Direct Line car insurance review

What does Direct Line car insurance offer?

Direct Line has been one of the biggest names in car insurance since it was launched as the first telephone insurance provider in 1985.

It's part of Direct Line Group, along with Churchill and Privilege, and its policy is underwritten by UK Insurance Ltd.

Direct Line offers three comprehensive policies ‒ Comprehensive, Comprehensive Plus and, more recently, Essentials.

• Find out more: how to find cheap car insurance

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Does Direct Line offer the best car insurance?

Here's how Direct Line scored in our latest survey:

• 65% customer score, placing it joint 7th out of 27 insurers we had customer scores for.
• 68% policy score on its standard policy, making it 9th out of 28 providers we reviewed.
• 67% claims score, so it was joint 7th out of 25 insurers we had customer scores for.

See how this compares with the best car insurance.

How good are Direct Line's car insurance policies?

Both Direct Line's standard Comprehensive policy and its Comprehensive Plus policy made the grade as Best Buys in our analysis.

The standard policy achieved a score of 68%, which is towards the top end of our table of 61 policies. 

It includes a courtesy car as standard, with guaranteed availability during repairs and if your car is stolen or written off (for up to 21 days). 

One area where it did less well was cover for medical expenses, with a comparatively low £200 limit.

Fair claims commitment

The Comprehensive and Plus policies also come with a 'fair claims commitment', which means your no-claims discount won't be affected by a claim for potholes or poor road maintenance, theft from or of your car, being hit while parked, floor damage, if you hit or are hit by an animal, or are hit by an object or debris (excluding vehicles).

Comprehensive Plus and Essentials policies

With a score of 72%, Direct Line's Comprehensive Plus policy was in the top fifth of policies we reviewed and was also a Best Buy.

Its more streamlined Essentials policy scored 55% in our analysis, placing it in the bottom fifth of our table. This policy ditches features such as new car replacement (a pledge to provide a like-for-like replacement for your car if it's less than a year old and is stolen or written off), the fair claim commitment, and cover for getting you to your destination if an accident disrupts your journey. 

Direct Line: key cover areas rated

How did customers rate Direct Line's car insurance?

We asked Direct Line customers who've recently made a claim how they felt about their car insurance.

Direct Line got a 65% score in our customer satisfaction survey, which was above average. It was joint seventh out of 27 providers.

Customers were also asked to rate their most recent claim. Direct Line performed reasonably with a score of 67%, which places it joint eighth out of the 25 companies we scored.  

Here's how customers rated Direct Line in various areas of service:

How can you save money on Direct Line car insurance?

You'll need to put a little work in to save on Direct Line car insurance as it's not on comparison sites.

You're best off looking for quotes on comparison sites from other insurers, then approaching Direct Line for a quote. Start with its website, which is likely to be cheaper than a quote over the phone. If Direct Line's online quote is slightly higher than competitors, call and use your other quotes to haggle down the price.

Direct Line offers a discount if you insure multiple cars with it, but the size of this discount varies. It also offers discounts to customers who buy car and home insurance.

Above information correct as of December 2023.

Direct Line: how can I claim?

If you need to make a claim with Direct Line car insurance, call 0345 246 8811, or you can start the process online.

You'll need your policy number and documents, your vehicle registration number and your crime reference number if applicable.

• Find out more: is it worth claiming on your car insurance?

Direct Line FAQs

Is there a free phone number for Direct Line?

No. The numbers listed on Direct Line's website are subject to varying call charges. The general enquiries number is 0345 878 5155.

Who owns Direct Line insurance?

Direct Line is part of Direct Line Group, which also owns Churchill, Privilege and Darwin, among other brands. 

Is Direct Line insurance cheaper?

Car insurers offer 'personalised pricing', meaning each customer pays a different premium depending on the insurer's interest in competing for their custom and its view of their level of risk. Consequently, an insurer that's offering comparatively cheap quotes to you might be exorbitantly expensive to someone else shopping for cover. The only way to ensure you're getting the best possible deal is to shop around.

Find out how Direct Line rates for other products

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