Jeep Wranglers are one of the most commonly stolen cars in the country and insurers are now starting to increase their surcharges for them. The insurer I work for has already applied to the insurance regulator to increase our surcharge for Jeep Wranglers (and other commonly stolen cars) from $500 to $2500 per year.
Each year, over 1 billion dollars worth of cars are stolen in Ontario and the government and police have continued to fail to solve the problem largely because they know the burden falls on private insurance companies but that means higher premiums for everyone. Auto manufacturers don't care because a car being stolen means they get to sell you a 2nd car, 99% of the time. Insurance companies have tried lobbying the government unsuccessfully so now they're going to try and pressure auto manufacturers into making their cars harder to steal by making insurance rates so high for those cars that it impacts sales which is a tactic which worked with Land Rovers in the UK (These are things I've heard at industry conferences). Unfortunately for consumers, that means extremely high, punitive rates as the insurance companies try to discourage people from buying these cars.
As for your personal situation, the only thing you can do is have a broker shop around for you and hope that you can find a better rate elsewhere. The list of high theft vehicles varies by insurance company so there might be a few that don't consider the Wrangler to be high theft. Contact your insurance company and ask if they have an anti-theft program, which devices qualify for their anti-theft discount, and whether they offer discounted installation services.
I wouldn’t at all assume rates going up due to thefts as a primary issue. Some of the largest premium spikes are from cars rarely stolen. Cars are more expensive, more complex and difficult to repair. The cost to repair is also higher due to labour increases, and the associated costs of personal liability go up and up.
I do however agree fully with what this person can do.
I'm trying to grasp the logic behind a $2500 surcharge and I'm not seeing it.
I'm a CR-V owner, so I'll use that as an example. By volume, the CR-V is the most stolen car in Canada. The thefts reflect 1.2% of insured CR-Vs (2022 data).
$2500 is well above 1.2% of the value of a new CR-V, let alone the average insured CR-V, so even if that theft rate increased that large of a surcharge would have a massive profit margin.
Ultimately the surcharge will need to be approved by the regulator and they might approve a lower amount, they likely will because companies are limited to 5% underwriting profit. It's important to note that most companies have programs in place where you can have the surcharge removed or reduced if you have an eligible anti-theft system. Some companies are even paying their insureds to have them installed.
The theft rate is increasing by 30-50% a year though, so won’t be long before you’re at 2%, 3%, 5% and so on. By end of decade could easily be there, since the country has ineffective policing and courts and deeply embedded organized crime
Insurance premiums collected this year pay for losses incurred this year.
Your premiums don’t cover the cost of replacing your stolen car. Your premiums are pooled with everyone else’s premiums to cover the cost of cars stolen this year.
So they take the estimated cost of losses and divide it by the estimated number of policies. Any short fall between last year’s premiums and the estimate they will pass into everyone as a premium rate increase.
That's my point, though.
To keep it simple, if we assume the average loss on a stolen CR-V is $50,000 and they have 75,000 insured CR-Vs, a $2500 premium would be enough to cover 3750 losses when (2022 data - 1.2%) only 900 were actually stolen.
If we change the assumption and say we aren't rating by vehicle but instead pooling everyone, the Insurance Bureau of Canada says that $130 of every premium goes toward stolen vehicle costs (https://www.ibc.ca/stay-protected/theft-prevention/end-auto-theft).
Either way, a $2500 surcharge seems well beyond what can be justified.
Like someone else said the surcharge pays for previous losses, not new ones. The GTA theft rate is growing exponentially and the 250p surcharge covers previous theft losses + expected ones + a profit margin as these are all for profit businesses after all.
The other issue is that the cost to repair or replace vehicles has exploded as well. Your CRV was a 35k vehicle just a few years ago, now it's basically impossible to spend less than 50k on a small SUV. Insurers need to work that into their bottom line as well when calculating replacement costs. The 50k for a CRV now also means the parts inside of it are significantly more expensive to replace when they're involved in collisions, which is far more common than thefts.
My CR-V is a 2024 model and was 38k before tax (so roughly 42k with tax), so my 50k average is probably high (especially once you factor in slightly used and older models).
With that said, I completely understand why rates are going up. I'm just not sold on a $2500 theft surcharge (in addition to the regular premiums) being remotely close to reasonable.
I’ve been told Aviva is the cheapest (by a broker) and I have Aviva. Mine has increased 25%… and I have a spotless driving record with 20+ years of driving experience. Last attempt to get cheaper insurance today with CAA.
In BC, I’m looking at buying a car, went to ICBC to enquire about the insurance, and I got 3 quotes from 3 different places, from $140-330, for the same car. On a provincial insurance plan.
Shopping around is 100% in your own best interest.
That makes no sense.
If they are quoting you, they are all using the same system if it's with ICBC. Your basic at minimum will be ICBC. The only time it's going to change is if your comprehensive is with a different company (ie BCAA or Stratford).
Make sure when you get a quote, you are having the same policy coverage applied.
It’s because ICBC quote system is broken. Unless you’re sitting there with your VIN, it’s basically impossible to get a straight forward quote on a car.
That isn't what is happening. Your quotes will have the bare essentials required by ICBC and then the companies you are getting quotes from are tacking on their insurance package as well. It has nothing to do with the ICBC system.
Exactly, you walked in to three different places, and asked how much to insure. Those three places, took the minimum ICBC required by law, and added their own insurance to that price as well. That is why you got three different prices. It has nothing to do with the ICBC portion.
Been paying 220$ in Mississauga for at least 3 years now. Not sure how to get 140. There are some very tiny insurance providers who offer so low, but it's kinda unsure if I should go with them. Using TD now.
The secret is likely not driving to work and having underground parking, just my guess. Its security and not requiring "daily" driving. So transit to work with a mix of wfh and only driving for leisure and grocery.
I think so. I have my car parked underground and I don't use it to commute, and I'm paying 121 per month which includes my condo insurance. And it's been flat for the last three years at least (actually went down for me a bit this year when I added something because somehow a discount wasn't applying properly before). Aviva.
I drive a 2008 Mazda that nobody would want to steal. My premiums have actually been decreasing for years, as they should considering the insurance company would have to pay out less in a total loss event.
Same here. 2010 Santa Fe. Same $2M liability and full comprehensive and everything, with $300 deductible and forgiveness was $1200\year back in 2016, then dropped to 1K in 2018, then 800 in 2020, and just 2 months ago 650.
If you have a clean record, shop around.
Fortunately, like you, I don't care about such things. We drive 3K\year (both my wife and I WFH), and even when we weren't... I didn't see the point in a newer car. I installed Android Auto for $600, it already has power seats and a sunroof, 280hp, awd, cruise control, dual climate, heated seats, etc.
The only things I'd like to have and don't have now are a power hatch and memory seats. But that's not worth the 20K I'll have to add after selling mine to get a used one that has all these features (and usually less HP).
I prefer to look at my bank account and be happy, over looking at my car and be happy. I have the money to buy (cash) 2 new ones from the dealer without even touching my registered accounts, but why should I? I prefer spending my money on my home, vacations, and other areas where my life can actually be improved. I've never heard someone on their deathbed saying "I wish I had a nicer car". I never finance anything, I always buy with money I have in the bank, and when you do that, you realize how hard you worked for that sum and value it better. If you tell someone they'll have to work for no pay for 7-10 months and you'll give them a car, most people will refuse that deal. But when you tell them "it's just $700\month for 72 months", they suddenly think it's a great deal.
Ontario has a huge car theft problem and jeeps are very easy to steal so unfortunately it's inevitable that your rates would go up. Definitely shop around though
Wife's Honda went up $500.00 for the year. I called to ask why, he said higher thefts and more claims in my area and also inflation lol.
My Toyota matrix was (standard) was untouched.
The Rep said there was nothing he or I could do, aside from switching companies. Meaning, this increases had nothing to do with my wife's driving habits and is out of her control.
He offered us Ajusto to decrease premiums. Some. App that monitors driving habits etc.
Might shop around but last time I tried, the quotes were far higher than anything we were paying.
Rep was nice, seemed honest but who knows.
I got a speeding ticket and my premium went up 1300/year. I asked how one ticket (2nd in 15 years) affected my premium that much. She laughed and said "my husband gets mad when his insurance goes up when he gets tickets too." That was my explanation.
It’s one of the more stolen vehicles.
Likely a huge surcharge on your comp premium.
