Free windscreen replacement insurance

Free windscreen replacement can be added to your car insurance policy. Read on for more details.

Car Insurance

Car insurance and free windscreen replacement

When you take out a comprehensive car insurance policy, you'll have the option to add 'free windscreen replacement' or 'reduced excess windscreen repair' — or something to that effect anyway.

Essentially, this means that if you need to make a claim for windscreen damage, you can do this without having to pay your standard excess which is typically quite high at $800+. Each insurer may offer something different but there's three main options to choose from.

Number 1

Excess free windscreen replacement

This means that you won't have to pay any excess when you make a claim for windscreen damage. You can usually make 1 or 2 of these claims per policy year.

Number 2

Reduced excess windscreen replacement

Some insurers won't offer 'excess free' replacement, but they'll offer a reduced excess option instead. This means you can pay a reduced excess when you need to make a claim for windscreen damage, rather than paying your full standard excess. What that 'reduced excess' looks like will be agreed upon with your insurer but it's usually around the $50 mark.

Number 3

Excess free windscreen repair

The wording here is very important. This means that if your windscreen is damaged and can be repaired then you won't need to pay any excess for this work. But if your windscreen needs to be replaced then an excess would apply. No excess windscreen repair usually exists as an included feature of a comprehensive policy and it exists alongside the option to have a reduced excess for windscreen replacement. So the option to have a reduced windscreen if the event a replacement is needed is still available for you to add to your policy.

Case study: Tiffany's experience

Tiffany McPherson's headshot

"Every day I commute to work via the train so I park in a big commuter carpark. One day I got off the train and found that my car windscreen had been smashed in. Luckily, I had included the excess free windscreen replacement option on my comprehensive car insurance so I was able to get it repaired without costing me a cent. The process was super easy and I was back on the road in no time. I've been really thanking myself for not stinging on cover!"

Tiffany McPherson
car owner

Does car insurance cover my windscreen if I haven't opted for windscreen cover?

In short, yes. If you have comprehensive car insurance then you're covered for accidental damage to your car, which includes your windscreen.

To make a claim for windscreen damage though, you'd have to pay your standard excess. Depending on how bad your windscreen damage is, this excess is often more expensive than the cost to repair/replace the windscreen and therefore, not worth making a claim for. I'd suggest getting a few quotes for repairs yourself and seeing if they come out more or less expensive than your excess.

How much does a windscreen cost to replace?

The cost of a replacement windscreen can vary widely. You can expect to pay anywhere from $250 to $400 for common cars like a Holden Commodore or Toyota Corolla. There are plenty of aftermarket windscreens for those models on the market and the labour is pretty straightforward.

However, windscreens for some models are harder to come by or are equipped with specialised sensors. This means you'll end up paying up to $1,000 or more. For example, some newer cars have automatic rain sensors that activate your wipers when they sense rain.

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Our expert says

"Reduced excess windscreen cover is a non-negotiable for me when it comes to car insurance. It only costs an extra $50 or so every year but it has the capacity to save me hundreds. I won't miss the $50 it costs to add it on but I would miss the peace of mind it brings me every time a rock flies out of a truck and onto my windscreen while travelling on the highway. It's a no brainer for me."

Publisher of Insurance

Compare car insurance with windscreen cover

All the policies below either include windscreen replacement/repairs as standard or can have the feature added as an optional extra.

1 - 10 of 70
Product Finder Score Roadside Assistance Accidental damage Agreed or Market Value
Finder Score
Agreed or Market
Summary: A great value policy with exceptional customer service. Youi won the 2024 Finder Award for Customer Satisfaction. It scored highly for features and benefits, customer service and reliability. It also automatically includes roadside assistance in its price - a feature that typically costs upwards of $90 per year.
Finder Score
Agreed
Summary: One of the most cost-effective insurers for under 25s, according to Finder research, with no aged-based excess.

⭐ Current offer: Get 10% off the base premium for the first 2 consecutive monthly policies and up to a 15% potential monthly discount from your 3rd month for being a safer driver. Minimum premiums may apply. T&Cs apply. Learn More.

