Aviva Canada review
A big broker-distributed P&C insurer, part of UK-based Aviva plc.
Our rating · #8 of 10 for car insurance
Customer sentiment
10,660 real reviews
At a glance
The bottom line
Aviva Canada is best understood as a broker’s insurer — a big, established P&C carrier you’re most likely to end up with because a broker put it in front of you at a competitive price, which makes it a natural inclusion in a multi-quote comparison rather than a standalone destination. Its genuine strengths are pricing, bundling, a well-liked Aviva Journey telematics app (4.6/5 from over 5,000 iOS ratings) that rewards safe drivers up to 25%, and unusually granular home-flood coverage — set against a persistent, sector-typical weakness: claims-stage reviews on InsurEye (1.3/5 auto) and BBB (1.0/5) are dominated by delays, unresponsive adjusters and low settlement offers. The key caveat: after AM Best affirmed and then withdrew Aviva Canada’s rating in October 2021 at the company’s own request, there is no current third-party financial-strength rating for the Canadian entity, and the UK parent’s rating must not be substituted. Choose Aviva if you value price, bundling and telematics savings and are comfortable through a broker; look elsewhere if fast claims service or a verifiable financial rating is your priority.
- Broker-network choice
- Competitive pricing and value
- Aviva Journey app
- Claims delays
- Adjuster unresponsiveness
- AM Best withdrew the Canadian entity’s rating in 2021 — no current published financial-strength rating
The expert assessment
How our analysts score Aviva Canada’s car insurance — 78.1/100 across six weighted pillars.
AM Best assigned A (Excellent) to Aviva Canada but WITHDREW the Canadian ratings at the company’s request in Oct 2021. We do not present a current rating until re-confirmed. (UK parent Aviva plc is separately rated — not the Canadian entity.)
Source: Businesswire, Oct 2021
What experts like
- Large independent-broker network for choice and advice
- One of Canada’s largest P&C insurers by premium
- Aviva Journey telematics up to 20% off
Watch-outs
- AM Best withdrew the Canadian entity’s rating in 2021 — no current published financial-strength rating
- Broker-only; no direct online-buy
What the regulators' filings say about Aviva Canada
Not ratings or reviews: the numbers Aviva Canada's underwriting companies file with OSFI and the provincial rate regulators, read straight from the public record.
Aviva kept 10.3% of premiums after claims and expenses in 2025. Its MCT ratio is above OSFI's 150% supervisory target and higher than a year earlier. All p&c insurers →
Approved car insurance rate changes
| Province | Latest approved change | Renewals from | Last 12 months | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OntarioFSRA · Aviva General, S&Y, Aviva, Traders General, Scottish & York Insurance Co. | -1.64% | Sep 1, 2026 | -0.15% | 3 / 86 |
| AlbertaAIRB · Aviva General, Aviva, Traders General, S&Y | +12.50% | Jul 18, 2026 | +8.22% | 11 / 28 |
| New BrunswickNBIB · Traders General, Aviva, Aviva General | 0.00% | Apr 8, 2026 | +12.30% | 4 / 4 |
| Newfoundland and LabradorPUB · Aviva General, Aviva, S&Y, Traders General | +3.20% | Jul 1, 2026 | +2.70% | 3 / 17 |
Approved change is the insurer's overall average for the province; your renewal can differ. Each tracker has a renewal calculator and every filing since the regulator's records begin.
What Aviva Canada's home insurance policy wording actually says
Read from Aviva Comprehensive Homeowners Policy (March 2015 form, multi-province, broker-hosted; aviva.ca publishes no wording), not the brochure. Each answer is the contract's own sentence with its page number.
- Overland flood
- Excluded; no overland water endorsement in this document
Read the clause
“35. caused directly or indirectly by flood, surface water, spray, storm surge, ice or waterborne objects, all whether driven by wind or not.”
p. 6 - Sewer backup
- Excluded in the base wording; no endorsement, limit or conditions in this document
Read the clause
“a. caused by the backing up or escape of water from a sewer, sump or septic tank, retention tank, French drain or water leader;”
p. 6 - Away from home in winter
- Away more than 4 consecutive days: a competent person must enter every day, or the water shut off and drained, or a monitored alarm in place
Read the clause
“within a heated portion of your dwelling, if you have been away from your premises more than 4 consecutive days; but you will still be insured if any of the following precautions have been taken: arranged for a competent person to enter your dwelling each day you were away, to ensure that heating was being maintained; or shut off the water supply and had drained all the pipes”
p. 6 - Vacancy
- 30 consecutive days; loss after that excluded, and vandalism, glass and water damage excluded while vacant
Read the clause
“17. occurring after your dwelling has, to your knowledge, been vacant for more than 30 consecutive days;”
p. 5 - Roof depreciation
- Not stated in the wording
- Renting to others
- Liability covers rental of the residence up to 30 days per policy term; otherwise business use excluded
Read the clause
“3. the rental of your residence to others for no more than 30 days during a single policy term;”
p. 10
All 14 questions for Aviva Canada, and the same questions for 5 other insurers →
What customers actually say
We aggregated 10,660 real reviews and ratings of Aviva Canada from independent sites to see what its customers report — this is our Customer Satisfaction signal, drawn from real user experiences rather than a marketing claim.
