You may have seen reports in social media that some insurance companies are notifying policyholders that they won’t be renewing coverage for their Tesla Cybertrucks. The move is controversial and getting more attention than usual because of the recent backlash against Tesla that has driven down stock prices and spawned protests and acts of vandalism around the country. But insurance companies make choices about which vehicles they will and won’t cover all the time, maintaining “do not insure” lists that have nothing to do with politics.
For example, in 2023 and 2024, at least two major auto insurance carriers temporarily stopped offering coverage for Hyundai and Kia vehicles. That remains true for several models, mostly model years 2015-21. The decision was based on those types of vehicles having a much higher rate of theft claims than average–a problem that escalated after viral videos showed how to start the cars using a screwdriver and USB cable.
Adding a vehicle to the “do not insure” list is a somewhat extreme measure, but the make, model and year of your vehicle always play a role in your auto insurance rates.
The Most and Least Expensive Vehicles to Insure
MarketWatch published a list of the most and least expensive passenger vehicles to insure in 2025. According to their report, SUVs are overall less expensive to insure. Hybrid vehicles are the second most economical, but EVs are the most expensive. They also compared ten makes. Here are the average insurance costs for each make ranked from cheapest to most expensive:
- Suburu
- Ford
- Honda
- Toyota
- Chevrolet
- Nissan
- Hyundia
- Kia
- GMC
- Tesla
The highest average monthly cost was 85% higher than the lowest.
What Vehicle Factors Impact Insurance Rates?
Progressive Casualty Insurance, the nation’s second-largest auto insurance carrier, explained some of the key factors that determine how the vehicle you choose can impact the rates you pay. The bottom line is that vehicle makes and models that statistically have more claims and more expensive claims will trigger higher premiums. For example, Progressive says that for model years 2019-2021, the Chevy Malibu accounted for 98% more bodily injury losses than the average vehicle. Unsurprising, Malibus for those model years are costlier to insure, since the insurance company expects to pay out more in claims.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has broken out the rate of claims in greater detail, listing the percentage above or below average number of claims in six categories:
- Collision
- Property damage
- Comprehensive
- Personal Injury
- Medical Payments
- Bodily Injury
The data is broken out by individual vehicle, by manufacture year, and by categories ranging from mini two seaters to specialty trucks and large luxury SUVs.
How Does Understanding Insurance Factors Help Me?
Knowing how insurance rates differ for different vehicle types, makes and models can help you save money when you’re shopping for a new vehicle. You can look up data like that offered by the IIHS above, or simply call your insurance carrier for a quote based on each of the the vehicles you’re considering.
This data can help you save more than money, though. Higher insurance rates don’t always correspond to dangers associated with the vehicle–the Kia/Hyundai example above demonstrates that. But, checking out the rate of injury claims associated with a vehicle may tell you something about its relative safety.
South Carolina Insurance Claims Can Be a Challenge
Whether your auto insurance premiums are at the high end or low, you pay them in good faith expecting the insurance company to cover you if you’re injured, your vehicle is damaged, or you injure someone else. Unfortunately, that isn’t always how it plays out. Insurance companies are in the business of making money, and minimizing what they pay out in claims improves the bottom line.
If you’ve been in an accident, it’s generally best to consult an experienced Charleston car accident lawyer before engaging with the insurance company. A seasoned local lawyer can help you avoid insurance company tactics that can make it harder to get fair compensation for your losses.