Not upheld: claim handling, repair quality, and causation of post-repair defects complaint against AXA Insurance UK PLC

Decision detail

Summary

Miss C claimed on her car insurance after a third-party rear-impact collision on 9 July 2025. After initially being handled by an accident management company that deemed the car uneconomical to repair, AXA took over the claim on 15 August 2025 and decided the car was repairable. Following repairs completed on 12 September 2025, Miss C reported that the rear bumper was not fully repaired and the engine was cutting out intermittently. AXA's engineers reviewed a pre-repair scan and concluded the engine issue was not accident-related, recommending a main dealer inspection. A service garage inspection proved inconclusive. Miss C complained that AXA should have physically inspected the car and that the delays caused the engine problem. The ombudsman found no evidence linking the engine issue to the accident, deemed AXA's repair decision reasonable, and upheld the £75 compensation already paid for mixed messaging about the physical inspection.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that AXA's decision to repair rather than write off the car was reasonable and consistent with their duty to minimise costs. Regarding the engine cutting out issue, the ombudsman determined that no evidence directly linked it to the accident damage, and the rear impact nature of the accident made causation unlikely. The service garage's inconclusive inspection and the fact that the cutting out issue presented itself before AXA completed their technical review meant AXA could not be held responsible for causing the problem. The ombudsman found AXA's request for a main dealer inspection reasonable given the lack of proven accident causation. The £75 compensation for mixed messaging about the physical inspection was deemed adequate.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website