Edmunds Answers questions

Best insurance company for teen drivers?

glenwatkins — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 04:08:22 GMT

I need to get insurance for my teen. I'm sure my premiums will go through the roof. Do different insurance companies treat teen drivers better than others?

Shady Dishonest Unethical Insurance Company's

andres3 — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:46:53 GMT

Has anyone else out there dealt with truly dishonest, shady, deliberately unethical insurance companies? I was a bit young and unknowledgeable once upon a time and believed that Insurance companies existed to actually help people in times of crisis. Unfortunately, in my multiple (2 claims; yes, I should have learned my lesson after the first one) with Bristol West underwritten by Coast National Insurance and issued by agents at Eastwood Insurnace, I was unable to find a single employee that was competent, honest, straightforward, ethical, or helpful. Or if I did find such employee, they were instructed by management not to speak with me about my cases/claims. The employees chose the dispicable path and compromised their own ethics in order to listen to their bosses demands (and save their own hides and jobs I assume?).

The first claim was one where our vehicle purchased only 2 months earlier (used) was stolen. This means we had just joined this insurance company 2 months earlier (and the agent took photos of a perfectly in tact vehicle in good condition). It was recovered by a police stop/arrest about 2.5 weeks later but with significant body and paint damage. The slow appraisal process, the automatic pre-determined marking of "prior existing damage," so that you have to appeal the appraisal and then waste/stall 2 more weeks. So it was over 4 weeks (since the vehicle was recovered) until the vehicle was even approved properly and correctly for repair at their chosen body shop! Then the body shop did shady work.

Second claim was denied for uninsured property damage when an uninsured hit our car from the rear. They said we didn't have UMPD, but only UMBI. I stated that I had asked for the coverage of $3,500 on UMPD verbally in person twice, over the phone (3rd attempt), by fax (4th and final attempt) and they just had an admitted "examiner error" as they called it. So they claimed to have never added or charged me for UMPD, which is technically correct, but in CA they are required to provide it if it is asked for! I made 4 requests, and one of them was in writing with a fax confirmation (which of course I kept knowing how incompetent they were and something might happen in the future, which it did).

Are there other insurance companies out there like this, or did I just find the worst agents at Eastwood, the worst insurance company at Bristol West, and the worst underwrite in Coast National Insurance?

Auto Insurance

sbeener8126 — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:02:01 GMT

Do you need insurance for a vehicle in storage? If so, what type of insurance is required? If not, why not?

Mandatory Auto Insurance

sbeener8126 — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:08:00 GMT

In what states is insurance mandatory?

Auto Theft

sbeener8126 — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 14:28:38 GMT

How will insurance help in case of auto theft? How can I go about getting insurance to ensure I will be covered in case of auto theft?

Salvaged Title

sbeener8126 — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 14:29:11 GMT

Are you able to insure a car if it has a salvaged title?

Rental Car Insurance

sbeener8126 — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 14:29:59 GMT

What is the deal with car insurance and rental cars?

Hit & Run Insurance

sbeener8126 — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 14:31:04 GMT

What can I do to insure myself if a hit and run was to occur? What type of insurance coverage can I get for these incidents before they might occur?

Safety Ratings

sbeener8126 — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:22:34 GMT

How do auto insurance companies determine their safety ratings?

which is a good insurance company ?

gman24 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:27:56 GMT

which companies are good ?

What is the cheapest insurance for a leased car

gman24 — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:09:40 GMT

what is the cheapest insurance for a leased car?

Liberty Mutual 50% cheaper than AAA?

manku — Sat, 10 May 2008 23:12:11 GMT

Long time AAA insurer (11 yrs), best rate IMO, 3300/yr for 2008 MBZ E350/2008 Audi A4 Cab 2.0...LM just offered me identical insurance for 50% less. 42yrs old.live in socal.

AAA great service, esp with claims (haven't had one in 5 yrs, knock on wood). I have no tickets either.

Is Liberty Mutual decent (seems to be OK, per Consumer Reports)? I'm having a difficult time figuring out why I shouldn't save 1600+ per year.

Thanks.

Is there a standard insurance rating system to compare & determine which of several cars would be the least expense to insure?

mitsugeo — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:34:26 GMT

Specifically, I am trying to determine the least expensive to insure of : 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS 4cyl Sun & Sound (b02), 2009 Nissan Altima 2 door 4 cyl, or a 2008 Hyundai Tiburon.

