Car Insurance

How and who do you insure a 2011 Silverado or Dodge Ram without being ripped off? They are using the term, imported car, to rip us off. All cars in Australia are imported.

According to the FCAI, the fake parts used on a VF Commodore test car suffered “catastrophic failures or sustained wear”.

I'm moving to Queensland soon and, as my NSW vehicle is coming up for registration, I did some comparisons on green slips. In NSW I've been quoted $504.70 for the year by GIO but in Queensland the same GIO/Suncorp is only $329.60. I feel the NSW motorist is being fleeced by these green slip suppliers.

Car insurers automatically renewing annual premiums will be clearer about their policies after customer complaints about surprise charges.

My husband was driving our 2005 Peugeot 407 when a man driving a Thrifty rental car hit it. Unbelievably, this man was driving a rental car because he'd just written off his other car! The accident happened in a car park – he basically just ploughed straight into our car. He admitted full responsibility and both parties went about notifying the appropriate people. We finally got our quotes together and the damage to our car came to $8000. Thrifty initially told us that they would pay this amount in cash and to get all of the relevant paperwork to them, which we did. After chasing them for weeks, they now inform us that the man at fault has decided to sign some sort of a waiver, which means as long as Thrifty has its money for the damage to their car they are now absolved and no longer need to pay us. We apparently have to chase it up through our own insurance and pursue this man ourselves. We have never heard of such a thing, and are particularly shocked that it can be signed retrospectively. It seems unbelievable. We are in the process of contacting Consumer Affairs, but were wondering if you'd heard of this before?

The proposed private sector model will include a multi-provider market with a set number of eligible insurers for the first three years, SA Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis told Parliament."Our view is that the private sector is better at issuing insurance premiums than a government monopoly," Mr Koutsantonis said.Premium prices will remain fixed for the first three years with CPI-like increases"Importantly, this CTP insurance model provides a seamless transition for South Australian motorists."The Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure will continue to issue CTP insurance renewal notices as part of the vehicle registration process. Current payment methods will also remain."Premium prices will remain fixed for the first three years with CPI-like increases."Private insurers would offer CTP insurance in South Australia from July next year but a fully contestable market would not open up until 2019, Mr Koutsantonis said."The new private sector ... model will continue to meet the needs of motorists and persons injured in motor vehicle accidents," he said.As a result of the reforms, which include selling MAC assets, $852.9 million was paid into the Government's Highways Fund in December. A further $300 million contribution is expected in 2016-17.SA Opposition Leader Steven Marshall questioned whether the Motor Accident Board unanimously supported the Government's decision to sell the MAC.He also said the Treasurer needed to explain if the $852.9 million was a balance sheet item or if it would diminish the deficit in the coming State Budget.CarsGuide does not operate under an Australian financial services licence and relies on the exemption available under section 911A(2)(eb) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) in respect of any advice given. Any advice on this site is general in nature and does not take into consideration your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making a decision please consider these and the relevant Product Disclosure Statement.

We have recently been burnt big time with our 18-year old's car 2006 Hyundai Elantra that has been written after she was rear-ended by an uninsured driver. Our insurance covers market value of the car, which only $3000 when we paid $6000 for it. How can we make sure we won't fall into the same trap this time? We can purchase the write-off for $5000, but market value suggests it's worth $3800. We're uncertain of how to progress.

The Barina in the ‘Buy My Barina’ ad that went viral has been crashed and gone to the car park in the sky.The banged up Holden Barina in the ‘Buy My Barina’ ad that went viral earlier this year -- with 1.2 million hits and counting -- has crashed and gone to the big car park in the sky.The 1999 model of various fading colours with more than 188,000km on the clock became a worldwide hit after advertising agency guru David Johns created an elaborate YouTube clip as if it were for a new car, with such honesty as “matching seats” and “10 months rego”.The Barina bomb was sold to NRMA Insurance for an undisclosed sum, who donated the money to the Cancer Council.The insurer then used the Barina in a crash test, but not before it remade the advertisement in the original style.Worse still, the insurer crashed it in front of the original seller and creator of the ad, Sydney-based David Johns.The Barina will now be broken down for scrap after it has been used in displays showing the difference in safety between new and old vehicles.Crash tests show, in a serious collision, you are more likely to die or be severely injured in a car without airbags that one with airbags and a modern body structure."Drivers can be about 10 times more likely to die or be seriously injured in a crash driving a used car with a poor safety record compared with a top performer," said Royal Automobile Club of Queensland spokesman Steve Spalding.CarsGuide does not operate under an Australian financial services licence and relies on the exemption available under section 911A(2)(eb) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) in respect of any advice given. Any advice on this site is general in nature and does not take into consideration your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making a decision please consider these and the relevant Product Disclosure Statement.

I recently travelled from Pinaroo to Bordertown on the Border Track. During this trip I dipped my '07 Mitsubishi Triton into a puddle at a 45-degree angle about 3-foot deep. My car is has lifted suspension and a snorkel and can handle this treatment with ease, however, at the time I was concerned the car may tip all the way so I climbed out the passenger window. After towing the car out backwards and checking for water in the airbox we started it and drove a further 600 km home trouble free. The only damage sustained was wet carpet, a wet driver's seat and driver's-side door. Everything works fine including the speaker that was submerged for no longer than 15 mi n in fresh water. My insurance company has declared my car a statutory write-off not to be registered. Is there any way of challenging the decision, or proving the car is safe to be registered?

That rate means Queensland motorists face the prospect of higher premiums on their cars.Insurance Council of Australia figures show thieves escaped with more than 2700 cars between January and March this year - up 22 per cent from the last quarter. CEO Rob Whelan warned professional car theft rackets were back on the rise, with a quarter of more than 16,000 vehicles nationwide stolen for profit."The statistics reveal that professional car thieves are becoming more resourceful and audacious,'' he said. "They are increasingly stealing cars to cut up for spare parts and components and are moving cars across state borders to hide their activities.'' And the thieves are targeting dealerships as well as privately-owned vehicles.On a recent weekend two high-powered cars, worth up to $90,000 each, were stolen from a dealership at Windsor in Brisbane's north. After breaking into the Eagers HSV dealership on the corner of Newmarket and Kedron Brook roads just after midnight, three robbers donning balaclavas found the keys and escaped with a white 2012 Holden HSV Maloo R8 utility and a silver 2012 Commodore HSV Clubsport sedan. The vehicles offer extraordinary performance, with the Clubsport producing 317kW of power. Attempts were made to steal two other vehicles, including one which they used to smash through a showroom window and over a bollard to Newmarket Rd but was abandoned after it got stuck. Eagers Holden financial controller Adam Edmonds said the cars were all HSVs, which were worth up to $90,000."They've just ram-raided a few cars to make some space and driven out through the windows and through some bollards and they've taken off,'' he said. An employee of another Holden dealership, who wished to remain anonymous, said the problem was ``getting out of control''. "I can tell you this has been happening on a regular basis for the past four months,'' he said.CarsGuide does not operate under an Australian financial services licence and relies on the exemption available under section 911A(2)(eb) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) in respect of any advice given. Any advice on this site is general in nature and does not take into consideration your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making a decision please consider these and the relevant Product Disclosure Statement.