Toyota 4Runner insurance image courtesy of QuoteInspector.com
Do you want to stop overpaying and find cheaper Toyota 4Runner insurance in San Diego? Searching for better insurance prices for a Toyota 4Runner in California can normally be a lot of work, but you can learn these tips and make it easy.
There are more efficient ways to shop for car insurance so we're going to tell you the best way to get price quotes for a Toyota and obtain the lowest price from both online companies and San Diego agents.
Quoting and buying affordable policy in San Diego can be fairly easy. If you are insured now or just want cheaper coverage, you can use these techniques to find the best rates without reducing coverage. Comparison shoppers just need to learn the most time-saving way to compare price quotes instantly.
Cheap San Diego Toyota 4Runner insurance
Getting a cheaper price on insurance is surprisingly easy. Just spend a few minutes on the computer to compare rates from some recommended companies.
The companies shown below provide free rate quotes in San Diego, CA. If multiple companies are listed, we suggest you compare several of them to get the best price comparison.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4Runner Sport 2WD | $476 | $694 | $508 | $30 | $152 | $1,860 | $155 |
4Runner SR/5 2WD | $332 | $564 | $394 | $24 | $118 | $1,432 | $119 |
4Runner Sport 4WD | $204 | $372 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,154 | $96 |
4Runner SR/5 4WD | $204 | $372 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,154 | $96 |
4Runner Trail Edition 4WD | $330 | $562 | $354 | $20 | $106 | $1,372 | $114 |
4Runner Limited 2WD | $420 | $780 | $454 | $26 | $136 | $1,816 | $151 |
4Runner Limited 4WD | $372 | $688 | $360 | $22 | $108 | $1,550 | $129 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Data based on married male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Rate information does not factor in vehicle garaging location which can raise or lower price quotes substantially.
Impact of careless driving on auto insurance rates
The example below illustrates how traffic citations and at-fault claims can influence Toyota 4Runner insurance costs for different age groups. The price estimates are based on a single female driver, comp and collision included, $250 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Auto insurance in California serves several purposes
Even though it's not necessarily cheap to insure a Toyota in San Diego, buying auto insurance is required in California but it also protects you in many ways.
- Almost all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means it is punishable by state law to not carry specific minimum amounts of liability protection if you drive a vehicle. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you bought your 4Runner with a loan, almost every bank will have a requirement that you have full coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If the policy lapses, the lender will be forced to insure your Toyota for a lot more money and make you pay for the expensive policy.
- Auto insurance preserves both your Toyota 4Runner and your assets. It will also pay for most medical and hospital costs for you, your passengers, and anyone else injured in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also covers legal expenses in the event you are sued. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, your auto insurance policy will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of having auto insurance are without a doubt worth the cost, especially for larger claims. Despite what companies tell you, the average driver overpays more than $865 each year so it's very important to do a rate comparison once a year at a minimum to ensure rates are competitive.
Companies offer money-saving discounts on Toyota 4Runner insurance in San Diego
Insurance is not an enjoyable expense, but you might be missing out on some discounts to help bring down the price. A few discounts will be applied when you quote, but some may not be applied and must be specially asked for before you get the savings. If you're not getting every credit available, you are throwing money away.
- Accident Forgiveness Coverage - Not necessarily a discount, but companies like Allstate and Progressive may permit one accident before raising your premiums with the catch being you have to be claim-free prior to being involved in the accident.
- Defensive Driver Discounts - Completing a safe driver course could cut 5% off your bill depending on where you live.
- Multi-Vehicle Discounts - Purchasing coverage when you have several vehicles with one company can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Organization Discounts - Joining qualifying employment or professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates when getting a San Diego car insurance quote.
- Accident Free - Insureds who avoid accidents and claims have much lower rates in comparison with insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
- Telematics Devices - San Diego drivers who agree to allow data collection to scrutinize driving patterns by using a telematic data system such as In-Drive from State Farm or Allstate's Drivewise system may see discounts if they exhibit good driving behavior.
Drivers should understand that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though you would think all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn't make money that way. Any amount of discount will positively reduce the cost of your policy.
A list of insurance companies and the discounts they provide are included below.
- Progressive offers discounts for multi-policy, online quote discount, online signing, good student, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and continuous coverage.
- SAFECO has savings for teen safe driver, drive less, anti-lock brakes, bundle discounts, teen safety rewards, and accident prevention training.
- American Family may offer discounts for accident-free, Steer into Savings, good student, multi-vehicle, bundled insurance, and early bird.
- MetLife may include discounts for good driver, multi-policy, claim-free, defensive driver, and accident-free.
- GEICO offers discounts including federal employee, daytime running lights, emergency military deployment, military active duty, and defensive driver.
- The Hartford policyholders can earn discounts including bundle, driver training, good student, air bag, anti-theft, vehicle fuel type, and defensive driver.
If you want cheaper San Diego car insurance quotes, ask each company or agent to apply every possible discount. Depending on the company, some discounts may not apply in your state. To find companies that provide some of the discounts listed above in San Diego, click this link.
