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What is the process when making a Tyre Insurance claim?
Making a claim on your tyre insurance policy is a little different than making a claim for GAP Insurance, Alloy Wheel Insurance, Car Cosmetic Insurance or nearly any other policy we provide. This is because you have a damaged tyre and you may not be able to use your car. You may need to get the repair or replacement of your tyre processed quickly. Our insurers have designed the claims process to be as flexible as possible for all eventualities.
We have been providing Tyre Insurance cover for many years. The process detailed below is tried and tested and we hope will enable you to get back on the road with the minimum time and effort.
Claiming on a Tyre Insurance policy from Total Loss GAP couldn't be easier.
We have provided tyre insurance cover from a number of insurers and each will have their own dedicated claims team to process claims.
You will be able to find the correct contact details in a couple of areas in your paperwork.
The advantage of calling the claims team first is that they can advise you on the next steps more specifically to your circumstance. For example, they may be able guide you to a tyre retailer that is 'on account' so that may make the process quicker and easier.
The claims team will be able to advise you which type of tyre specialist you can take the car to, however, generally they should be fine if they are a bona fida, VAT registered tyre retailer like Kwik Fit, Halfords Autocentre, National Tyres, ATS etc.
The tyre specialist can assess the damage and advise on what is the best course of action, for example, a repair or a replacement.
This can be done on a mobile phone, ideally. These can be passed to the claims team for proof of the claim being made.
Most tyre insurance policies will have a minimum tread depth required for a claim to be eligible. For a tyre insurance policy purchased from Total Loss GAP at the time of this update (February 2025) the minimum tread depth requirement is 2.0mm.
Most new tyres have between 8 and 9mm tread depth typcially. The legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm across 75% of the tyres width, all around its circumferance in the UK currently.
Please ask the assessor to note the tyre tread depth on any paperwork detailing the work undertaken (like the invoice).
If the tyre retailer is 'on account' with the insurer then the repair or replacement can be settled with the tyre retailer directly. However, many are not on account so you can simply pay for the repair or replacement yourself and go through the reimbursement process with the claims team.
Of course, if something was to happen to your tyres outside the claims team operating hours then we understand you may need to get something sorted out as quickly as possible.
We have a modified procedure should you need to get something done quickly outside the hours that you can contact the claims team to discus.
This can be any VAT registered tyre retailer or specialist. They can assess the tyre and advise what would be the best course of action. Please note the 'eligible claim' criteria in the FAQ section below to know what you can and cannot claim for if you wish to process a claim later.
These can be presented to the claims team as evidence for a claim. A mobile phone is perfect for this purpose, ideally yours.
The tyre will need to have the minimum tread depth required in your policy terms for an eligible claim to be processed.
This will involve you paying for the repair or replacement up front, get documents and proof like the invoice and photographs to help with your claim
If you explain the circumstances of your claim and provide the evidence requested.
Tyre Insurance is designed to cover the cost of a repair to, or a replacement of, a tyre following accidental or malicious damage.
Examples of this would include running over a nail, a pothole or where someone damages your tyre with a knife.
The damage of the tyre must make it unsafe to use. The way to consider 'unsafe' would be to ask whether it would pass an MOT test or not for the condition of the tyre. So if you have a nail or a hole in your tyre then this would probably fail an MOT on safety grounds. Of you graze the sidewall causing only cosmetic damage to the tyre only, then this would probably pass an MOT and therefore would not be something you could claim for.
If the damage has been caused maliciously, you must have a crime reference number provided by the Police when you report the issue. The damage must also be assessed by a tyre specialists, as described in the claims processes above, who will confirm the damage caused.
In short, no.
A wear and tear clause was quite common with tyre insurance products a few years ago. This meant that the more your tyre had worn down then the less any claim would pay out. For example, if your tyre insurance had a maximum claim limit of £250 but you had worn down the tyre to 50% of its original tread depth then some products only paid out 50% of the maximum claim (£125 instead of £250).
Our policy does not do that. As long as your tyre has more than the minimum tread depth required for an eligible claim (currently 2mm) then the full replacement cost can be claimed for, up to the maximum claim cost you opt for.
All claims can be slightly different but, in general, there will be a few documents that you may be asked to provide.
It may be useful if you have your policy documents to hand. This will confirm your policy number, maximum claim costs level, any excess and the maximum number of claims you can make.
Next, you will need to provide specific documents and evidence of your claim. This will include a copy of your invoice, detail of the tread depth measurement and photographs of the damage.
Finally, if the tyre was damaged maliciously, you will need to provide a crime reference number from the Police.
Possibly.
If your tyre insurance from Total Loss GAP was purchased before March 2023, please remember there is a £10 excess to pay when you make a claim.
If your tyre insurance policy was purchased after March 2023 then no excess applies up to the time of this update in February 2025.
Whether an excess applies to your policy or not will be detailed on your policy shedule.
If the sidewall damage renders the tyre unsafe to drive on then this can be covered by a tyre insurance claim. If the sidewall damage is only cosmetic, and would not cause the tyre to be unsafe, then this is unlikely to be eligible for a tyre insurance claim.
This depends. Basically, our claims teams will process your claim as quickly as they can. Providing all the required paperwork as quickly as possible will always help.
Yes. We do not look to replace a premium tyre with a budget replacement, part worn of alike. The only caveat to this would be the availability of the same tyre. We cannot guarantee that the tyre retailer will have the same tyre in stock. In this circumstance they will offer you the closest equivalent or you can ask to wait until they can get the same one in stock again, subject to supply and availabilty.
Yes, we have the option to cover run flat tyres. As run flats are more likely to need a replacement rather than a repair (due to their construction) then the cost of run flat tyre insurance can be more expensive than for standard tyre insurance but considering any damage may require a replacement, perhaps even more important to consider.
Yes, although it is rare, it is possible to damage more than one tyre in the same incident. You are able to claim for more than one tyre at a time. Each tyre would count as a single claim, so if you claim for two tyres then this would cound as two claims on your policy.
Tyre Insurance IPID After March 2023
Tyre Insurance T&C After March 2023
Total Loss Tyre IPID Before March 2023
Tyre Insurance T&C Before March 2023
Whilst we don't have the authority to authorise a claim, we can advise, where possible, the correct procedure for you to follow to ensure that your tyre insurance claim is handled quickly and efficiently and you are back on the road as soon as possible.
Updated February 2025