AMI Car Insurance Review 2026

Introduction

Our 2026 review of AMI car insurance focuses on the cover choices and policy features that can be verified in current AMI material, rather than assigning an inherited editorial score or making broad price claims. AMI offers Comprehensive, Third Party Fire & Theft, and Third Party Only cover. The appropriate choice depends on how much protection you want for your own vehicle, your budget, and the excess you are prepared to pay if a claim is accepted.

In our editorial review, Comprehensive stands out for drivers seeking broader accidental-damage protection for their own vehicle and included AMI Roadside Rescue, subject to terms. The lower cover levels may suit a different risk appetite, but their protection for the insured vehicle is materially narrower. This is general information, not personalised insurance advice.

For a wider overview of cover types, see our New Zealand car insurance guide.

AMI car insurance at a glance

Cover levels and key differences

Comprehensive

Comprehensive provides broad cover for accidental physical loss or damage to the insured vehicle, legal liability, automatic benefits and selected optional benefits, subject to the policy wording. AMI currently advertises Roadside Rescue as free with this cover.

AMI also states that, under Comprehensive, lost or stolen keys can trigger replacement of locks with no excess for a claim up to $500, subject to policy terms. Check the current wording and your schedule for the full conditions.

Third Party Fire & Theft

This is a narrower cover level than Comprehensive for the insured vehicle. Excess-free glass can be selected as an optional benefit, and hire vehicle or alternative transport can also be an optional benefit. Readers should review the applicable wording carefully rather than assuming Comprehensive-style protection applies.

Third Party Only

Third Party Only has materially narrower own-vehicle protection than Comprehensive. AMI's current wording provides for excess-free glass as an optional benefit, but it does not make hire vehicle or alternative transport available as that optional benefit. This option requires particular attention to what costs you would need to meet yourself after damage to your own vehicle.

Optional benefits and practical limitations

Optional benefits can change the usefulness of a policy, but they are not interchangeable. For AMI, excess-free glass is available as an option across the three cover levels, while the policy wording excludes sunroof and moonroof glass from that benefit. Hire vehicle or alternative transport is available as an option only with Comprehensive and Third Party Fire & Theft.

Roadside Rescue is marketed as available 24/7 nationwide with unlimited callouts, subject to its terms. AMI also advertises a separate one-year free offer for drivers who gained a restricted or full New Zealand car licence in the preceding 12 months, subject to offer terms. Confirm which eligibility route applies to you rather than assuming every driver receives the same entitlement.

Claims and service tools

AMI says car claims can be lodged through MyAMI or the AMI app. Customers can view their excess, book repairs and track repair progress through these channels. AMI lists 0800 100 200 for urgent support. These functions may make a claim easier to manage, but an individual claim's outcome and timeframe depend on its circumstances and the policy terms.

Independent rating context

Canstar's Outstanding Value Car Insurance results displayed when our team checked the source on 17 August 2026 show AMI with five-star ratings for under-25 female, under-25 male, 25–29, 30–49 and 50+ driver profiles, and a four-star rating for the family-with-young-driver profile. These are profile-specific results, not a blanket five-star rating for every AMI customer or a prediction of an individual quote.

How to compare an AMI quote

1. Match the cover level to your vehicle risk. Consider whether you could absorb repair or replacement costs for your own car under a lower cover level.
2. Read the excess carefully. Consumer Protection NZ notes that a higher excess can reduce the premium, but increases your contribution when an accepted claim is made.
3. Check the value basis and exclusions. Do not compare premiums until the insured value, cover scope and exclusions are aligned.
4. Confirm optional benefits on the schedule. Check whether glass, hire transport or other selected benefits actually appear in your quote and what conditions apply.
5. Use the current policy wording. Marketing summaries are useful starting points; the wording and your policy schedule set out the applicable terms.

Practical Takeaway

AMI may be worth shortlisting if you want to compare three established cover levels and value the currently advertised inclusion of Roadside Rescue with Comprehensive cover. The important trade-off is between the broader own-vehicle protection of Comprehensive and the narrower protection of the other levels. Obtain a current quote, compare the same settings with alternatives, and read the current wording before deciding. We do not treat a historical rating, a general premium claim or an online review score as a substitute for that comparison.

References

• AMI Car Insurance
• AMI Car Insurance Policy Wording (AMI0052-11-1124)
• AMI Comprehensive Car Insurance
• AMI Roadside Rescue
• AMI Claims
• Canstar New Zealand — Car Insurance Awards
• Consumer Protection NZ — Car Insurance

Author / Editorial Team

This article was produced by Insurspy's internal editorial and research team. In our editorial review, we compare publicly available policy information, prioritise authoritative New Zealand consumer guidance and insurer policy documents, and update time-sensitive statements where verified research is available. Policy terms, eligibility and quotes can change, so readers should confirm the current wording and their own policy schedule.