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I'm sorry you're dealing with this. Having your car tied up for months after storm damage in Hawke's Bay, with no clear return date from your insurer, is incredibly frustrating—especially when you need the car for everyday life.

In New Zealand, you don't have to simply accept an open-ended claims process without asking questions or escalating the matter. Although storm damage and repair backlogs can cause genuine delays, you can take practical steps to make your insurer explain what's happening, identify what's holding things up, and tell you what options you have.

I'd approach this in five steps.

1. Ask your insurer for a written explanation and a realistic timeline

Contact your insurer's claims team and ask for a written update. Rather than asking only when your car will be ready, ask for specific information about the repair process.

Request the following:

• The current status: Has the car been assessed, approved for repairs, and assigned to a repairer?
• The reason for the delay: Is it waiting for parts, an assessor's approval, a repairer, specialist work, or something else?
• A repair schedule: When are repairs expected to start, and what is the estimated completion date?
• The next update: If they cannot give you a completion date, when will they next review the claim and contact you?
• Alternative options: Can the car be moved to another repairer, or is there another way to resolve the claim?
• Transport assistance: Are you entitled to a rental car, temporary transport assistance, or reimbursement under your policy?

Ask the insurer to distinguish between an estimated date and a confirmed booking. Even if they cannot promise a return date, they should be able to explain the current position and what needs to happen next.

Keep copies of emails, text messages, claim notes, and any promises about repair dates.

2. Make a formal complaint now

If you've already been waiting for months and the insurer won't give you a meaningful update, I would not keep relying on informal phone calls.

Send an email headed FORMAL COMPLAINT — UNREASONABLE DELAY IN VEHICLE INSURANCE CLAIM.

Explain:

• When the storm damaged your car and when you lodged the claim.
• How long you've been without your car.
• What the insurer has told you about the delay.
• That you've repeatedly requested a completion date but haven't received a satisfactory answer.
• How the delay is affecting you, including any extra transport costs or difficulties getting to work or meeting family commitments.

Then state what you want the insurer to do. For example:

1. Assign someone senior to review the claim.
2. Explain the cause of the delay and provide a realistic repair timeline.
3. Consider transferring the vehicle to another repairer if that would speed things up.
4. Explain what temporary transport assistance or other remedies are available.
5. Provide a written response within five working days.

Five working days is a deadline you can request; it is not a universal statutory deadline for resolving an insurance claim.

The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) has specifically identified communication, project management and complaints handling as areas where insurers need to improve following major weather events, including Cyclone Gabrielle. Your concerns about being left without updates are therefore worth raising formally. FMA: Weather-event insurance claims review.

Email template you can use

Subject: Formal complaint — prolonged delay with storm-damaged vehicle

Dear Claims Manager,

I am writing to make a formal complaint about the unreasonable delay in resolving my vehicle insurance claim following storm damage in Hawke's Bay.

My claim was lodged on [date], and my vehicle has now been unavailable for [number of weeks/months].

Despite the time that has elapsed, I have not been given a clear explanation of the outstanding issues or a reliable indication of when my vehicle will be returned.

This situation is causing considerable inconvenience and [additional transport costs or other impacts, if applicable].

I request the following:

• A written explanation of the current status of my claim and the specific reasons for the delay.
• A clear breakdown of the remaining steps required to complete the repairs, including estimated timeframes.
• An urgent review of whether another repairer or an alternative settlement arrangement could resolve the matter sooner.
• Confirmation of what rental vehicle, temporary transport assistance or reimbursement may be available under my policy.
• A written response addressing these concerns within five working days.

If you cannot provide a confirmed completion date, please explain why and identify the next steps and dates for reviewing progress.

Please register this as a formal complaint under your internal complaints process and confirm who will be responsible for resolving it.

I look forward to receiving a substantive response.

Kind regards,
[Your name]
[Claim number]

You can adapt this to suit your circumstances. Keep the email and any response as evidence if you need to escalate the complaint.

3. Check whether your insurer should be helping with transport

Being without a car for months can become expensive, particularly if you need to hire a vehicle or rely on taxis.

