Tyres, Windscreen and Undercarriage Cover

When it comes to your cover levels for car hire excess, tyres, windscreen and undercarriage (TWU) is a pretty standard policy benefit to be included in you cover. But do you know what you will actually be covered for?

Most people tend not to look at the detail of their insurance policy, but it’s really important you do so that, should you need to make claim, you know exactly what you’re covered for before you begin the process. So with that in mind, let’s get to it.

What Exactly Will I Be Covered For?

With TWU cover you’ll be protected for individual problems related to your tyres, windscreen and undercarriage that you cause accidentally whilst hiring your vehicle.

It’s always worth saying that you should take photos of the car you hire before you drive it, to show any minor damage, scuffs, scratches and issues so that you can show this to the rental company should they attempt to charge you for anything that you didn’t cause.

Tyres

If you accidentally cause damage to your tyre if you hit a curb or a pothole then your excess cover will cover your costs incurred for getting it sorted.

Also in the unlikely event your tyres are damaged due to an accident you caused, you’d still be covered for that too.

Windscreen

One of the most common causes of windscreen damage is chips or cracks from grit or pebbles hitting the screen – and as long as you weren’t driving off-road whilst this happened you’d be covered in much the same way.

Undercarriage

Similar to tyre cover, undercarriages can be badly affected by pot holes and debris on the road. Again, as long as you’re not driving off road, you’ll be covered for undercarriage damage you cause accidentally whilst on the road.

Are There Exclusions to This Cover?

Like most policy benefits there are some important exclusions to TWU cover. You won’t be covered for any damage you cause by off-road driving, so make sure you stick to usable roads! This is particularly important if you’re driving in Iceland as if you’re not careful you can quickly find yourself on an un-signposted road which would be classed as off-roading, so just be sure to stick to marked roads!

Similarly, any damaged sustained by third parties will be covered by the hire car company’s insurance rather than your car hire excess cover, so in this instance always call your rental company.

I Have More Questions...

If you have a thirst for knowledge and are looking for more answers then head to our FAQs page for all the answers.

Equally you could reach out to our fantastic customer service team by using our contact us form.