Really, the only way to save on Nissan Pathfinder insurance is to start doing a yearly price comparison from insurance carriers who sell insurance in San Jose.
- Try to comprehend individual coverages and the factors you can control to lower rates. Many things that increase rates such as distracted driving and a lousy credit rating can be controlled by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes. Later in this article we will cover more details to help reduce premium rates and get bigger discounts that may have been overlooked.
- Compare prices from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct and exclusive agents can only give rate quotes from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while agents who are independent can give you price quotes for many different companies. Select a company
- Compare the price quotes to your existing policy and determine if there is any savings. If you can save money, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
- Give proper notification to your current agent or company of your decision to cancel your current auto insurance policy and submit any necessary down payment along with the completed application to the newly selected company. Be sure to place your new certificate verifying proof of insurance in an easily accessible location in your vehicle.
A good tip to remember is that you’ll want to compare the same deductibles and limits on each price quote and and to analyze as many companies as feasibly possible. Doing this helps ensure a level playing field and the best price selection.
We don’t have to point out that fact that car insurance companies don’t want their customers to go rate shopping. People who get price comparisons are very likely to buy a different policy because there is a great chance of finding a lower-priced policy. A study discovered that people who shopped around every year saved on average $865 a year as compared to drivers who never shopped around for cheaper prices.
If finding budget-friendly rates on Nissan Pathfinder insurance in San Jose is your goal, then learning about the best way to shop and compare coverages can make it easier to shop your coverage around.
Cheap auto insurance in San Jose, CA
The companies in the list below provide free rate quotes in California. If more than one company is shown, we recommend you click on several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
Rate information and statistics
The coverage table below highlights detailed analysis of insurance rates for Nissan Pathfinder models. Being more informed about how rates are figured is important for making informed decisions when comparing rates.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
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Pathfinder S 2WD | $256 | $488 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,424 | $119 |
Pathfinder S 4WD | $294 | $488 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,462 | $122 |
Pathfinder SE 2WD | $294 | $488 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,462 | $122 |
Pathfinder SE 4WD | $294 | $488 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,462 | $122 |
Pathfinder LE 2WD | $332 | $592 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,604 | $134 |
Pathfinder LE 4WD | $332 | $592 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,604 | $134 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Data based on single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Premium costs do not factor in specific location information which can impact auto insurance rates noticeably.
Should you raise deductibles?
When buying auto insurance, a common question is where to set your physical damage deductibles. The following insurance rates illustrate the rate difference between high and low physical damage deductibles. The first rate estimation uses a $250 comprehensive and collision deductible and the second pricing table uses a $1,000 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
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Pathfinder S 2WD | $298 | $472 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,395 | $116 |
Pathfinder S 4WD | $342 | $472 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,439 | $120 |
Pathfinder SE 2WD | $342 | $472 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,439 | $120 |
Pathfinder SE 4WD | $342 | $472 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,439 | $120 |
Pathfinder LE 2WD | $386 | $576 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,587 | $132 |
Pathfinder LE 4WD | $386 | $576 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,587 | $132 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pathfinder S 2WD | $184 | $298 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,082 | $90 |
Pathfinder S 4WD | $210 | $298 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,108 | $92 |
Pathfinder SE 2WD | $210 | $298 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,108 | $92 |
Pathfinder SE 4WD | $210 | $298 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,108 | $92 |
Pathfinder LE 2WD | $238 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,200 | $100 |
Pathfinder LE 4WD | $238 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,200 | $100 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Data based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, homeowner, claim-free, and safe-driver. Table data does not factor in garaging location in San Jose which can impact rates substantially.
Based on the figures above, using a $250 deductible costs an average of $29 more each month or $348 a year than requesting the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would have to pay $750 more to file a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you tend to have more than 26 months between claim filings, you would more than likely save some money if you choose a higher deductible.
Gender differences in auto insurance premiums
The information below compares Nissan Pathfinder car insurance rates for male and female drivers. Data assumes no claims, a clean driving record, full physical damage coverage, $500 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
Does full coverage make sense?
The illustration below shows the difference between Nissan Pathfinder insurance prices with and without physical damage coverage. The information is based on no claims or driving violations, $250 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no other discounts are factored in.
When to eliminate full coverage
There is no clear-cut rule of when to stop paying for full coverage, but there is a general convention. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is 10% or more of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.
For example, let’s assume your Nissan Pathfinder claim settlement value is $3,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, you would only receive $2,000 after paying your policy deductible. If you are paying more than $200 annually for physical damage coverage, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
There are some scenarios where only buying liability is not advised. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you must maintain physical damage coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should keep full coverage on your policy.
Why Your Insurance Prices might be higher
Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the things that go into determining insurance rates. If you have a feel for what determines premiums, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that may result in much lower annual insurance costs.
The list below includes some of the most common factors used by companies to determine your rate level.
- Filing insurance claims can cost you more – If you tend to file frequent claims, you can pretty much guarantee higher premiums or even policy non-renewal. Insurance companies in California award most affordable rates to people who only file infrequent claims. Auto insurance is intended for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
- Extra coverages you don’t need – There are quite a few additional coverages that may not really be needed when buying insurance. Coverages like rental car coverage, accident forgiveness, and extra life insurance coverage may be wasting your money. The coverages may be enticing when you first buy your policy, but if they’re wasting money eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
- More people means more accidents – Living in less populated areas of the country can save you money when trying to find low car insurance rates. Less people living in that area translates into fewer accidents. Drivers who live in large California cities regularly have much more traffic and more severe claims. Higher commute times means a statistically higher chance of an accident.
