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Does Car Insurance Cover Theft of Your Car or Personal Items?

When taking out car insurance, you might be wondering if you are covered if your car or personal items are stolen – find out in Savvy's useful guide.

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, updated on February 16th, 2024       

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Car Insurance Banner - Man on the phone after his car is stolen from a car park

Car insurance in Australia comes in various forms, providing drivers with different levels of protection. It is crucial to understand the types of car insurance available and the extent of their coverage, especially when it comes to protecting against theft. This handy guide delves into the different types of car insurance policies in Australia and explores which ones safeguard against theft of your car and personal items.

What are the different types of car insurance in Australia?

In Australia, drivers have the option to choose from three types of optional car insurance, each providing different levels of coverage:

  • Third party property damage (TPPD): TPPD insurance offers the most basic level of coverage, covering the cost of damage your car causes to other people’s property in an accident but not any damage to your own vehicle or any theft-related incidents.
  • Third party fire and theft (TPFT): TPFT insurance provides a higher level of coverage compared to TPPD insurance. In addition to covering damage to other people’s property, TPFT insurance also protects your vehicle against theft and fire-related incidents. However, it does not provide coverage for any other damages to your car resulting from an accident.
  • Comprehensive: comprehensive car insurance offers the most extensive coverage of the three options. It covers damage to your vehicle and other people’s property, including theft, fire and accidents.

Which insurance covers theft of your car?

In Australia, two types of car insurance provide coverage if your car is stolen

  • TPFT insurance: TPFT insurance is a mid-level option that includes coverage for theft of your car and damages caused by fire. If your car is stolen, TPFT insurance can cover the cost of your vehicle up to a certain amount. Depending on the policy, you may also have other benefits, such as a rental car after theft.
  • Comprehensive insurance: comprehensive car insurance offers the highest level of coverage and includes protection against theft of your vehicle. If your car is stolen, comprehensive insurance will typically cover the cost of replacing your vehicle as well as providing other benefits, such as a hire car.

Which insurance covers theft of your personal items?

Comprehensive car insurance typically covers theft of personal items from your car. While certain TPFT insurance policies may include protection for items such as child seats and personal belongings inside the vehicle up to a certain amount, this depends on the insurance provider and is not generally offered as standard.

If you have comprehensive car insurance and your personal items and child seats are stolen from your locked vehicle, you will usually be covered for the stolen items up to a certain limit. You may also be covered for tools in the car and stolen keys. However, the exact items covered and the amount they are covered for may vary depending on the insurance provider and the policy terms, so it's essential to review the product disclosure statement (PDS) to understand the extent of coverage and any limitations.

Before you take out any policy, it is important to be aware of the coverage limits and any applicable excesses for personal belongings theft. If you frequently carry valuable items in your car, such as laptops, you may consider adding optional extras or increasing the coverage limit to ensure your personal belongings are adequately protected if stolen.

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Disclaimer:

Savvy (ABN 78 660 493 194, ACR 541 339) provides readers with a variety of car insurance policies to compare. Savvy earns a commission from our partnered insurers each time a customer buys a car insurance policy via our website. All purchases are conducted via our partners’ websites. The integrity of our comparison service is unaffected by our partnerships with those businesses and our effort remains to bring further brands that do not already use our comparison service onboard.

Savvy’s comparison service includes selected products from a panel of trusted insurers and does not compare all products in the market. Any advice presented above or on other pages is general in nature and doesn’t consider your personal or business objectives, needs or finances. It’s always important to consider whether advice is suitable for you before purchasing an insurance policy. We always recommend readers to consult the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) of different policies before purchasing your car insurance.

Car Insurance Banner - Man on the phone after his car is stolen from a car park

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