A broker’s insurer — you end up with Aviva because a broker put it in front of you at a good price. Real strengths in pricing, bundling, a well-liked telematics app (4.6/5, 5,400 ratings) and granular flood coverage, but claims-stage reviews are harsh and there’s no current verified financial rating (AM Best withdrawn 2021).
What people praise
- Competitive pricing and value. A recurring reason customers bind, across broker-quote and app-user reviews.
- Aviva Journey app. 4.6/5 on iOS from 5,400 ratings — users cite clear driving feedback and easy visibility of savings.
- Broker-supported buying. The ~1,700-broker network means many positive experiences credit broker guidance at purchase and renewal.
What people complain about
- Claims delays. The dominant complaint — auto and property claims described as taking weeks to over a year without a decision.
- Adjuster unresponsiveness. Adjusters not returning calls or emails, and long hold times.
- Low settlement offers. “Lowballed” total-loss valuations below perceived market value.
- Non-renewals and cancellations. Customers report coverage discontinued or cancelled with little warning.
Reading these fairly: The split — a well-rated app (4.6/5, 5.4K) and solid WalletHub aggregate (4.4/5, 4,772) versus punishing InsurEye/BBB scores — is typical of large incumbent P&C insurers, where angry-review platforms over-represent claims-stage frustration. Aviva’s complaint profile (claims delays, adjuster contact, valuation disputes) mirrors the sector rather than being uniquely poor. (The large UK Trustpilot presence is a different entity and is excluded.)
Customer-sentiment analysis based on public reviews · July 2026
Aviva Canada by product: what it's good for — and what it's not
Aviva Canada sells several lines of insurance. Here's a candid overview of each — what it does well and where to look elsewhere. Car insurance is the line we fully rate with The Expert Score.
Aviva Canada car insurance
78.1/100 · #8Full auto sold through brokers — mandatory liability and accident benefits plus optional collision, comprehensive, specified and all perils, with endorsements for loss of use, ridesharing, family protection and EV benefits. UBI via the Aviva Journey app (10% enrolment, up to 25% at renewal). Plus home+auto and EV discounts.
Safe drivers willing to be tracked for savings, EV owners, bundlers, and people who prefer a broker to shop coverage for them.
Drivers wanting a fully direct/online-only purchase, privacy-averse drivers uncomfortable sharing telematics data, and anyone whose top priority is fast, frictionless claims.
What customers say InsurEye auto 1.3/5 (479 reviews) — claims handling and settlement valuations are the recurring pain points; the Journey app itself rates 4.6/5 on iOS.
Read the full car insurance review ↓Aviva Canada home insurance
OverviewStandard homeowner/tenant/condo coverage with a tiered water-damage structure — basic water included, plus optional sewer-backup and overland-water endorsements priced by home value and Overland Water Risk Zone. Discounts for monitored alarm, retiree status, low-crime location, mortgage-free ownership and claims-free years.
Homeowners in flood-exposed areas who want granular, à-la-carte water coverage, plus bundlers and long-tenure claims-free households.
Buyers wanting the simplest all-in-one package (water coverage is modular and must be added), high-flood-zone properties where overland pricing climbs, and those prioritising claims speed.
What customers say InsurEye home 1.6/5 (156 reviews) — claim delays, denials and unexpected non-renewals are the dominant themes.
Aviva Canada business insurance
OverviewBroad commercial P&C for most industries — property, general liability, inland marine, equipment breakdown, crime, business interruption, commercial auto, professional liability (E&O) and cyber — with Aviva Enterprise packaging all locations into one customisable policy.
SMEs and mid-market businesses wanting a single consolidated multi-location P&C policy with cyber/E&O available, and mixed personal/commercial vehicle fleets.
Micro-businesses wanting instant online self-serve quotes, and buyers who need a published financial-strength rating for contracts/tenders (none currently available).
What customers say Limited independent commercial-customer review volume; sentiment data is thin and shouldn’t be over-stated.
Where you can buy Aviva Canada car insurance
Aviva Canada sells car insurance in 7 of the 7 private-market provinces. In British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, mandatory auto insurance is government-run (ICBC, MPI, SGI), so no private insurer sells it there.
