If you want to save the most money, the best way to get discount Toyota Tacoma insurance is to make a habit of regularly comparing prices from providers who provide car insurance in Durham. You can compare rates by following these steps.
- Learn about car insurance and the modifications you can make to keep rates in check. Many rating criteria that drive up the price such as accidents, traffic violations, and a low credit score can be controlled by making minor changes in your lifestyle. This article provides ideas to get cheaper coverage and find available discounts that you may qualify for.
- Request price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give prices from one company like GEICO and State Farm, while independent agents can give you price quotes from multiple insurance companies.
- Compare the quotes to the price on your current policy to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find a lower rate and make a switch, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
- Provide written notification to your current company to cancel your existing policy and submit any necessary down payment along with the completed application for the new policy. Make sure you safely store the proof of insurance certificate with your registration paperwork.
One important bit of advice is to compare identical deductibles and limits on every quote request and and to get rates from as many auto insurance providers as possible. Doing this enables a level playing field and the best price selection.
Unbelievable but true according to a study the vast majority of auto insurance customers have purchased from the same company for well over three years, and almost half have never taken the time to shop around. Many drivers in North Carolina can save hundreds of dollars each year by just comparing quotes, but they just assume it takes a lot of time to compare rates online.
When looking for inexpensive Durham auto insurance quotes, there are a couple ways to obtain and compare prices from many available car insurance companies in North Carolina. One of the best ways to comparison shop is to get quotes online.
It’s important to know that having more price comparisons helps improve the odds of finding a lower rate than you’re paying now.
The companies shown below can provide price quotes in North Carolina. If you wish to find cheaper auto insurance in NC, it’s a good idea that you compare several of them to find the most affordable auto insurance rates.
Why you need to buy insurance
Despite the potentially high cost of Toyota Tacoma insurance, maintaining insurance is required for several reasons.
- The majority of states have mandatory insurance requirements which means you are required to buy specific limits of liability coverage in order to get the vehicle licensed. In North Carolina these limits are 30/60/25 which means you must have $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $60,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you bought your Tacoma with a loan, almost every bank will force you to have full coverage to guarantee loan repayment. If you do not pay your insurance premiums, the bank may buy a policy for your Toyota at a much higher premium rate and force you to pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.
- Insurance preserves both your assets and your Toyota Tacoma. It will also provide coverage for many types of medical costs for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. Liability coverage also pays expenses related to your legal defense if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, your policy will pay to have it repaired.
The benefits of insuring your Tacoma definitely exceed the price paid, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. Unknowingly, the average driver is wasting up to $825 a year so compare rate quotes at every renewal to ensure rates are competitive.
Detailed insurance information
The rate information displayed below covers estimates of insurance policy prices for Toyota Tacoma models. Having knowledge of how insurance premiums are formulated can aid in making informed purchases.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tacoma 2WD | $104 | $204 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $646 | $54 |
Tacoma 4WD | $118 | $168 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $624 | $52 |
Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $118 | $204 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $660 | $55 |
Tacoma X-Runner 2WD | $118 | $240 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $696 | $58 |
Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $134 | $204 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $676 | $56 |
Tacoma Double Cab TRD Off-Road Package 4WD | $134 | $204 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $676 | $56 |
Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD | $134 | $204 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $676 | $56 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Cost estimates assume married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and North Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, safe-driver, and homeowner. Rate quotes do not factor in specific location which can influence premium rates greatly.
Physical damage deductible comparison
The hardest decision when buying coverage is which comprehensive and collision deductibles to buy. The figures shown below may help to illustrate the costs and benefits between high and low comp and collision deductibles. The first set of rates uses a $100 physical damage coverage deductible and the second data table uses a $500 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tacoma 2WD | $186 | $386 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $935 | $78 |
Tacoma 4WD | $214 | $318 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $895 | $75 |
Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $214 | $386 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $963 | $80 |
Tacoma X-Runner 2WD | $214 | $456 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $1,033 | $86 |
Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $242 | $386 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $991 | $83 |
Tacoma Double Cab TRD Off-Road Package 4WD | $242 | $386 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $991 | $83 |
Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD | $242 | $386 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $991 | $83 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tacoma 2WD | $136 | $262 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $736 | $61 |
Tacoma 4WD | $156 | $214 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $708 | $59 |
Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $156 | $262 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $756 | $63 |
Tacoma X-Runner 2WD | $156 | $308 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $802 | $67 |
Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $176 | $262 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $776 | $65 |
Tacoma Double Cab TRD Off-Road Package 4WD | $176 | $262 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $776 | $65 |
Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD | $176 | $262 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $776 | $65 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Data based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and North Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-vehicle, homeowner, safe-driver, and multi-policy. Information does not factor in vehicle location which can influence prices substantially.