Full converage

I have just changed my car insurance and saved £200. I have now recieved a demand for £130 from my last broker. Why?

bnavarro — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:49:03 GMT

can an insurance broker charge you for finding a better quote than them

I'm a medical liaison; part of my job is transporting clients to doctor's appointments. What type of insurance do I need?

odiewoof — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:31:58 GMT

My employer never told me I needed more insurance on my vehicle. Part of my responsibility is transporting clients to medical appointments in my personal car. I'm finding out several months later from individuals in other agencies that they pay a higher premium because they have to transport clients. Help!

Is insurance cheaper for convertibles?

nativetexan — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:56:27 GMT

Is insurance really cheaper for convertibles?

I have researched insurance ratings on-line at State Farm and iihs.org. The Beetle, Solara, and Miata are rated very low in insurance LOSSES for all model years.

Do these ratings hold true and result in lower insurance premiums for actual owners?

Should I be worried about my car insurance through AIG? Will it still be good if the company goes broke?

auhonda — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:11:06 GMT

We have two cars insured with AIG and I don't know what would happen if the Company goes Bankrupt. I don't want to dump them if I don't have to because of the good rates we get from them.
Thank You, Susan

Auto insurance. Moved from MA to KY. Driving record and policy conversion question.

markspinosa — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 10:15:10 GMT

I moved from MA to KY. My current auto policy was purchased / written in MA. I have been living in KY over 30 days. There was an incident that occurred in KY shortly after the move (not at fault) that has delayed my policy conversion / vehicle registration in KY.

Meanwhile, I've been receiving auto quotes from major companies. They're about 2x higher (or more) than what I currently pay for my MA policy. After talking to several people, here are the possible reasons:
1.) More auto insurance fraud in KY.
2.) Overall worse drivers in KY.
3.) Incident on my record from earler in 2008 being reported as AT FAULT in KY, when in reality, the decision was reversed after hearing, and I was found NOT AT FAULT.

My Questions:
1.) Do I really HAVE to convert my policy to an insurer in KY, or can I let it run out (about 6 more months)?
2.) Is it true that KY interprets my record (fault/no fault) differently than MA?
3.) If so, if I call the Dept. of Transportation in KY, will they fix my driving record to correctly reflect I am NOT at fault for the incident earlier this year if I provide documentation from MA?
4.) What should my next steps be? How long do I have to take them?

Buying a new car this week; have insurance on current car. What covers my new car while I wait for the policy change?

thyme31 — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:57:22 GMT

My current insurance is for a 1998 Ford Escort, and I will be buying a 2009 Nissan Altima.

Do I need to purchase car insurance for a car rental of 2 days if I carry comprehensive and collision on my own car?

debjeff — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:32:09 GMT

My car is being repaired under a warranty. The dealership is allowing me to rent a car, free-of-charge. I will return the car within 2 days. I carry comprehensive and collision insurance on my car. I am aware that I will need to provide gas upon the return of the car. Do I need to purchase separate insurance as well?

Deciding between a new 2008, certified pre-owned 08 or 09 or new 09? How do these differ in insurance rates?

dor3 — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 02:29:06 GMT

I am in need of an AWD/4 WD for the Utah snow - I plan to purchase 1st week of April. I desire a compact SUV. I really want a Subaru Forester - but other manufacturers are offering better deals. I just wonder how the year and if CPO can affect insurance rates. I have been out of the country for 2+ years - so I have no recent insurance in US. My track record with State Farm in GA was clear (1 accident - not my fault) and All State in MI - no claims. Will a no claims letter from Dubai help? - help!

I'm 24, never had personal car insurance. When getting insurance quotes is it okay to exaggerate on some questions?

jrpoole — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 22:36:11 GMT

New car insurance, first time buyer.

When you buy a new car, how long do you have before it has to be on your insurance policy?

gilli — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 19:28:23 GMT

Just bought 2 new cars but can only add one more to insurance. One of the old cars is a lease that will be going back next month. Don't really want to start a new policy for a short time

Why are insurance companies charging more now for economy cars?

tmac724 — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:00:47 GMT

My insurance company wants $900.00 more for a new Chevy Cobalt than my Blazer. What is going on now? There goes the gas savings, which is why I wanted the smaller car. We're screwed.

What is the most one would pay for high risk insurance on a $6000.00 car?

patann — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:10:31 GMT

Trying to set up a budget for a young man who wants to purchase a 6000.00 auto and will need high risk insurance. What is the highest high rate cost estimate? Thank you.

