QBE is a reputable car insurer and has won awards for its green initiatives and customer service. However, it is more expensive than many of its competitors.
QBE's comprehensive policy includes a new car replacement if yours is written off within the first 3 years of its registration and has been driven less than 60,000km. This is better than other insurers that typically cap this benefit at 2 years or 40,000km.
In our research of 37 providers, QBE's comprehensive policy was one of the top 3 most expensive on average.
For an expensive policy, its inclusions are average. For example, it does not include roadside assistance. This would cost an additional $100 per year. Youi on the other hand does include roadside assistance and is cheaper on average.
QBE's product disclosure statement (PDS) includes vague details around policy limits, such as "reasonable costs". This makes it difficult to understand what monetary limits actually apply to certain benefits in the policy including towing and storage costs.
Green Insurer of the Year 2023
QBE is also our Finder Green Awards winner this year. A portion of your premiums go towards a social or environmental cause and it's on target to be a net-zero emissions organisation by 2030.
How does QBE compare with other car insurers?
As part of our 2023 Car Insurance Awards, we compared 640 features and got 1,000+ quotes across 37 comprehensive car insurance policies. Here's how QBE performed next to other popular insurers.
Features
QBE's comprehensive policy coverage is very competitive. Its features limits are higher than other insurers. For example, it includes up to $30 million in legal liability cover while most other insurers only cover up to $20 million. It also includes Up to $1,000in personal effects cover while other insurers only cover up to $500 or $750. Limits, exclusions and T&Cs apply. Read the PDS.
We analyse over 100 car insurance products and rate each one on price and features. What we get out the other end is a nice round number between 1 and 10 to help you start comparing.
To make sure we're comparing apples with apples, we collect quotes for 8 different personas, then work out the value of 19 different car insurance features. Our team then does some fancy maths to get the Finder Score, taking both price and features into account.
According to our research, QBE is one of the more expensive providers. On average, a comprehensive policy costs around $2,084. Reputable providers like Budget Direct, Youi, NRMA and Allianz all came in cheaper than this. For some, QBE's extensive features coverage may make it a worthwhile cost – it depends on what your priorities are when looking for a car insurance policy. See below for how QBE's average cost stacks up against other providers.
Each year, our experts and insights team asks Australians to score their car insurance provider. As part of the Car Insurance Customer Satisfaction Awards for 2023, we asked over 5,700 Australians to rate their car insurer on value for money, features and benefits, ease of application and customer service. Of the 15+ insurers scored, these were the top 5. See our methodology for how each provider was scored.
This policy offers the highest level of protection available from QBE. Cover includes:
Accident damage, fire and theft.
3-year new car replacement.
Hire car after an accident where you're not at fault.
Lifetime repair guarantee.
Up to $30,000,000 for damage to other people's property.
Under this policy, your car is covered for the following:
Up to $30,000,000 for damage to other people's property.
for damage caused by an uninsured driver.
Cover for a change of car with cover automatically shifting to your new car for up to 14 days.
You can upgrade your policy to include cover for fire and theft. The maximum QBE will cover your car for under this policy is $10,000.
What additional cover options are available?
Hire car – extra: A hire car for other incidents where the claim has been accepted. It's worth noting, a hire car following a not-at-fault accident is already covered as standard so this benefit refers to other circumstances where a hire car is needed.
No excess windscreen cover: If your windscreen needs to be replaced then you won't need to pay an excess under this option. The standard inclusion for "no excess windscreen repair" may only be valid if the windscreen can be repaired, not if it needs replacing.
Choice of repairer: With this optional extra, you can choose where you'd like your car to be repaired in the event of a claimable incident.
FAQs about QBE car insurance
QBE clearly lays out all exclusions in its PDS. Be sure to read this to understand what you're not covered for or what it will not pay a claim for.
There are 4 different types of car insurance excesses in QBE's comprehensive policy:
Basic excess
Age excess
Additional policy excess
Additional driver excess
To best understand how each of them works, refer to the PDS or contact QBE for any specific questions.
You can either lodge your claim online or call QBE on 133 723. It will let you know what kind of documentation is needed to complete the claim.
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
James Martin was the insurance editor at Finder. He has written on a range of insurance and finance topics for over 7 years. James often shares his insurance expertise as a media spokesperson and has appeared on Prime 7 News, WIN News, Insurance News, 7NEWS and The Guardian. He holds a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification, both of which meet the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio
James's expertise
James has written 212 Finder guides across topics including:
Car insurance cover notes are no longer available in Australia. Read on to learn why and what your alternatives are.
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