Who it might be good for: Young drivers looking to keep costs down and anyone who’d like to get more flexibility from their car insurance.
Finder Score
Optional
Agreed or Market
Summary: The 2024 winner of our Best Value Car Insurance award. It's cheaper than most, plus you can lower costs by adding age restrictions.

⭐ Current offer: 15% off your first year's premium when you take out a policy online. T&Cs apply.

Who it might be good for: Anyone who wants a good value policy.
Coles logo
Finder Score
Optional
Agreed or Market
Summary: Coles Comprehensive Car Insurance includes the benefits you'd expect, plus features like grocery replacement (up to $200 if damaged or stolen. T&C's apply).

⭐ Current offer: Get up to $50 off a Coles shop every month for 12 months with free Coles Plus Saver when you take out a new Comprehensive Car Insurance Policy & link your Flybuys. Offer ends 31.08.25.

Who it might be good for: Those who want great quality cover and more rewards with Flybuys.
QBE Comprehensive
Green Company
QBE logo
Finder Score
Agreed or Market
Summary: Finder's best-rated Car Insurer for Customer Satisfaction in 2021/2022 and Green Insurer for the last 3 years.

⭐ Current offer: Save $75 when you purchase a new comprehensive policy online. T&Cs apply.

Who it might be good for: Those who want a trustworthy insurer and more cover than other brands, such as 3-year new car replacement (e.g. they'll give you money for a new car for up to 3 years if yours is written off).
Qantas Car Insurance logo
Finder Score
Optional
Agreed or Market
Summary: You need car insurance so why not get one that lets you earn Qantas Points? It's good value too (it's underwritten by the same insurer as Budget Direct).

⭐ Current offer: Earn up to 40,000 Qantas Points with every car insured by 28 May. Plus save 15% on your 1st year’s premium when you purchase online. T&Cs apply.

Who it might be good for: People who want more bang for their buck with Qantas Points.
Bingle logo
Finder Score
Market
Summary: Our data shows it’s the cheapest comprehensive policy. It just covers the basics such as damage to your car, theft and storms – it doesn’t go in for add-ons and extras.

Who it might be good for: Those wanting a low-cost, no-frills policy.
Real logo
Finder Score
Optional
Agreed
Summary: Real Comprehensive Car Insurance provides similar coverage to other insurers for the important stuff like looking after your car if it's stolen or you crash. It's also one of the few insurers who offer a Pay As You Drive policy, so you might be able to save big if you don't drive much.

Who it might be good for: Those that don't drive much can take advantage of its Pay As You Drive policy.
Huddle logo
Finder Score
Optional
Agreed or Market
Summary: Huddle's comprehensive policy will cover you if your vehicle is damaged or lost as a result of a collision, a natural event, a malicious act, theft or fire. It also includes up to $500 for essential repairs.

Who it might be good for: Someone who drives less than 15,000 km a year can opt for Pay As You Drive cover.
Australian Seniors logo
Finder Score
Not yet rated
Optional
Agreed
Save 5% on your first year's car insurance premium by holding a valid Seniors Card. T&Cs apply.
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Finder Score for car insurance

We analyse over 80 car insurance products and rate each one on price and features. What we get out the other end is a nice round number out of 10 to help you start comparing.

To make sure we're comparing apples with apples, we collect quotes for 8 different personas and analyse different car insurance features. Our team then does some fancy maths to get the Finder Score, taking both price and features into account. We analyse comprehensive, third party fire and theft and third party property damage products individually.

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FAQs

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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Peta Taylor as part of our fact-checking process.
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Written by

Publisher of Insurance

Peta Taylor is a publisher at Finder, working across all of insurance. She's been analysing product disclosure statements and publishing articles for over 2 years. Peta is passionate about demystifying complex insurance products to help users make well educated decisions with confidence. Peta is part of Finder's insurance awards team and works alongside editorial and insights experts to bring users the best insurance products every year. See full bio

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