Using the premium rates above, we can conclude that using a $100 deductible will cost in the ballpark of $17 more each month or $204 a year averaged for all Tacoma models than buying the higher $500 deductible. Because you would be required to pay $400 more if you turn in a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you go at a minimum 24 months between claims, you would save more money if you decide on a higher deductible.
How to calculate when to raise deductibles
Average monthly premium for $100 deductibles: | $81 |
Average monthly premium for $500 deductibles (subtract): | – $64 |
Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $17 |
Difference between deductibles ($500 – $100): | $400 |
Divide difference by monthly savings: | $400 / $17 |
Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 24 months |
One big caveat is that raising deductibles means you will have to pay more of your own money when you have a comprehensive or collision claim. You need to have enough savings in the event you need to pay more for the deductible.
Violations and accidents raise rates
The diagram below demonstrates how speeding tickets and accident claims can raise Toyota Tacoma insurance prices for each different age group. The rate quotes are based on a married female driver, comp and collision included, $250 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Cost comparison with and without full coverage
The diagram below illustrates the difference between Toyota Tacoma car insurance rates with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The costs are based on no tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, drivers are single, and no other discounts are factored in.
Guidelines for dropping full coverage
There is no clear-cut rule that is best for determining when to drop physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a general school of thought. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is about 10% or more of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s assume your Toyota Tacoma settlement value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most you would receive is $7,000 after paying your deductible. If you are paying over $700 annually for your policy with full coverage, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
There are some conditions where removing full coverage is not recommended. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you must maintain physical damage coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should not opt for liability only.
Auto insurance discounts help lower rates for Toyota Tacoma insurance in Durham
Companies don’t necessarily list the entire discount list in a way that’s easy to find, so we break down a few of the more well known and also the lesser-known auto insurance savings.
- Early Renewal Discounts – Some auto insurance companies reward drivers for switching policies prior to your current Tacoma insurance policy expiration. You could save around 10% when you buy Durham auto insurance online.
- Anti-lock Brakes – Cars and trucks with ABS braking systems or traction control are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more on Tacoma insurance in Durham.
- Defensive Driver Discount – Successfully completing a class that teaches defensive driver techniques could earn you a small percentage discount and also improve your driving technique.
- Auto/Home Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles and insure them with the same company you could save nearly 15% which can help you find cheaper Tacoma insurance.
- Accident Waiver – This one isn’t a discount, but some companies like Liberty Mutual, GEICO and Allstate will turn a blind eye to one accident without raising rates if you have no claims for a set time period.
- Club Memberships – Being a member of a professional or civic organization could qualify you for a break on your bill.
Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So even though you would think you can get free auto insurance, you aren’t that lucky.
The example below shows the comparison of Toyota Tacoma insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the rates. The premiums are based on a male driver, no tickets, no at-fault accidents, North Carolina state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with homeowner, multi-car, claim-free, multi-policy, safe-driver, and marriage discounts applied.
Larger auto insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are detailed below.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including online signing, multi-policy, online quote discount, continuous coverage, good student, homeowner, and multi-vehicle.
- MetLife may offer discounts for good student, multi-policy, defensive driver, claim-free, accident-free, good driver
- Mercury Insurance offers discounts including good driver, professional/association, location of vehicle, type of vehicle, anti-theft, multi-policy, and multi-car.
- Nationwide has discounts for defensive driving, accident-free, good student, easy pay, and Farm Bureau membership.
- GEICO offers premium reductions for membership and employees, five-year accident-free, federal employee, good student, anti-lock brakes, driver training, and seat belt use.
- AAA has savings for good student, anti-theft, education and occupation, pay-in-full, good driver, and multi-policy.
When comparing rates, check with each company to give you their best rates. Some credits might not be available to policyholders in every state. To find insurers that offer multiple discounts in North Carolina, click here to view.
When do I need an agent’s advice?
When quoting and choosing coverage online or from an agent, there really is no one-size-fits-all type of policy. Each situation is unique.
Here are some questions about coverages that may help you determine whether your personal situation may require specific advice.
- What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in North Carolina?
- Am I missing any policy discounts?
- When would I need additional glass coverage?
- Why is insurance for a teen driver so high in Durham?
- Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
- Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?
- Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
- Can my babysitter drive my car?
- Can my teen driver be rated on a liability-only vehicle?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form.
How to find a good Durham car insurance company
Ending up with the right company can be difficult considering how many different companies sell coverage in North Carolina. The company information displayed below can help you analyze which car insurance providers you want to consider when comparing rates.
Top 10 Durham Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Claims Service
- Travelers
- Nationwide
- Allstate
- State Farm
- Liberty Mutual
- GEICO
- American Family
- Esurance
- Titan Insurance
- AAA Insurance
Top 10 Durham Car Insurance Companies Overall
- Travelers
- USAA
- AAA Insurance
- Nationwide
- Allstate
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- Safeco Insurance
- Progressive
- American Family