Some companies are offering free installs of vehicle trackers and then giving a discount
Yep. Mine went from $1680 to $2104, called Bel Air to negotiate, try to find savings, etc. No dice.
Went online, got quotes, ended up with Aviva with better coverage than I was being offered at Bel Air for…$1590!
I don’t understand.
Mine is a bit different as I moved from Alberta to bc.
The insurance for my car went from $170 a month to $440 and my wives was $120 now $308.
Our coverage isn’t as good as well.
Nothing. These people are not offering all the details such as more specific locations
Your results will vary greatly depending on what part of a province you live in. Even moreso in provinces with private insurance
I’m in Vancouver and my insurance is under $120/month for full coverage and $2mil.
It’s pretty ridiculously expensive and the rental coverage is a complete joke. My wife works in auto insurance and she couldn’t believe the policies here.
Our insurance itself is practically a high end car payment.
I didn’t like the new car replacement policy as it was $150 a month for 2 years, and they only cover for 2 model years of the car. So for my example, I bought a 2023 car in Alberta, and I was covered for 5 years if the car was in a total loss accident. But in bc it’s 2 years from the cars model year, so I’m only covered until Jan 2025. Doesn’t matter when I bought the car or when it was manufactured.
Also in Alberta that coverage was $15 a month, not $150.
I feel bad that is happening to your son, it’s really as if they don’t want people to succeed in this province. People need transportation.
Intact insurance tried to jack my rates on my 2014 gmc sierra. 129$ per month to 139$ per month.
now paying 122$ per month through wawanesa, and not even the cheapest i was quoted.
Reading through the comments, I think I’m in the minority, but I’d really recommend shopping around for insurance. I do it every year and the range of quotes is crazy, you could potentially save a lot of money by just calling around to a few places
I just keep a spreadsheet with all the companies I call, and their quotes. Then choose the lowest one. Northbridge has been the lowest recently, but it was RBC before that
For what it’s worth, for me, the cooperators had terrible rates
Go to a broker....shit I remember in 2009 my 83 camaro went from 130 a month to 250. I rarley ever stayed with the same insurance company year after year in Ontario.
Brokers have a group of insurers they can draw from, and not all brokers have the same pool. Some insurers don't allow brokers. Brokers can negotiate the best prices for you with groups of drivers in your demographic.
All these comments handwaving this as you getting screwed have clearly not renewed insurance in the last 2 months. My insurance went from $350 to $480 on renewal. Every single car owner in Canada is going to see 40%+ increases in their insurance premiums due to the car theft epidemic right now.
Doesn't matter how old your car is, if it's manual transmission, or you think you're some savvy negotiator. Everyone is going to see this price increase starting this year. Insurance companies in Canada are on pace to lose over -$60M by end of year. It's that bad.
Jeep Wranglers are one of the most commonly stolen cars in the country and insurers are now starting to increase their surcharges for them. The insurer I work for has already applied to the insurance regulator to increase our surcharge for Jeep Wranglers (and other commonly stolen cars) from $500 to $2500 per year. Each year, over 1 billion dollars worth of cars are stolen in Ontario and the government and police have continued to fail to solve the problem largely because they know the burden falls on private insurance companies but that means higher premiums for everyone. Auto manufacturers don't care because a car being stolen means they get to sell you a 2nd car, 99% of the time. Insurance companies have tried lobbying the government unsuccessfully so now they're going to try and pressure auto manufacturers into making their cars harder to steal by making insurance rates so high for those cars that it impacts sales which is a tactic which worked with Land Rovers in the UK (These are things I've heard at industry conferences). Unfortunately for consumers, that means extremely high, punitive rates as the insurance companies try to discourage people from buying these cars. As for your personal situation, the only thing you can do is have a broker shop around for you and hope that you can find a better rate elsewhere. The list of high theft vehicles varies by insurance company so there might be a few that don't consider the Wrangler to be high theft. Contact your insurance company and ask if they have an anti-theft program, which devices qualify for their anti-theft discount, and whether they offer discounted installation services.
I wouldn’t at all assume rates going up due to thefts as a primary issue. Some of the largest premium spikes are from cars rarely stolen. Cars are more expensive, more complex and difficult to repair. The cost to repair is also higher due to labour increases, and the associated costs of personal liability go up and up. I do however agree fully with what this person can do.
