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Evidence · Car insurance

Every question, every answer, every source

Explore all 183 car-insurance questions and the 728 answers saved on 11 October 2026. Read the original responses and download the tables behind the study’s comparisons, sources, sentiment and factual checks.

questions
183
answers saved, of 732 planned
728
consumer situations
12
named regions
16
AI platforms
4

01

Every question, with its answers

Each question went to the four AI platforms. All were collected with a New Zealand setting. Open a question to read every captured answer in full.

Showing 20 of 183 questions

Show all 183

02

The tables behind the study

Every figure on the study page comes from these tables. They are CSV files, which open in any spreadsheet.

  • Questions

    questions.csv

    One row per question, with its exact saved wording.

    Question ID, source references, question, consumer situation, named regions, question group and collection setting

    183rows

    Download questions (CSV)

  • Answers

    answers.csv

    One row per captured answer, with its full text.

    Answer ID, question ID, platform, collection setting, consumer situation, named regions and full answer

    728rows

    Download answers (CSV)

  • Sources by answer

    sources.csv

    One row per website recorded as a source of an answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, assistant, collection setting, website and publisher type

    4,213rows

    Download sources by answer (CSV)

  • Checks against primary sources

    checks.csv

    One row per stated assertion checked, for one platform.

    Check, question and answer IDs, assistant, exact passage, verdict, primary-source finding, URL and date

    96rows

    Download checks against primary sources (CSV)

  • Consumer recommendation coding

    consumer-recommendation-coding.csv

    One row per reviewed provider role in a consumer-selection answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, provider, role, counted recommendation, exact passage and conditions

    301rows

    Download consumer recommendation coding (CSV)

  • Consumer selection membership

    consumer-selection-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the matched consumer-selection comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, question group and full text; the same twelve questions per platform

    48rows

    Download consumer selection membership (CSV)

  • Ongoing support coding

    support-coding.csv

    One row per reviewed named-provider role in an eligible support answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, provider, role, support-preference decision and exact passage

    49rows

    Download ongoing support coding (CSV)

  • Ongoing support membership

    support-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the actual consumer-support group.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, question group and full text; acquisition validation is excluded

    32rows

    Download ongoing support membership (CSV)

  • Regional recommendation coding

    regional-recommendation-coding.csv

    One row per reviewed provider role in a region-named selection answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, named consumer region, platform, provider, recommendation decision and exact passage

    440rows

    Download regional recommendation coding (CSV)

  • Regional selection membership

    regional-selection-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the matched regional comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, named consumer region, platform and equal-comparison membership; sixteen questions per platform

    64rows

    Download regional selection membership (CSV)

  • Insurer sentiment

    insurer-sentiment.csv

    One row per unique saved claim about an insurer in a selection answer.

    Claim, question and answer IDs, insurer, saved stance, exact passage and original-answer offsets

    1,926rows

    Download insurer sentiment (CSV)

  • Recorded source URLs

    source-urls.csv

    One row per recorded answer, website and URL association.

    Answer ID, question ID, platform, website, URL, source records and presence in the captured answer text

    6,056rows

    Download recorded source urls (CSV)

Use these tables to trace findings back to the original questions and answers. The full text of each answer is also on this page, under its question.

03

Read in full and checked

Some answers were read in detail or checked against official sources. Those appear on the study page, beside the findings they support.

ChatGPT · New Zealand

My car isn't worth much but I still owe money on it. Would third-party insurance leave me exposed?

Yes — third-party insurance could leave you significantly exposed if your car is worth little but you still owe money on it. In New Zealand, the key issue is that your loan doesn't disappear just because your car is written off or stolen.

The good news is that third-party cover can still make sense for a low-value car, depending on how much you owe, what you can afford to lose, and whether you could manage without the car.

What happens in different scenarios?

