Vehicle owners fed up with high insurance quotes and are new to comparing quotes online will find purchasing inexpensive Subaru Baja insurance in San Francisco is not as easy as it seems.
A recent survey discovered that most auto insurance buyers in California have remained with the same auto insurance company for over three years, and 38% of drivers have never quoted rates to find affordable coverage. American drivers could save $860 each year, but they don’t invest the time required to find affordable rates by getting comparison quotes.
How much is Subaru Baja insurance in San Francisco, CA?
Keep in mind that more quotes helps locate more affordable insurance. Not every company allows you to get online price quotes, so you should also compare prices from them as well.
The providers in the list below are our best choices to provide free rate quotes in California. If more than one company is shown, we recommend you get rate quotes from several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
It may be expensive, but it’s not optional
Even though San Francisco Baja insurance rates can get expensive, maintaining insurance is required in California but also provides important benefits.
- Almost all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means you are required to carry a specific level of liability coverage in order to drive the car legally. 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 have a loan on your Subaru Baja, almost every bank will force you to carry insurance to guarantee loan repayment. If the policy lapses, the lender will be forced to insure your Subaru at a significantly higher premium and require you to reimburse them the higher price.
- Auto insurance protects both your Subaru and your personal assets. It also can pay for medical expenses for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, will also pay attorney fees if you are sued as the result of an accident. If you have damage to your Subaru as the result of the weather or an accident, collision and comprehensive coverages will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of having insurance outweigh the cost, particularly for liability claims. On average, a vehicle owner in San Francisco is overpaying over $855 a year so compare rate quotes at every renewal to ensure rates are inline.
Insurance policy discounts you can’t miss
Some companies don’t always publicize every discount available in a way that’s easy to find, so the following is a list of some of the best known and also the lesser-known credits that may apply to you.
- Accident Waiver – Not really a discount, but companies like Progressive, Allstate, and GEICO allow you one accident before your rates go up with the catch being you have to be claim-free for a set time period.
- Own a Home – Being a homeowner can help you save on insurance because of the fact that having a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Good Driver Discounts – Insureds without accidents can pay as much as 50% less compared to accident prone drivers.
- Theft Deterrent Discount – Vehicles optioned with advanced anti-theft systems are less likely to be stolen and will save you 10% or more on Baja insurance in San Francisco.
- Good Students Pay Less – This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The good student discount can last up to age 25.
A quick disclaimer, most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like it’s possible to get free car insurance, you aren’t that lucky. But all discounts will bring down the amount you have to pay.
A few popular companies and some of the discounts are:
- GEICO offers premium reductions for driver training, emergency military deployment, seat belt use, good student, military active duty, multi-vehicle, and five-year accident-free.
- Mercury Insurance discounts include good student, multi-car, good driver, multi-policy, type of vehicle, age of vehicle, and location of vehicle.
- Farmers Insurance may offer discounts for electronic funds transfer, distant student, bundle discounts, alternative fuel, business and professional, and pay in full.
- Auto-Owners Insurance has savings for company car, multiple vehicles, paperless, anti-theft, and mature driver.
- Liberty Mutual policyholders can earn discounts including hybrid vehicle, newly retired, multi-policy, new vehicle discount, good student, new graduate, and preferred payment discount.
- SAFECO offers discounts for safe driver, teen safety rewards, bundle discounts, accident prevention training, drive less, multi-car, and anti-lock brakes.
- Progressive offers discounts including online signing, multi-vehicle, online quote discount, continuous coverage, and good student.
- USAA may have discounts that include good student, multi-policy, annual mileage, driver training, and multi-vehicle.
Before you buy a policy, ask every insurance company which discounts they offer. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts might not be offered in every state. To find providers that offer discounts in California, click this link.
When to talk to an insurance agency
A small number of people still like to buy from a local agent and that is a personal choice. The best thing about price shopping on the web is that drivers can save money and get cheaper prices but also keep your business local. Supporting local agencies is important especially in San Francisco.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this quick form, the coverage information is immediately sent to local insurance agents that can give you free San Francisco auto insurance quotes for your insurance coverage. It’s much easier because you don’t need to find an agent on your own because quoted prices will be sent directly to your email. Get lower rates without requiring a lot of work. In the event you want to compare rates from one company in particular, you can always find their quoting web page and fill out their quote form.
When narrowing the list to find a reliable insurance agent, there are a couple of different agency structures and how they function. Agents in San Francisco can be classified as either independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer.
Independent Insurance Agencies or Brokers
Independent insurance agents often have affiliation with several companies and that allows them to write policies with an assortment of companies and get the cheapest rates. If they find a cheaper price, they simply move your policy to a different company and you don’t have to switch agencies.