How Aviva Canada compares to other Canadian insurers
Aviva Canada scores 78.1/100 on The Expert Score. Here's how it stacks up against the insurers people most often cross-shop it with — what each is good for, and where each falls short.
| Insurer | Expert Score | Financial strength | Good for | Not ideal for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aviva Canada This review Broker | 78.1/100 · #8 | Unverified | Broker-network choice | AM Best withdrew the Canadian entity’s rating in 2021 — no current published financial-strength rating |
| Intact Insurance Broker | 86.2/100 · #1 | A+ (Superior) | Overall strength & claims reliability | Broker pricing isn’t always the cheapest |
| Belairdirect Direct / online | 83.9/100 · #2 | AA (FSR) | Digital-first direct buyers | Not available in MB, SK or the territories |
| Sonnet Insurance Direct / online | 80/100 · #5 | A (Excellent) | A fully online experience | Online-only — no agent or broker support |
| Desjardins Insurance Direct / online | 80.8/100 · #4 | AA (group) | Bundling & telematics (Ajusto) | Auto availability concentrated in ON/QC/AB |
All scored on coverage & terms, financial strength, value, digital experience and availability. See all 10 insurers ranked →
Aviva Canada car insurance in detail
The line we score with the full Expert Score methodology.
At a glance
- Telematics
- Aviva Journey — 10% sign-up, up to 20% at renewal
- How to buy
- Brokers (~1,700 independent brokers)
- Availability
- Broad national broker network
- Parent company
- Aviva plc (UK)
- Founded
- 1999 (as CGU Group Canada)
- Head office
- Markham, ON
Aviva Canada home insurance in detail
Scored on our home insurance Expert Score — see the full home insurance ranking.
Ranked #8 of 10 home insurance providers we rate
4.0Good for flood-exposed homes, via a broker
Aviva is a broker’s home insurer with unusually granular flood coverage — basic water is included, and sewer-backup and overland-water are priced by your home’s specific flood-risk zone, so exposed properties can buy exactly the protection they need. A broker can shop it against several insurers at once, and it’s available in every province. The important caveat: after AM Best withdrew Aviva Canada’s rating in 2021, there’s no current verified financial-strength rating for the entity you’d be insured with.
- Granular, risk-zone-priced overland-water and sewer-backup coverage
- Broker-shopped and available in every province
- Claims-free deductible reduction each consecutive year
- No current verified third-party financial-strength rating
- Water coverage is modular and must be actively added
Aviva Canada: frequently asked questions
How do I get car insurance from Aviva Canada?
Aviva Canada is broker-only — you buy through one of roughly 1,700 independent brokers, not from Aviva directly. The upside: a broker can quote Aviva against several other insurers for you in one go.
Can I bundle home and car insurance with Aviva Canada?
Yes — Aviva Canada sells home insurance as well as car, so you can put both on one account and take the multi-policy discount. Bundling home and auto is usually one of the biggest savings a Canadian insurer offers, so it’s worth asking for a combined quote.
Is Aviva Canada’s Aviva Journey usage-based program worth it?
Aviva Canada offers Aviva Journey (10% sign-up, up to 20% at renewal). It uses an app or device to measure how you actually drive. If you’re a calm, mostly-daytime driver it can meaningfully cut your premium; if you brake hard, drive late at night or rack up long distances, the savings shrink. Turn it on if your driving genuinely reflects low risk.
Can Aviva Canada be trusted to pay out a claim?
We can’t confirm it from an independent rating. AM Best assigned A (Excellent) to Aviva Canada but WITHDREW the Canadian ratings at the company’s request in Oct 2021. We do not present a current rating until re-confirmed. (UK parent Aviva plc is separately rated — not the Canadian entity.) That doesn’t mean it won’t pay — but unlike the insurers with a verified rating here, there’s no current third-party financial-strength rating to point to, so we flag it rather than reassure you.
Who is Aviva Canada car insurance a good fit for?
Aviva Canada stands out for broker-network choice. Large independent-broker network for choice and advice, and one of Canada’s largest P&C insurers by premium. If those things matter most to you, it’s worth a close look; if your priority is something else, compare it against the insurers that rate highest on that pillar.
What are the downsides of Aviva Canada car insurance?
The watch-outs we found: AM Best withdrew the Canadian entity’s rating in 2021 — no current published financial-strength rating; broker-only; no direct online-buy. We spell these out so you can weigh them before buying — every insurer has trade-offs, and knowing them upfront is the point of a real review.
How does Aviva Canada compare to other car insurers in Canada?
Aviva Canada ranks #8 of the 10 insurers we scored, at 78.1/100. It’s strongest on availability and has the most room to improve on customer satisfaction. The highest-scoring insurer in our ratings is Intact Insurance (86.2/100).