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Cars and Costs guides
Why electric vehicles cost more to insureThe repair, battery and parts costs that push EV premiums up, the theft and safety factors that pull them down, and how to price coverage before you buy.EV battery damage and insurance claimsWhen insurance pays for a damaged EV battery and when the warranty does, why minor pack damage can total a car, and what to do after a crash, flood or fire.Is your home EV charger covered?How homeowners, renters and auto policies split coverage for a home EV charger, from lightning and fire to a guest tripping on the cable.Insuring a hybrid carHow insurers price hybrids and plug-in hybrids, why their catalytic converters attract thieves, who pays for battery damage, and discounts to ask about.Tesla Insurance and real-time driving dataHow Tesla Insurance uses your car's Safety Score and FSD usage to set a monthly premium, where it is sold, and what California drivers get instead.Driver-assistance sensors and the cost of repairsWhy cameras and radar in bumpers and windshields raise repair bills, what calibration involves, and why equipped cars still cost insurers less overall.Aftermarket vs OEM parts in insurance repairsWhy insurers write estimates with aftermarket, recycled or reconditioned parts, whether they are safe, what the rules say, and how to get factory parts.Choosing a repair shop: direct repair programs and your rightsYour right to pick the body shop, how insurer direct repair networks work, the trade-offs of each choice, and what to ask any shop before it starts work.Custom parts and equipment coverageWhy a standard policy pays little for lift kits, custom wheels, wraps or audio gear, and how custom parts and equipment coverage fills the gap.OEM parts endorsements: guaranteeing factory partsWhat an OEM parts endorsement changes in a repair, which cars qualify, what it does not guarantee, and how state parts laws already protect you.Repair delays, parts shortages and running out of rental coverageWhy repairs drag on, how rental reimbursement limits run out, what the at-fault driver's insurer owes for loss of use, and what to do when rental days end.Why car repairs cost so much more than they used toThe sensors, materials, bigger vehicles, labor, parts and tariff pressures behind higher repair bills, how they reach premiums, and what you can do.Catalytic converter theft and your insuranceWhy thieves target catalytic converters, how comprehensive coverage pays for a stolen one, the deductible math, and how to make your car a harder target.IIHS and HLDI insurance loss data: what it shows about carsHow HLDI's insurance loss results work, what the 100-based scale and color ratings mean, and how to use them to compare cars before you buy.The Kia and Hyundai theft wave and insuranceWhy many 2011-22 Kias and Hyundais were easy to steal, how insurers responded, and what the software fix, class settlement and 2025 state deal provide.The most stolen cars in AmericaNICB's list of the most stolen vehicles in 2025, how it differs from HLDI's theft-rate rankings, and what owning a high-theft car means for your insurance.Safety feature and anti-theft discountsWhich airbags, brakes, crash-avoidance systems and anti-theft devices earn insurance discounts, which coverages they cut, and when an add-on device pays off.Vehicle safety ratings and insurance costsWhat IIHS and NHTSA crash ratings measure, how safety shows up in the injury and liability parts of your premium, and why safe does not always mean cheap.What to do if your car is stolenThe steps to take in the first hours after a car theft, how a comprehensive theft claim is settled, and what happens if the car turns up later.How the car you drive affects your insurance rateHow a car's price, repair costs, theft risk, size and safety feed into each part of your premium, and why two similar cars can be priced differently.Check insurance costs before you buy a carHow to price insurance on the cars you are considering before you sign, what information to have, which data to check and how to compare the total monthly cost.Insuring a used carHow to insure a used car from a dealer or private seller, the history checks to run first, and which coverages still make sense on an older car.Pickup truck insurance: costs, towing, cargo and work useHow pickups are rated, what a personal policy covers when you tow or haul, why tools and cargo need other coverage, and when work use needs commercial auto.Sports car insurance: why it costs more and how to lower itWhy sports and performance cars cost more to insure, what insurer claims data shows, which coverages to add, and practical ways to bring the premium down.Run a VIN check before you buy a used carHow to check a used car's VIN with NICB VINCheck, an NMVTIS report and NHTSA recalls, what each shows, and the signs of a cloned or flood car.What makes a car cheap to insureThe traits that keep a car's insurance cost low, from modest price and cheap repairs to low theft appeal, plus a checklist for shortlisting models.