The words “low-priced” and “insurance” really shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, specifically when you are shopping around for the lowest insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record. In an attempt to save some money, let’s start off by going over a few of the factors that significantly impact auto insurance premiums, and find out if we can help you lower the price of the next policy you buy.
Figuring out which companies have the most affordable auto insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record takes a bit more work in order to find the best policy. Each auto insurer has a different process to determine rates, so let’s take a look at the lowest cost auto insurance companies in San Francisco, CA.
Cheap Insurance Rates for Imperfect Drivers
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,109 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,181 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,190 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,198 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,250 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,379 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,477 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,488 |
| 9 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 10 | Allstate | $1,497 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,513 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,556 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,590 |
| 15 | Esurance | $1,688 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,699 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,699 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,777 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,806 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,026 |
| Find Your Rate Go | ||
USAA normally has some of the cheapest car insurance rates in San Francisco at around $1,109 annually. This is $542 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide also rank well as some of the lowest-priced San Francisco, CA auto insurance companies.
In the rate table above, if you are currently insured with Wawanesa and switched to USAA, you might realize an annual premium reduction of approximately $72. Drivers with Century National could save as much as $81 a year, and CSAA customers might see rate reductions of $89 a year.
It’s important to note that these rates are averages for all insureds and vehicles and do not factor in an exact vehicle garaging location for drivers with a bad driving record. So the insurer that has the cheapest price for you may not even be in the list above. That points out the importance of why you need to get car insurance quotes using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.
The car, truck, or SUV needing coverage is a large consideration that determines whether or not you can buy cheap coverage for drivers with a bad driving record. Vehicles with lower acceleration and performance, a plethora of safety features, or a track record of few liability claims will cost substantially less to insure than higher performance models.
The list below outlines coverage costs for a selection of the most affordable automobiles to buy coverage for.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $4,894 |
| Ford Escape XLT 4WD | $4,902 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport 4WD 2-Dr | $4,925 |
| Honda Accord LX-P 4-Dr Sedan | $4,958 |
| Toyota Prius | $4,971 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $5,290 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon | $5,296 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $5,416 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Crew Cab 2WD | $5,599 |
| Ford Edge Limited AWD | $5,714 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $5,730 |
| GMC Sierra SL Crew Cab 2WD | $5,769 |
| Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $5,807 |
| Toyota RAV4 2WD | $5,869 |
| Ford F-350 XLT Crew Cab 2WD | $5,874 |
| Get a Custom Quote Go | |
Data based on single female driver age 50, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Premium costs do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can lower or raise prices significantly.
Based upon the rates shown, you can see that models like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Jeep Wrangler, and Honda Accord are most likely going to be the cheapest vehicles to insure for bad drivers. Prices will be more expensive because of the fact that there is more risk for drivers with a bad driving record, but generally speaking those models will most likely have the best rates possible.
Insuring your vehicle with a highly-rated auto insurance company is difficult considering how many choices you have in San Francisco. The company information below could help you select which auto insurers to look at comparing rates with.
These ratings are for companies who write in the majority of U.S. states, so smaller companies that only insure vehicles in California are not taken into consideration for this list. If you’d like to compare prices from these top insurers and more, simply click here.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 98 | 100 | 100 | 94% | A++ | 98.6 |
| American Family | 98 | 89 | 100 | 86% | A | 95.4 |
| AAA of Southern California | 91 | 94 | 97 | 92% | A+ | 94.1 |
| State Farm | 88 | 93 | 96 | 90% | A++ | 92.4 |
| The Hartford | 94 | 92 | 90 | 89% | A+ | 91.7 |
| AAA Insurance | 88 | 89 | 95 | 91% | A | 91.2 |
| GEICO | 84 | 93 | 93 | 89% | A++ | 90.3 |
| The General | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88% | A- | 90 |
| Titan Insurance | 90 | 87 | 91 | 95% | A+ | 89.6 |
| Progressive | 84 | 91 | 93 | 87% | A+ | 89.5 |
| Mercury Insurance | 88 | 91 | 90 | 85% | A+ | 89.4 |
| Allstate | 85 | 90 | 92 | 88% | A+ | 89.3 |
| Nationwide | 87 | 88 | 84 | 90% | A+ | 88.7 |
| Liberty Mutual | 84 | 87 | 93 | 88% | A | 88.5 |
| 21st Century | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88% | A | 86.7 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Full coverage or liability only
Finding the cheapest auto insurance is probably important to the majority of drivers, and one of the fastest ways to pay less for insurance for drivers with a bad driving record is to only pay for liability coverage. The illustration below illustrates the comparison of insurance prices with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The data is based on no claims or violations, $100 deductibles, drivers are single, and no additional discounts are factored in.
As an overall average, full coverage on your policy costs $3,385 per year more than just insuring for liability. Lot’s of drivers question if you should buy full coverage. There is no specific rule for excluding full coverage, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the yearly cost of full coverage is more than 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
For example, let’s pretend your vehicle’s book value is $5,500 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, you would only receive $4,500 after you pay the deductible. If it’s costing in excess of $450 annually to have full coverage, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.
There are a few cases where eliminating full coverage is not recommended. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you are required to maintain full coverage in order to prevent the bank from purchasing higher-priced coverage. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should maintain full coverage.
If you like to have a professional recommendation when shopping for cheaper insurance for drivers with a bad driving record, the professional agents shown below are willing to help you determine which coverages and limits you need. To find an agent close to where you live, click the button after the list or click here to compare prices now.
Toan Tieu – State Farm Insurance Agent
690 Monterey Blvd – San Francisco, CA 94127 – (415) 610-8000
Wilson Chan – State Farm Insurance Agent
25 Division St #200 – San Francisco, CA 94103 – (415) 593-8802
Jing Lee – State Farm Insurance Agent
4444 Geary Blvd #300 – San Francisco, CA 94118 – (415) 752-8888
Primeras Insurance Agency
3339 23rd St – San Francisco, CA 94108 – (415) 829-7312
More San Francisco, CA insurance agents
Tips for buying cheaper insurance for drivers with a bad driving record
Below you’ll find many thrifty suggestions that can help drivers locate more affordable coverage.
- Home or renters coverage can save on auto insurance
- Do not pay for comprehensive and collision coverage on older vehicles
- Earn a discount by not filing claims
- Increase your comprehensive and collision deductibles
- Higher credit scores can equal lower rates
- The safer your car, the less it costs to insure
- Compare rate quotes often
The last tip is extraordinarily critical, as was noted in this article. Car insurance rates can be changed at any time, so don’t be hesitant to buy from a new company if you find a cheaper price. Many drivers prefer to stick with one company, but is isn’t recommended if that faithfulness ends up costing you hundreds every year. Take a couple minutes and compare rates to find cheaper car insurance for drivers with a bad driving record in San Francisco.