Situation Third-party only Comprehensive insurance
You damage someone else's car Usually covers the damage you cause, subject to your policy Usually covers this too
Someone damages your car and is at fault You may be able to recover costs from them, if liability can be established Your own insurer can generally handle the claim under your policy terms
You cause an accident and your car is badly damaged You pay to repair or replace your own car Your insurer may cover your car, subject to your excess and policy terms
Your car is stolen You generally get no payout for your own car Theft is generally covered, subject to policy terms
Your car is written off You still owe the outstanding loan You still owe the loan, but an eligible insurance payout can help repay it

The biggest risk: you could lose the car, still owe thousands of dollars to your lender, and have to find money for another vehicle.

A simple example

Your car's current value

$4,000

Your outstanding loan

$8,000

Potential shortfall if the car is written off

$8,000

With third-party only, you could receive no payout for your own car and still owe the full $8,000. With comprehensive cover, a hypothetical $4,000 payout could reduce the debt to $4,000, before any applicable deductions.

That is the core problem: the amount you owe and the amount your car is worth are two different things. Even comprehensive insurance might not clear the loan if you owe more than the car's insured value. Car insuranceInsuranceWhat Happens if Your Car is Written Off in NZ?

What I'd consider in your position

  • Third-party only: Makes sense if the car is cheap to replace and you could still manage your loan if the car were destroyed or stolen.
  • Third-party, fire and theft: A middle ground if you mainly want protection against theft and fire, but can afford the risk of accidental damage to your own car.
  • Comprehensive: Worth considering if losing the car would leave you paying off a loan for a vehicle you can no longer use. Check whether your finance agreement requires this cover, too. Car insurance buying guideGetting a loan for your car

You could also ask whether gap insurance is available and suitable for your situation. It may cover some or all of the difference between an eligible insurance payout and your outstanding loan, depending on the policy. Insurance

Let's work out whether third-party is worth the risk

I can help you compare the options using your actual numbers.

Estimates are fine — enter NZ dollars.

Ask anything

ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.

Captured 11 October 2026

Gemini · New Zealand

My car isn't worth much but I still owe money on it. Would third-party insurance leave me exposed?

Yes, third-party insurance leaves you heavily exposed if you still owe money on your car.

Third-party insurance (the bare minimum coverage) only covers damage you cause to other people's vehicles or property. It provides zero payout for your own car if it is stolen, damaged, or written off in an accident.

The Risks You Face

If you have a car loan and only hold third-party insurance, you face two distinct types of exposure:

  • Total Write-Off or Theft: If your car is heavily damaged in an accident or stolen, your insurer will pay nothing toward replacing it. However, your car loan does not disappear. You will still legally owe the finance company the remaining balance of the loan, meaning you could be stuck paying off a car loan for a vehicle you can no longer drive.
  • At-Fault Accidents: If you cause an accident, third-party insurance will pay for the other person’s damages, but you will have to pay for your own car’s repairs out of pocket. If your car is already worth very little, the cost of even minor repairs can quickly exceed the value of the vehicle, leaving you with a broken car and ongoing loan repayments.

What Should You Consider Instead?

Because your car is not worth much and you have a loan, you are likely in a "negative equity" situation—meaning you owe more on the finance than the car could actually be sold for.

  1. Comprehensive Insurance: Upgrading to comprehensive insurance means that if your car is written off, the insurer will pay out its market or agreed value. While this payout might still be less than what you owe on the loan, it will clear a large chunk of the debt rather than leaving you to cover 100% of it out of pocket.
  2. Check Your Loan Agreement: Look closely at your finance contract to see if it came bundled with GAP insurance (Shortfall Cover). GAP insurance is specifically designed to cover the "gap" between what a comprehensive insurance policy pays out and what you still owe the lender if the car is written off. (Note: GAP insurance usually requires you to hold active comprehensive insurance to be valid).

Are you currently paying off a fixed-term loan, or is the car tied to a revolving credit facility or personal loan?

Ask Gemini

Gemini is AI and can make mistakes.

Captured 11 October 2026

AI Overviews · New Zealand

My car isn't worth much but I still owe money on it. Would third-party insurance leave me exposed?

