More than six in ten hire car drivers don’t buy car hire excess protection, risking hundreds, if not thousands of pounds, according to a new survey of 1,000 hire car drivers by Opinion² for iCarhireinsurance.com, a specialist car hire excess reimbursement insurance provider.

Drivers are liable for the excess, the first part of a claim, if the hire car is damaged or stolen, even if it isn’t their fault. The average excess amount that a car hirer could be liable to pay is around £1,500¹, but can be over £2,300.

Less than four in ten (38%)² say they buy excess protection, with 25% buying it from the rental company and 18% from an independent insurance company. This means more than six in ten (62%) hire car drivers are taking the risk of having to pay the excess amount if the car is damaged or stolen.

Rental companies charge on average £189¹ for excess protection, with an additional £53 for windscreen and tyre excess protection – totalling £242. However, a car hire excess reimbursement insurance policy from a specialist provider like iCarhireinsurance.com costs from £33.15³ for a week’s European policy, and is often more comprehensive, including damage, theft, and tyre and windscreen cover. Annual European policies cost from £41.99³.

Ben Wooltorton at iCarhireinsurance.com said: “Even the best drivers can end up with damage to a hire car, and they are liable for the excess, even if it isn’t their fault. The average excess is around £1,500, but can be considerably more. If drivers think the excess waivers from the rental companies are too expensive, they might want to consider buying protection in advance from a standalone car hire excess reimbursement insurance provider like iCarhireinsurance.com.”

1. The study analysed the cost of hiring a compact car (e.g. VW Golf) for one week (26 July – 2 August 2025) across 12 countries – Australia, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK, and the USA. Prices were compared from six major rental companies: Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt. iCarhireinsurance.com also looked at the cost of extras including excess protection, extra drivers, child seat and sat navs.
2. Opinium online survey with 1000 adults who have hired a car in the UK or abroad took place between 21 – 28 March 2025.  28% have bought from a rental company, 18% from an independent insurance company, and some have bought from both. The combined figure including those who have bought from both is 38%.
3. £33.15 based on a 30-year-old UK resident buying an 8-day single-trip car hire excess policy from iCarhireinsurance.com for use in Europe. £41.99 annual price is based on a UK resident aged between 30-85 purchasing an excess Europe annual policy excluding in-country (UK) cover.