2001 Toyota 4Runner Insurance Quotes – 10 Ways to Save

Nobody I know enjoys paying for car insurance, especially when their premiums are too high. Drivers have so many car insurance companies to choose from, and although it’s nice to have multiple companies, it can be more difficult to compare rates and cut insurance costs.

Cheap Auto Insurance Comparisons

Reducing your 2001 Toyota 4Runner insurance rates isn’t really that difficult. All you need to do is invest a little time comparing price quotes online with multiple companies. This can be accomplished in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

  1. One of the simplest ways to get quotes is a comparison rater form like this one (opens in new window). This form prevents you from having to do repetitive form entry to each individual auto insurance company. Just one form gets you price quotes from several companies.
  2. A different way to compare prices is going to each company website and fill out their own quote form. For examples sake, let’s say you want to compare Progressive, State Farm and Liberty Mutual. To get each rate you have to spend time on each company’s site and enter your policy data, which is why most consumers use the first method. For a handy list of car insurance company links in your area, click here.
  3. The most time-consuming method to get comparison rates is driving around to and from local insurance agencies. Shopping for auto insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you require the professional advice that only a license agent can provide. It is possible to compare online quotes and still use a local agent. We’ll cover that shortly.

It’s up to you which method you use, but make sure you use exactly the same information with every price quote. If you enter higher or lower deductibles it will be impossible to make an equal comparison.

Do you qualify for a discount?

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but there are discounts available that you may not know about. Some trigger automatically at quote time, but a few must be inquired about before being credited. If you’re not getting every credit you deserve, you are throwing money away.

  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Low mileage vehicles can earn a substantially lower rate.
  • Drivers Education – Have your child enroll in driver’s education in school.
  • Lower Rates for Military – Having a deployed family member could mean lower rates.
  • Claim Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories can earn big discounts as compared to drivers who are more careless.
  • No Charge for an Accident – A few companies permit an accident before hitting you with a surcharge so long as you haven’t had any claims prior to the accident.
  • Senior Citizens – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive reduced rates on 4Runner insurance.
  • New Vehicle Savings – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can be considerably cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.
  • Passive Restraints – Vehicles with factory air bags or motorized seat belts may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
  • Multi-policy Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.
  • Federal Employees – Simply working for the federal government can earn a discount up to 10% on 4Runner insurance depending on your company.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So despite the fact that it appears all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck. But any discount will help reduce the cost of coverage.

Insurance companies that may have these money-saving discounts include:

Double check with each insurance company which discounts they offer. Some discounts may not be available in every state.

What coverages do I need?

When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a “best” method to buy coverage. Every insured’s situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions could help you determine if your situation would benefit from professional advice.

  • Do I need an umbrella policy?
  • I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
  • Is there coverage for injuries to my pets?
  • Where can I find DUI or SR-22 insurance?
  • Should I get collision insurance on every vehicle?
  • Is my camper covered by my car insurance policy?
  • Do I have newly-aquired coverage?

If you can’t answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It’s fast, free and may give you better protection.

Insurance coverage specifics

Understanding the coverages of your policy can help you determine the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are the normal coverages available from insurance companies.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance – This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your Toyota 4Runner.

Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked. Frequently the UM/UIM limits are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Collision coverage – This coverage will pay to fix damage to your 4Runner caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision can pay for claims like scraping a guard rail, hitting a mailbox, sideswiping another vehicle, crashing into a ditch and driving through your garage door. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Auto liability – This coverage protects you from injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property. It protects you against other people’s claims, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see values of 50/100/50 which means $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, $100,000 for the entire accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Alternatively, you may have one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which combines the three limits into one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability coverage pays for claims such as emergency aid, funeral expenses and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision) – This pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims like hail damage, vandalism, damage from getting keyed and falling objects. The highest amount your insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.

Insurance for medical payments – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for bills for things like doctor visits, ambulance fees, nursing services, X-ray expenses and EMT expenses. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Saving money makes a lot of cents

When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s not a good idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. In many instances, an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage and learned later that the savings was not a smart move. The ultimate goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.

You just read a lot of information how to compare 2001 Toyota 4Runner insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the best prices are with a lesser-known regional company. These companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than their larger competitors like Allstate or State Farm.

Even more information can be read at these sites: