend you. More on how we handle fault repairs is on our accident repairs page.
Ring before you agree anything with an insurer and we'll tell you which applies: our bodyshop in Basildon on 01268 590 722, our bodyshop in Dartford on 01322 930 719 or our bodyshop in Sydenham on 020 8659 2221. You can also get a repair estimate online first, and read our Google reviews from Basildon customers.
Questions
01Is a courtesy car free to use?
The car itself is normally free, because it's part of your policy. You'll usually pay for fuel, and for any charges you pick up while you have it, such as a parking fine or the Dart Charge if you use the Dartford Crossing. Check the paperwork for a mileage limit, and for what you'd owe if the car gets damaged.
02Can I ask for a bigger courtesy car?
Not usually under a standard policy. Courtesy cars are normally small hatchbacks and you get whatever's available. Some insurers sell an add-on for a guaranteed or larger hire car, so check your policy schedule. If the accident wasn't your fault, your position is different: the replacement should be similar to the car you've lost the use of.
03Can I use taxis or trains instead of a replacement car?
Yes. If you don't need a car, or would rather not drive one, reasonable travel costs can usually be claimed from the at-fault driver's insurer as part of a non-fault claim. Keep every receipt and a short note of each trip and why you made it. Talk it through at the start, so whoever is handling the claim knows what you're doing.
04How long can I keep a replacement car?
Until your own car is repaired and back with you, as long as the repair is moving at a reasonable pace. If the car is written off, it's normally for a reasonable period while the claim is valued and settled. Delays caused by parts or by the other insurer aren't your fault, but you may be asked to show you still need the car.
05Does having a courtesy car count as a claim?
No, not in itself. The courtesy car comes as part of the repair claim you've already made, so it doesn't add a separate one. Damaging it is another matter: depending on who insures it, that could mean paying an excess or a further claim. Ask about cover and excess before you drive it away, not after something happens.