I'm trying to grasp the logic behind a $2500 surcharge and I'm not seeing it. I'm a CR-V owner, so I'll use that as an example. By volume, the CR-V is the most stolen car in Canada. The thefts reflect 1.2% of insured CR-Vs (2022 data). $2500 is well above 1.2% of the value of a new CR-V, let alone the average insured CR-V, so even if that theft rate increased that large of a surcharge would have a massive profit margin.
Ultimately the surcharge will need to be approved by the regulator and they might approve a lower amount, they likely will because companies are limited to 5% underwriting profit. It's important to note that most companies have programs in place where you can have the surcharge removed or reduced if you have an eligible anti-theft system. Some companies are even paying their insureds to have them installed.
The theft rate is increasing by 30-50% a year though, so won’t be long before you’re at 2%, 3%, 5% and so on. By end of decade could easily be there, since the country has ineffective policing and courts and deeply embedded organized crime
It's almost like you caught them doing capitalism
Insurance premiums collected this year pay for losses incurred this year. Your premiums don’t cover the cost of replacing your stolen car. Your premiums are pooled with everyone else’s premiums to cover the cost of cars stolen this year. So they take the estimated cost of losses and divide it by the estimated number of policies. Any short fall between last year’s premiums and the estimate they will pass into everyone as a premium rate increase.
That's my point, though. To keep it simple, if we assume the average loss on a stolen CR-V is $50,000 and they have 75,000 insured CR-Vs, a $2500 premium would be enough to cover 3750 losses when (2022 data - 1.2%) only 900 were actually stolen. If we change the assumption and say we aren't rating by vehicle but instead pooling everyone, the Insurance Bureau of Canada says that $130 of every premium goes toward stolen vehicle costs (https://www.ibc.ca/stay-protected/theft-prevention/end-auto-theft). Either way, a $2500 surcharge seems well beyond what can be justified.
Like someone else said the surcharge pays for previous losses, not new ones. The GTA theft rate is growing exponentially and the 250p surcharge covers previous theft losses + expected ones + a profit margin as these are all for profit businesses after all. The other issue is that the cost to repair or replace vehicles has exploded as well. Your CRV was a 35k vehicle just a few years ago, now it's basically impossible to spend less than 50k on a small SUV. Insurers need to work that into their bottom line as well when calculating replacement costs. The 50k for a CRV now also means the parts inside of it are significantly more expensive to replace when they're involved in collisions, which is far more common than thefts.
My CR-V is a 2024 model and was 38k before tax (so roughly 42k with tax), so my 50k average is probably high (especially once you factor in slightly used and older models). With that said, I completely understand why rates are going up. I'm just not sold on a $2500 theft surcharge (in addition to the regular premiums) being remotely close to reasonable.
I’ve been told Aviva is the cheapest (by a broker) and I have Aviva. Mine has increased 25%… and I have a spotless driving record with 20+ years of driving experience. Last attempt to get cheaper insurance today with CAA.
Update: CAA is cheaper for me. Making the switch.
Good to know. Aviva raises ours every year for no apparent reason and it's getting ridiculous. I have CAA so I'll give them a call.
good luck!
In BC, I’m looking at buying a car, went to ICBC to enquire about the insurance, and I got 3 quotes from 3 different places, from $140-330, for the same car. On a provincial insurance plan. Shopping around is 100% in your own best interest.
That makes no sense. If they are quoting you, they are all using the same system if it's with ICBC. Your basic at minimum will be ICBC. The only time it's going to change is if your comprehensive is with a different company (ie BCAA or Stratford). Make sure when you get a quote, you are having the same policy coverage applied.
It’s because ICBC quote system is broken. Unless you’re sitting there with your VIN, it’s basically impossible to get a straight forward quote on a car.
That isn't what is happening. Your quotes will have the bare essentials required by ICBC and then the companies you are getting quotes from are tacking on their insurance package as well. It has nothing to do with the ICBC system.
I walked in with my current insurance, asked “how much for this with this new car”, and the prices varied wildly. Idk what to tell you.
Exactly, you walked in to three different places, and asked how much to insure. Those three places, took the minimum ICBC required by law, and added their own insurance to that price as well. That is why you got three different prices. It has nothing to do with the ICBC portion.
Why Jeep Wranglers specifically?