Check your policy for provisions covering:

• Rental vehicles or a courtesy car.
• Loss of use or alternative transport costs.
• Limits on the duration or cost of a replacement vehicle.
• Additional benefits that apply after storm damage.

You are not automatically entitled to a rental car or reimbursement simply because repairs are taking a long time. It depends on your policy and the circumstances.

However, you can ask the insurer to consider temporary assistance, especially if the delay is prolonged and you have incurred significant costs.

If you have already paid for alternative transport, keep receipts and records. Ask the insurer whether those expenses can be reimbursed and request its decision in writing.

Also ask whether the insurer has considered an alternative to repairing the vehicle, such as a cash settlement or treating it as a total loss if appropriate. Whether that is available will depend on the damage, the policy and the insurer's assessment.

Do not authorise a different repairer or arrange major repairs independently without first checking how doing so could affect your claim.

4. Escalate to an independent complaints service if necessary

If the insurer does not resolve your complaint, you can take it to its independent financial dispute resolution scheme.

In New Zealand, these services are free for eligible consumers and can help resolve disputes with insurance companies. The scheme may be able to consider the insurer's handling of your claim, delays, and whether you should receive compensation for losses caused by its actions. The outcome will depend on the facts and the scheme's jurisdiction. Consumer Protection: Complaining about a financial service provider.

Which service should you contact?

First, ask your insurer which scheme it belongs to, or check its complaints information.

• Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman (IFSO) — handles complaints about participating insurers and other financial service providers. Phone: 0800 888 202.
• Financial Services Complaints Ltd (FSCL) — another independent scheme that handles complaints about its members. Phone: 0800 347 257.
• Financial Dispute Resolution Service (FDRS) — provides independent dispute resolution for its members. Phone: 0508 337 337.

You must use the scheme your insurer belongs to; you cannot necessarily choose any scheme.

If your insurer is a member of the Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ), the Fair Insurance Code may also be relevant. Under the Code, member insurers must acknowledge formal complaints within five business days, provide a substantive response within the applicable timeframe, and keep you informed. The Code also provides for escalation to an independent dispute resolution scheme if the complaint remains unresolved. Check the ICNZ Fair Insurance Code to understand the standards that apply. ICNZ: Making a complaint.

You don't necessarily have to wait indefinitely. Under the Code, if an eligible complaint has not been resolved to your satisfaction within two months, the insurer should explain its position and provide information about escalating the complaint. Your scheme may also be able to advise you about the process before then.

5. Understand what a reasonable delay means

There is no single timeframe that applies to every vehicle insurance claim in New Zealand.

A delay might be understandable if the storm damaged many vehicles, parts are unavailable, or specialist repairs are needed. But the insurer's explanation, the complexity of your claim, and the quality of its communication all matter.

The FMA says consumers are entitled to fair treatment from insurers. It also provides guidance on raising concerns and accessing independent dispute resolution. FMA: Insurance and consumer protection.

If you believe the insurer's conduct reflects a broader problem, you can report your concerns to the FMA. However, the FMA does not resolve individual claims or award you compensation; an appropriate dispute resolution scheme is generally the better route for seeking an individual remedy.

If the dispute involves substantial financial losses, or you believe the insurer has breached its contractual obligations, consider obtaining advice from a lawyer or Community Law before taking further legal action.

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What I would do in your situation

Given that your car has been out of action for months and the insurer will not give you a return date, I would:

1. Send the formal complaint now, requesting a written explanation and an urgent review.
2. Ask specifically whether the bottleneck is the insurer or the repairer. That will help establish who needs to take action.
3. Request a review of alternative repair arrangements and transport assistance.
4. Escalate to the insurer's independent dispute resolution scheme if the complaint is not resolved satisfactorily.

You don't need to prove that the insurer has acted unlawfully just to raise a complaint about poor communication and prolonged delays.

Let me help you work out your strongest next step

There are two details that would help me give you more specific advice.

1. Which insurance company are you with?

2. What stage is your car at? For example, is it sitting at a repair shop waiting for parts, waiting for the insurer to approve repairs, waiting to be assessed, or has the insurer simply not explained what is happening?

With those details, I can help you identify the appropriate complaints route and tailor a stronger complaint to your situation.