Can I insure a home van conversion, Fiat Scudo, now a 6 seat mini motorhome?

pamela18 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:30:14 GMT

We're trying to insure our van for ourselves (over 50) and our son and daughter in law from Australia. Today we've been told by 3 insurers that they don't insure Australians, and further that they won't touch our van because we converted it ourselves. Can anyone help?

Other driver hit my parked car.

Paricool — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:10:26 GMT

I have parked my car in from of the home .Other car driver hit my car while he was backing up his car.
Car had a huge dent on left side Door. We have called the police and officer asked us to exchange the information.Other driver did not provided the Insurance information as the car he was driving was not registered to his name. I have filled the claim with my Insurance and provided the information of other driver as I m at no fault so they will claim adjusted with other party. Other driver is not responding to phone calls neither to me not to my insurance company what options do I have now? Thanks

Why does your car insurance increase when you remove a car from the policy?

hilversum — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:27:56 GMT

My car insurance premium increased when I dropped one car from the 3 cars that are insured on this policy. Shouldn't the premium be less, not more ?

What is the required insurance policy for bank owned car?

gman24 — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:15:02 GMT

what is a required insurance policy for bank owned car?

is it legal to move a car from seller to my property with no tax or mot

emski21 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:28:23 GMT

I want to move a car from approx 7 miles from seller to my home to repair and drive but it has no mot certificate or tax paid. I'd like to know if I can legally drive it to my property (fiat punto m reg)

Is there an insurance company that covers High Performance Driver Education track events?

aerojohn — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:31:42 GMT

Non-competitive, untimed High Performance Driver Education (HPDE)events are sponsored by clubs such as BMW Club, Porsche Club, Sports Car Drivers Assoc (SCDA) and Chin Motorsports. They are not racing events but are held at race tracks with instructors and supervision. Most typical insurance companies do not cover vehicle or property damage for these event, yet the HPDE activity is a growing and popular activity.

Is it more expensive or cheaper to insure a 1969 Plymouth Valiant?

10EM28 — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:56:36 GMT

I just got a 1969 Plymouth Valiant, but was wondering if insure was more expensive or cheaper?

Anyone know the companies that insure tires?

missy61952 — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:04:00 GMT

I have Lexus and Audi. We bought tire insurance from the dealers 3 years ago and now have to do it again. Anyone know the companies that provide tire insurance and how to contact them rather than going thru the dealer?

Insurance cost for a 2005 Ferrari F1 (estimate, range)?

effone — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:40:05 GMT

What could the estimated insurance cost for a 2005 Ferrari f430 F1 (in CT) be? I'm looking for a range as many factors will influence it.

Will a speeding ticket in PA increase my premiums with NY Geico insurance? 90 in a 65 zone.

marisohn — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 12:05:33 GMT

I have had geico for about 6 months. There is a prior ticket on my record for stopping in a crosswalk in NY. Geico raised my premium a bit for that. I am wondering if I should hire a traffic lawyer for the trial date. I would rather do that and not miss work for the day. A PA lawyer informed me that paying the ticket & pleading guilty would not add points to my NYS license, but he was unsure whether Geico will find it. He cited some kind of tri-state agreement with NY & 2 other states but that PA is not a part of. I am not sure I trust him on this. I have looked through my policy declarations but there is no specific info about whether Geico searches in other states for violations. The main question is: Will Geico raise my premiums for a PA violation?

Anybody offered gap insurance? Had a wreck - loan would have been paid.

lmatulewicz — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:21:02 GMT

Bought a Used car, but in excellent condition. No mention of any coverage(GAP)....unfortunately within 5 months of purchase, it was hit(totaled). Thankfully no one was hurt badly(?). I must be in the dark ages...never heard of such coverage!!! Last financed a car 3 years ago! Is this new? I would have in a minute pay the monies at least for the life of the loan(3yrs)!!!! Now, there is no car and I owe to the bank!!!!
I am surprised that I was not asked by anyone if I wanted to purchase it!!!
Isn't that usually part of the end sale pitch??????? Extra money generating finances!!!!

Can more than one person be registered on a car title?

jensen6 — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:02:10 GMT

I would like to share the car title with a friend. Is this possible? We do not live at the same address.

Ideally we would also like to share car insurance, but I have a feeling that would be even more difficult.