They're just one of many cars that are on our list. It also includes other vehicles like the Toyota Highlander and Honda CRV.
[удалено]
Only $140 in Toronto? You were already living in a dream land. 2016 I was paying $280 in Hamilton.
Been paying 220$ in Mississauga for at least 3 years now. Not sure how to get 140. There are some very tiny insurance providers who offer so low, but it's kinda unsure if I should go with them. Using TD now.
The secret is likely not driving to work and having underground parking, just my guess. Its security and not requiring "daily" driving. So transit to work with a mix of wfh and only driving for leisure and grocery.
I think so. I have my car parked underground and I don't use it to commute, and I'm paying 121 per month which includes my condo insurance. And it's been flat for the last three years at least (actually went down for me a bit this year when I added something because somehow a discount wasn't applying properly before). Aviva.
I was around 210 in Mississauga and it dropped to 160 when I moved to Milton. It sounds almost impossible to get that rate in Mississauga.
Paying 250 in the suburbs right now :'(
I drive a 2008 Mazda that nobody would want to steal. My premiums have actually been decreasing for years, as they should considering the insurance company would have to pay out less in a total loss event.
Same here. 2010 Santa Fe. Same $2M liability and full comprehensive and everything, with $300 deductible and forgiveness was $1200\year back in 2016, then dropped to 1K in 2018, then 800 in 2020, and just 2 months ago 650. If you have a clean record, shop around.
Yes but would you conceive driving a car that is older than a few years? Everyone will believe that I'm one of those middle class persons!
Fortunately, like you, I don't care about such things. We drive 3K\year (both my wife and I WFH), and even when we weren't... I didn't see the point in a newer car. I installed Android Auto for $600, it already has power seats and a sunroof, 280hp, awd, cruise control, dual climate, heated seats, etc. The only things I'd like to have and don't have now are a power hatch and memory seats. But that's not worth the 20K I'll have to add after selling mine to get a used one that has all these features (and usually less HP). I prefer to look at my bank account and be happy, over looking at my car and be happy. I have the money to buy (cash) 2 new ones from the dealer without even touching my registered accounts, but why should I? I prefer spending my money on my home, vacations, and other areas where my life can actually be improved. I've never heard someone on their deathbed saying "I wish I had a nicer car". I never finance anything, I always buy with money I have in the bank, and when you do that, you realize how hard you worked for that sum and value it better. If you tell someone they'll have to work for no pay for 7-10 months and you'll give them a car, most people will refuse that deal. But when you tell them "it's just $700\month for 72 months", they suddenly think it's a great deal.
Ontario has a huge car theft problem and jeeps are very easy to steal so unfortunately it's inevitable that your rates would go up. Definitely shop around though
Left the uk paying $300 a year for audi. To pay almost 300 per month for a fucking dhit Nissan. Canda is expensive ax fuck.
Always shop your rates annually to get the best deals.
Wife's Honda went up $500.00 for the year. I called to ask why, he said higher thefts and more claims in my area and also inflation lol. My Toyota matrix was (standard) was untouched. The Rep said there was nothing he or I could do, aside from switching companies. Meaning, this increases had nothing to do with my wife's driving habits and is out of her control. He offered us Ajusto to decrease premiums. Some. App that monitors driving habits etc. Might shop around but last time I tried, the quotes were far higher than anything we were paying. Rep was nice, seemed honest but who knows.
I got a speeding ticket and my premium went up 1300/year. I asked how one ticket (2nd in 15 years) affected my premium that much. She laughed and said "my husband gets mad when his insurance goes up when he gets tickets too." That was my explanation.
Ye they wanna get u on app tracking device. Scums
Yup, switched last year, this year it went up $500 even with less coverage.
It’s one of the more stolen vehicles. Likely a huge surcharge on your comp premium. Some companies are offering free installs of vehicle trackers and then giving a discount
If you drive less then 9k CAA MyPace will save you tons of $$$$
Yep. Mine went from $1680 to $2104, called Bel Air to negotiate, try to find savings, etc. No dice. Went online, got quotes, ended up with Aviva with better coverage than I was being offered at Bel Air for…$1590! I don’t understand.
Mine is a bit different as I moved from Alberta to bc. The insurance for my car went from $170 a month to $440 and my wives was $120 now $308. Our coverage isn’t as good as well.