If you are comparing rate quotes, you need to compare prices from several independent insurance agents to get the most accurate price comparison. They also have the ability to place coverage with smaller regional carriers that can offer cheaper rates than bigger companies.
Below is a partial list of independent agents in San Francisco that may be able to give you free price quotes.
- Primeras Insurance Agency
3339 23rd St – San Francisco, CA 94108 – (415) 829-7312 – View Map - Sam and Associates Insurance Agency
2225 Taraval St – San Francisco, CA 94116 – (415) 665-0181 – View Map - April Insurance Agency
1788 19th Ave – San Francisco, CA 94122 – (415) 242-8100 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Agents that choose to be exclusive can only provide one company’s prices and some examples include State Farm or Allstate. Exclusive agents cannot give you multiple price quotes so it’s a take it or leave it situation. These agents are well schooled on their company’s products which helps offset the inability to provide other markets. Many people use the same exclusive agent mainly due to loyalty to the company instead of buying on price only.
The following is a short list of exclusive insurance agents in San Francisco who can help you get rate quotes.
- Rebekah Shapiro – State Farm Insurance Agent
1736 Stockton St #9 – San Francisco, CA 94133 – (415) 525-3344 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Elbert Taylor
386 29th St – San Francisco, CA 94131 – (415) 285-4800 – View Map - Toan Tieu – State Farm Insurance Agent
690 Monterey Blvd – San Francisco, CA 94127 – (415) 610-8000 – View Map
Choosing an insurance agent should depend on more than just the bottom line cost. The answers to these questions are important, too.
- When do they do policy reviews?
- Are all drivers listed on the coverage quote?
- What insurance companies do they work with in San Francisco?
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
- Does the company use OEM repair parts?
- How is replacement cost determined on your vehicle?
- Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
- What kind of financial rating does the company have?
Coverage specifics
Having a good grasp of your policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.
Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)
Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like hitting a bird, fire damage, falling objects and a broken windshield. The most your auto insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Collision protection
Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision can pay for things such as driving through your garage door, crashing into a ditch, sideswiping another vehicle and sustaining damage from a pot hole. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. Another option is to raise the deductible on your Baja to bring the cost down.
Insurance for medical payments
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for short-term medical expenses for surgery, rehabilitation expenses and X-ray expenses. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover all vehicle occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (which is 15/30/5), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Usually the UM/UIM limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Auto liability insurance
This coverage will cover damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property in an accident. It protects YOU from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for your injuries or vehicle damage.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show limits of 15/30/5 that means you have a $15,000 limit per person for injuries, $30,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $5,000 paid for damaged property. Some companies may use a combined single limit or CSL which provides one coverage limit without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage pays for claims such as loss of income, court costs, pain and suffering, medical expenses and attorney fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible. California requires drivers to carry at least 15/30/5 but it’s recommended drivers buy higher limits.
The next chart shows why buying minimum limits may not provide adequate coverage.
Compare but don’t skimp
Some insurance companies may not provide rates over the internet and many times these small, regional companies work with local independent agents. Lower-priced Subaru Baja insurance in San Francisco can be bought on the web in addition to local insurance agencies, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from.
When getting San Francisco auto insurance quotes online, you should never reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many situations where someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your strategy should be to buy enough coverage at the lowest possible cost, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
Consumers leave their current company for a variety of reasons including denial of a claim, high prices, being labeled a high risk driver or lack of trust in their agent. No matter why you want to switch, choosing a new company is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.
How to buy low-cost Subaru Baja insurance in San Francisco
If saving money is your primary concern, then the best way to get affordable Subaru Baja insurance is to start comparing rates regularly from different companies who provide car insurance in San Francisco.
- Read and learn about how car insurance works and the measures you can control to prevent expensive coverage. Many factors that result in higher rates such as speeding tickets, accidents and a negative credit rating can be controlled by paying attention to minor details.
- Request rate estimates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can only quote rates from a single company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agents can quote rates for a wide range of companies.
- Compare the quotes to the price on your current policy to see if cheaper Baja coverage is available. If you can save some money and decide to switch, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
The most important part of this process is to use similar coverage information on each quote and and to get prices from every insurance company. Doing this provides a fair rate comparison and and a good selection of different prices.
Additional detailed information is located in these articles:
- Insurance Losses by Make and Model (iihs.org)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest in San Francisco, California? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest San Francisco Car Insurance Quotes for a Chevrolet Silverado? (FAQ)
- What is Gap Insurance? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Reducing Your Risks in a Car Crash Video (iihs.org)