Any thoughts?

Gap Insurance?

gloriajean2 — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 00:04:15 GMT

I have to drive on the DC beltway and I see lots of fender benders and people cut me off all the time. Does leasing gap insurance cover the deductible? If my car is wrecked and the value is more than I owe on it, will the gap insurance cover the $500 deductible?

Cheapest used car on insurance

bradguy — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:24:56 GMT

I am trying to find out what is the cheapest car or truck on insurance, past or present, auto or stick, any year, any color, any package?

Is there a website that gives me the insurance industry's classifications for various makes and models?

MS_TX — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:23:30 GMT

I'm looking at a number of cars - ranging from high performace sedans to 2 seater sports cars. Is there a source (website or service) out there that allows me to identify how the insurance industry classifies makes and models? I'm trying to figure out the impacrt of moving up the performance/sportsd car foodchain on my insurance bill. Thanks!!

Which vehicles are the least expensive to insure?

redgeminipa — Sun, 10 May 2009 10:01:49 GMT

I did a search online to see if I could find a list of the least expensive cars in general to insure. I found several websites with very different results.

I know it depends on your company and personal driving record, but there has to be something out there that gives a general list of the least expensive to insure.

I'll be in the market sometime this year to purchase another vehicle, so I'm trying to do some homework to narrow my choices for when the time comes.

Any good websites that may list this info would be greatly appreciated.

Was wondering if it is worth joining these companies like US Fidelus and Automeks to get all my Chevy Camaro repairs done?

wigal304 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:56:19 GMT

I need a lot of repair work done to my Camaro, and dont have the time to do the repairs myself. I have heard of Automeks and US Fidelus and did not know if one of these would save my money and time on my car repairs? I have a lot of repairs to be done.

Can I take out a car loan for my brother if he resides in another state? How does insurance affect such a purchase?

tiger39 — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:22:52 GMT

My brother is getting back on his feet, but cannot afford a vehicle with the interest rate he would qualify for. I am in a position to take out a loan in my name on his behalf, but I reside out of state. How can this be accomplished?

Compact 2 and 4 door cars with lower cost to insure?

mc_1_2_3 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:31:15 GMT

What compact cars tend to cost less to insure? 16 year old daughter's first car, she likes Ford Focus, Chevy Cavalier, Dodge Neon, Pontiac Sunfire, Pontiac Vibe, Honda Civic. We are looking for cheaper cars ($3000 to $4000), will not likely place collision insurance on it, liability and comprehensive only.

What does local market value of a car mean when it comes from the insurance company?

cfitzgerald — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 04:11:44 GMT

My car was hit in the drivers side rear quarter panel and the adjuster said that it was a total loss. (they Insurance company) would give me local market value of the car.

Is it cheaper to buy insurance for a leased car or bank-financed purchase, all other variables equal?

clilburn — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 15:11:38 GMT

Shopping in Florida for Hyundai Santa Fe. Numbers coming out pretty similar on buying car (with loan) or leasing. Wondering if there will be a big difference in insuring the car via lease vs purchase.

Is the Mitsubishi Eclipse considered a high risk vehicle by Insurance companies?

tjbsr2 — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 13:32:28 GMT

My son is looking at used Mitsubishi Eclipse models. I don't want him to buy anything that will be expensive to insure.

What would approximate insurance cost be on a 1996 Acura 2.5 TL sedan 4 door. A 17 year old girl would be driving this. Thank you.

miapeaches — Mon, 26 May 2008 13:30:13 GMT

I would like insurance costs on a 1996 Acura 2.5 TL sedan 4dr. my 17 yr. old daughter would be driving this. Woodstock, Ga
Thank you

Does anyone have RV PRO Care extended warranty out there? I am having issues with a claim.

bmalco — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:38:10 GMT

I recently purchased a use 1997 Southwind motor home with 46,500 miles on it I drove it for 700 miles & the transmission failed. I followed the procedure & reported this I took it to a Certified Specialist (national chain) I cant get the Pro Care people to come out & look @ it 10 day's has gone by & all we get is there will be some one there tomorrow I'm asking is this the way they operate Because it stinks.

Are there any companies in Texas who will offer GAP insurance on a vehicle I already have? (Jeep Liberty)

dabraham — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:11:56 GMT

I have a 2005 Jeep Liberty. I recently discovered that it's only worth about 1/3 of what I still owe. I'd like to get GAP insurance to protect me.