AI Overview

Yes, third-party insurance would leave you significantly exposed in this situation. In New Zealand, if you have a car loan or finance agreement, opting for third-party insurance carries serious contractual and financial risks.

1. Breach of Your Loan Agreement

Most vehicle finance companies and lenders in New Zealand legally require you to maintain comprehensive (full) car insurance as a condition of your loan contract. Because the lender holds a financial interest in the vehicle, the car serves as their security.

  • The Penalty: If you downgrade to third-party insurance, or let your comprehensive cover lapse, you will likely be in breach of your credit contract.

  • The Consequences: Your lender can force you to reinstate full cover immediately, buy expensive forced-placed insurance on your behalf and add it to your debt, or treat it as a default, which can lead to repossession of the vehicle.

2. The "Shortfall" Debt Risk

If your car is stolen, written off in an accident, or severely damaged, a third-party only policy will not pay out anything to fix or replace your vehicle.

  • The Reality: A car loan does not magically disappear if the vehicle is destroyed. You would still legally owe the lender the entire remaining balance of the finance. You would find yourself in the worst financial position possible: paying off a substantial debt for an unusable asset, with no vehicle and zero insurance payout to clear the balance.

Comparison of Financial Risks in NZ

Risk Event Comprehensive Cover Third-Party Only Cover
You crash into an expensive vehicle Covered for both cars (minus your excess). Other car covered; your repairs are 100% out of pocket.
The car is written off / stolen Insurer pays the Market/Agreed value to your lender. Zero payout. You must still pay off the full remaining loan.
Lender Contract Compliance Fully compliant with standard credit terms. Breaches your contract ; risk of default or repossession.

Alternatives to Consider

If the car's current market value is lower than what you owe on the loan, even comprehensive insurance might leave a gap. If the car is written off, a standard full-cover policy only pays what the car is worth , not what you owe.

To protect yourself completely, you might consider looking into Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) Insurance (also called Loan Equity Insurance) through New Zealand providers like Autosure or Janssen. GAP insurance bridges the shortfall by paying the difference between your comprehensive insurance payout and the total balance remaining on your finance. Note that GAP insurance generally can only be added when you first arrange the vehicle finance.

To help you figure out the safest path forward, could you let me know who your finance provider is or what the current gap is between the car's value and your loan balance?

Ask anything

Captured 11 October 2026

Google AI Mode · New Zealand

My car isn't worth much but I still owe money on it. Would third-party insurance leave me exposed?

Yes, third-party insurance would leave you significantly exposed if you still owe money on your car.

The Core Risks

  • No payout for your car: Third-party, fire, and theft (or basic third-party property) insurance only covers damage you do to other people’s vehicles or property. It pays $0 toward your own car if it's damaged, stolen, or written off in an accident that is your fault (or if an uninsured driver hits you).

  • You still owe the loan: If your car is written off, your finance company doesn't care that the car is gone or low-value. Your loan contract remains legally binding, meaning you would have to pay off the remaining loan balance entirely out of pocket, all at once. [CAB.org.nz]

  • Loan contract breaches: Most auto finance agreements or secured loans in New Zealand explicitly require you to hold comprehensive car insurance for the entire duration of the loan. Dropping down to third-party cover could breach your loan terms, giving your lender the right to repossess the car, demand immediate repayment, or default your loan.

How the Exposure Works in a Write-Off

If you owe $7,000 on a car that is only worth $3,000, and you get into an accident:

  1. With Third-Party Insurance: Your insurer pays nothing for your car. You are left with a wrecked vehicle, no car to drive, and still owing the full $7,000 to your finance lender.
  2. With Comprehensive Insurance: Your insurer pays out the market value/agreed value (minus your excess) directly to clear a chunk of that debt, leaving you with a much smaller gap (or none, if you have GAP / Shortfall insurance). Loan Protection Insurance

If you want to look at your options, tell me:

  • How much you still owe versus what the car is roughly worth
  • What your lender's specific insurance rules state in your contract

I can help you figure out the safest way to handle your coverage.

Ask anything

Captured 11 October 2026