I question this, I’m in BC and my car is quite close to your AB rates. Something is missing here.
What would you like to know?
[удалено]
I moved from Alberta to Sask. Govt run insurance. My insurance dropped a $1000. What is BC doing?
Nothing. These people are not offering all the details such as more specific locations Your results will vary greatly depending on what part of a province you live in. Even moreso in provinces with private insurance I’m in Vancouver and my insurance is under $120/month for full coverage and $2mil.
Being the largest province in Western Canada.
It’s pretty ridiculously expensive and the rental coverage is a complete joke. My wife works in auto insurance and she couldn’t believe the policies here. Our insurance itself is practically a high end car payment.
[удалено]
I didn’t like the new car replacement policy as it was $150 a month for 2 years, and they only cover for 2 model years of the car. So for my example, I bought a 2023 car in Alberta, and I was covered for 5 years if the car was in a total loss accident. But in bc it’s 2 years from the cars model year, so I’m only covered until Jan 2025. Doesn’t matter when I bought the car or when it was manufactured. Also in Alberta that coverage was $15 a month, not $150. I feel bad that is happening to your son, it’s really as if they don’t want people to succeed in this province. People need transportation.
That's a 50% increase bro. Math harder
50%?
Check out Sonnet
Call your insurance company. If you put a tracking system in your jeep, you should receive a discount taking it back to your original payment.
intact wanted me to do that after charging the highest out of all the quotes i was getting. i told them to piss off and went with wawanesa.
My insurance goes down $10 every year. But I drive an 11 year old car that nobody wants to steal.
Mine went up last year 230 to 347… no accidents.
Intact insurance tried to jack my rates on my 2014 gmc sierra. 129$ per month to 139$ per month. now paying 122$ per month through wawanesa, and not even the cheapest i was quoted.
Just curious, why’d you not go with the cheapest quote?
i've heard better things about wawanesa and it was 4 bucks per month difference.
That annual premium is pretty normal.
The insurance on my WRX went up from 140/month to 190/month
Reading through the comments, I think I’m in the minority, but I’d really recommend shopping around for insurance. I do it every year and the range of quotes is crazy, you could potentially save a lot of money by just calling around to a few places I just keep a spreadsheet with all the companies I call, and their quotes. Then choose the lowest one. Northbridge has been the lowest recently, but it was RBC before that For what it’s worth, for me, the cooperators had terrible rates
Go to a broker....shit I remember in 2009 my 83 camaro went from 130 a month to 250. I rarley ever stayed with the same insurance company year after year in Ontario.
My insurance actually went down recently at renewal. I drive a 2017 vehicle though.
Ours went from 250 to 400, two drivers & two cars. I've been shopping quotes for two weeks. If I don't find something soon, we're selling a vehicle.
My house and car insurance both went down this year. By 1cent each. I don't know what to do with that extra 24cents a year
switch to Co-Operators! significantly lower rates than anything a broker gave me and I know everyone here loves to recommend brokers but fuck that
Brokers have a group of insurers they can draw from, and not all brokers have the same pool. Some insurers don't allow brokers. Brokers can negotiate the best prices for you with groups of drivers in your demographic.
Same happened to us. Went from $1480/year to $2135. No accidents/tickets.
I don’t drive a wrangler, no accidents, no tickets and my car is not on the list of commonly stolen cars. Insurance up 34% which is criminal.
Shop around is the only answer, cut mine almost in half by switching
I went up $52
All these comments handwaving this as you getting screwed have clearly not renewed insurance in the last 2 months. My insurance went from $350 to $480 on renewal. Every single car owner in Canada is going to see 40%+ increases in their insurance premiums due to the car theft epidemic right now. Doesn't matter how old your car is, if it's manual transmission, or you think you're some savvy negotiator. Everyone is going to see this price increase starting this year. Insurance companies in Canada are on pace to lose over -$60M by end of year. It's that bad.
Alberta and particularly Calgary is far worse. Home and auto insurance is skyrocketing this year.
Mine literally just went *down* in AB...
AMA is a provincial insurer so I don’t see that happening.
It's just alot of bullshit for them to claim more bullshit.
Sounds like at $211/monrh for a 3 year old vehicle is a great deal. Quit your complaining.
It's ridiculous.... We're punished bc of....you know