Car insurance quotes from local San Diego insurance agencies
Certain consumers would rather buy from a licensed agent and that is just fine! Professional insurance agents can answer important questions and help file insurance claims. A good thing about getting online price quotes is that drivers can save money and get lower premium rates and still buy from a local agent. And buying from local agents is especially important in San Diego.
By using this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is immediately sent to agents in your area that give free quotes for your coverage. You don't have to leave your house because prices are sent to you instantly. If you want to quote rates from a particular provider, just go to their quote page and submit a quote form there.
If you want to buy car insurance from local San Diego agents, it helps to know the two different types of agents to choose from. Car insurance policy providers can be described as either independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer. Both can sell affordable car insurance policies, but it's worth learning the difference in the companies they write for because it may have an impact on the selection process.
Independent Car Insurance Agents
These agents are not locked into one company and that allows them to write policies amongst many companies depending on which coverage is best. If they find a cheaper price, they simply move your policy to a different company and you won't have to switch agencies. When comparison shopping, we highly recommend that you include at least one independent agent so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare. Most also write with small regional insurance companies that many times have cheaper rates.
Below is a partial list of independent agencies in San Diego who may be able to give you price quotes.
- San Diego Insurance
4411 Mercury St #105b - San Diego, CA 92111 - (858) 565-6695 - View Map - Curtis Moring Insurance Agency Inc.
5425 Oberlin Dr #201 - San Diego, CA 92121 - (619) 718-7578 - View Map - ARROWHEAD General Insurance Agency, Inc.
701 B St #2100 - San Diego, CA 92101 - (619) 744-5000 - View Map
Exclusive Agents
Agents that elect to be exclusive have only one company to place business with and some examples include State Farm, Allstate and AAA. These agents are not able to compare rates from other companies so they really need to provide good service. These agents receive extensive training in insurance sales which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates. Consumers frequently use the same exclusive agent partially due to the prominent brand name rather than having low rates.
The following are San Diego exclusive agents that are able to give price quote information.
- David Hiser - State Farm Insurance Agent
910 Grand Ave #205 - San Diego, CA 92109 - (858) 272-2343 - View Map - Farmers Insurance: James Calafata
4325 Cass St - San Diego, CA 92109 - (858) 483-7171 - View Map - Farmers Insurance - Aaron Farmer
7960 Silverton Ave #202 - San Diego, CA 92126 - (858) 689-0466 - View Map
Finding a good insurance agent should depend on more than just the bottom line cost. Here are some questions you might want to ask.
- Is the agent CPCU or CIC certified?
- Can they help ensure a fair claim settlement?
- What is their Better Business Bureau rating?
- How long has their agency been in business in San Diego?
- Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
- Do they have cheaper tiers of coverage?
- Does the agency have a current Errors and Omissions policy?
Detailed coverages of your car insurance policy
Having a good grasp of your policy helps when choosing the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Car insurance terms can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Medical payments and PIP coverage
Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for immediate expenses such as pain medications, ambulance fees, nursing services, rehabilitation expenses and prosthetic devices. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle's occupants from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family and damage to your Toyota 4Runner.
Due to the fact that many California drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (which is 15/30/5), it doesn't take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Normally these limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Auto collision coverage
Collision insurance pays for damage to your 4Runner resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision can pay for claims such as driving through your garage door, sustaining damage from a pot hole and hitting a parking meter. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to increase the deductible on your 4Runner in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Comprehensive auto coverage
This will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims like damage from a tornado or hurricane, hitting a deer and rock chips in glass. The maximum amount your car insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle's value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Liability car insurance
This coverage provides protection from damage or injury you incur to other people or property that is your fault. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see policy limits of 15/30/5 which stand for $15,000 in coverage for each person's injuries, $30,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $5,000. Occasionally you may see a combined limit which limits claims to one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability coverage pays for claims like attorney fees, medical expenses, repair costs for stationary objects, funeral expenses and medical services. How much liability coverage do you need? That is your choice, but consider buying as large an amount as possible. California requires minimum liability limits of 15/30/5 but you should think about purchasing higher limits.
The best insurance company isn't always the cheapest
Low-cost Toyota 4Runner insurance in San Diego is possible online as well as from insurance agents, and you need to price shop both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies don't offer the ability to get quotes online and these smaller providers only sell through independent insurance agents.
Drivers change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as an unsatisfactory settlement offer, extreme rates for teen drivers, high prices and not issuing a premium refund. It doesn't matter what your reason, choosing a new insurance company is not as difficult as it may seem.
When shopping online for auto insurance, you should never reduce needed coverages to save money. In many instances, someone sacrificed liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that the savings was not a smart move. The goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost, but do not skimp to save money.
Additional detailed information can be found by following these links:
- How to Avoid Staged Accidents (State Farm)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Inexperienced Drivers in San Diego? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates for Police Officers in San Diego? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for a Dodge Journey in San Diego? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest San Diego Car Insurance for High Risk Drivers? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Rates for Good Students in San Diego? (FAQ)
- Bodily Injury Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- What are my Rights when Filing a Claim? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Understanding Rental Car Insurance (Insurance Information Institute)
- Air Bags: Potential Dangers to Your Children (Insurance Information Institute)