Does Car Insurance Cover A Stolen Car?

If your car has been stolen, you'll probably want to know what happens next – and if your insurance covers you. Find out more about Bingle's car insurance and what's covered.

The unfortunate reality of owning a car is that sometimes things go wrong. You could be involved in an accident, or your car could be damaged in a storm or other weather event, for example.

There's also a chance your car could be stolen. In fact, according to Finder.com.au, a car is stolen every 12 minutes in Australia! (This is based on based on Australian Bureau of Statistics and CarSafe data).

The good news is, there are car insurance options which will give you cover if your car is stolen or damaged during an attempted theft. Read on to see what options Bingle has on offer.

Just need to lodge a claim? You can do that here.

Does Bingle car insurance provide cover if your car is stolen?

The short answer is yes, if you take out Comprehensive Car Insurance with us.

This type of insurance gives you cover for accidental loss or damage to your own car caused by incidents such as accidents, storms, fire – and importantly, theft. (This is just a summary of what Comprehensive Car Insurance covers. Find out more or read the PDS¹.)

Basically, if you hold Comprehensive cover with Bingle, we'll cover the cost² of replacing your car if it's stolen and not recovered. Don't worry, if it is recovered within 14 days, we'll pay for your car to get back on the road (when it makes sense to do so). So, if you open your front door one morning and your car isn't where you parked it because someone's stolen it, you can lodge a claim with us.

But sometimes car thieves don't actually manage to drive off or get very far in your car (despite how easy they make it look in Gone in Sixty Seconds). Your car may be where you left it, or recoverable – the thieves may have taken it for a joyride across town, for instance. But, it may have been damaged. It could have been damaged by break-in, vandalism, theft, attempted theft, collision, or even fire. Bingle Comprehensive Car Insurance covers you for these scenarios too.

So how do I lodge a claim if my car has been stolen?

First, you'll need to report the incident to the police. They should be able to give you a copy of their report, or an incident number in the meantime. Then you can log on to Bingle Self Service to lodge your claim – just follow the prompts.

We understand that having your car stolen can be scary and upsetting. To know how your claim is tracking, log into Bingle Self Service to stay up-to-date.

Then what happens? What if my car is stolen, but then found/recovered?

• If your car hasn't been found after 14 days of the theft being reported to the us or is found within 14 days but determined by us to be damaged beyond repair, we'll pay you a total loss payment for the market value of your car². We'll deduct things from your total loss payment like: unpaid excess, unpaid premium, unexpired registration and compulsory third party (CTP) insurance and Input Tax Credits. If you hold optional New for Old³ cover with us (available for cars up to 3 years old) and your car is a total loss, we'll replace it with a new car of the same make and model (where available). If the same make and model is not available, we will provide you with the nearest similar available make and model (in our opinion). For full inclusions and exclusions on optional extras, please refer to the PDS.
• If the police let you know your car has been found within the 14 day period, let us know. If it's damaged, we'll repair it and make sure it's safe (if it's damaged beyond repair – see point above).
• If the police call you after the 14 day period to say your car has been found, and we've paid you your total loss payment, let us know. We'll take ownership of your car, and we're entitled to any salvage value it has, unless your credit provider has those entitlements.

Are the contents of my car covered if my car is stolen?

Here's a quick summary or what is and isn't covered with Bingle's Comprehensive Car Insurance:

• Accessories and modifications: Most legal modifications and accessories that are permanently fitted to cars (i.e. tinted windows, reverse camera, sound systems etc) are covered² if you hold Comprehensive Car Insurance with us. Don't worry, you don't need to let us know/list these specifically on your policy. Exclusions are listed when you get a quote.
• Baby capsules or child seats up to $500 per item per incident.

• Personal items: We don't cover your personal items if they're stolen or damaged (excluding baby capsules or child seats – see above). So, it's best not to keep anything too valuable or expensive in your car.

Will I get a car hire if my car is stolen?

Bingle aims to offer simple, affordable car insurance. So to help keep our car insurance premiums low, we offer optional extras to suit you. If your car is stolen and you have optional Keep Mobile cover with your Bingle Comprehensive Car Insurance policy, you'll get a hire car. It's not automatically included in your policy.

So if you think you'll want or need a car to get around in if yours is stolen, you may want to add Keep Mobile cover as an optional extra.

Does Bingle's Third Party Car Insurance cover me if my car is stolen?

Our Third Party Car Insurance just covers you for accidental damage caused to other people's cars and property by the use of your car¹. So, if you want to be covered if your car is stolen, you'll need to take out Bingle's Comprehensive Car Insurance.