- Poor credit can mean higher premiums – Having a good credit score is likely to be a major factor in calculating your insurance rates. Insureds that have high credit ratings tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers with bad credit. Therefore, if your credit rating is low, you could be paying less to insure your Nissan Pathfinder by improving your credit score.
- Discounts for multiple policies – Most larger insurers give better rates to insureds who have multiple policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. The discount can add up to ten or even fifteen percent. Even if you already get this discount, you still need to get quotes from other companies to ensure the best deal. It’s possible to still find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
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Tickets and citations cost more than a fine – Just one ticket can increase rates to the point where it’s not affordable. Drivers with clean records get better prices than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers who have received license-revoking violations such as reckless driving or DUI may find they need to maintain a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent their license from being revoked.
The chart below shows how traffic citations and at-fault accidents impact Nissan Pathfinder car insurance costs for different age groups of insureds. The rates are based on a single female driver, full coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.
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Nissan Pathfinder claim data – Companies analyze past claim statistics when determining insurance rates. Models that are shown to have higher prevalence or dollar amount of losses will have increased rates. The information below illustrates the actual insurance loss data for Nissan Pathfinder vehicles.
For each type of coverage, the claim amount for all vehicles averaged together is considered to be 100. Numbers shown that are under 100 suggest losses that are better than average, while values that are 100 or greater point to more claims or an increased chance of a larger loss.
Nissan Pathfinder Insurance Loss Statistics Specific Nissan Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Nissan Pathfinder 4dr 2WD 99 114 83 106 101 108 Nissan Pathfinder 4dr 4WD 111 121 89 108 97 105 BETTERAVERAGEWORSEStatistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years
Discounts mean cheaper rates for Nissan Pathfinder insurance in San Jose
Some companies don’t necessarily list all their discounts very well, so the below list has some of the best known and also the more inconspicuous credits available to you.
- Payment Discounts – If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you could save up to 5%.
- Mature Driver Discount – Older drivers can get a slight reduction on a San Jose car insurance quote.
- Own a Home – Owning a house in San Jose may trigger a policy discount on car insurance because of the fact that having a home is proof of financial responsibility.
- Discounts for Multiple Vehicles – Buying a policy with more than one vehicle with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars and trucks that have anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Telematics Data – Drivers who elect to allow their insurance company to analyze driving patterns by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as State Farm’s In-Drive might get better premium rates as long as they are good drivers.
- Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts may qualify for discounts as much as 30%.
- Renewal Discounts – Some companies give discounts for buying a new policy prior to your current Pathfinder insurance policy expiring. You may see this discount when you get San Jose car insurance quotes online.
- No Claims – Good drivers with no accidents are rewarded with significantly better rates on San Jose car insurance quote when compared to drivers who are more careless.
As is typical with insurance, most credits do not apply to the whole policy. Some only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like adding up those discounts means a free policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
The chart below visualizes the comparison of Nissan Pathfinder yearly insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The premiums assume a male driver, a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with homeowner, marriage, safe-driver, claim-free, multi-car, and multi-policy discounts applied.
Large car insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are:
- Travelers offers discounts including driver training, hybrid/electric vehicle, early quote, multi-car, and continuous insurance.
- 21st Century includes discounts for air bags, driver training, student driver, teen driver, early bird, defensive driver, and automatic seat belts.
- State Farm may have discounts that include multiple policy, good student, driver’s education, safe vehicle, accident-free, good driver, and defensive driving training.
- GEICO may offer discounts for membership and employees, seat belt use, good student, military active duty, five-year accident-free, and federal employee.
- SAFECO discounts include multi-car, safe driver, anti-lock brakes, homeowner, bundle discounts, and accident prevention training.
- AAA has discounts for good student, good driver, multi-car, pay-in-full, and multi-policy.
It’s a good idea to ask all the companies which discounts can lower your rates. Some discounts might not be offered in San Jose. To see a list of insurers who offer car insurance discounts in California, click here.
Insurance is available from agents near you
Certain consumers still prefer to buy from a licensed agent and that can be a great decision Professional agents will help you protect your assets and help you file claims. A good thing about getting free rate quotes online is the fact that drivers can get lower rates and still choose a local agent. Buying from and supporting local agents is especially important in San Jose.
After filling out this short form, your coverage information is sent to local insurance agents in San Jose who will give you bids for your business. It’s much easier because you don’t need to find an agent because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. If you wish to compare prices from a specific insurance company, you would need to go to their quote page and give them your coverage information.
Is an exclusive or independent auto insurance agent right for you?
If you are wanting to purchase insurance from a reliable agent, you should know the different types of agents and how they operate. Insurance policy providers may be either independent or exclusive. Both provide insurance policies, but it’s worth mentioning how they differ since it may influence which type of agent you select.
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent insurance agents can quote rates with many companies so they can insure your vehicles with an assortment of companies and find the cheapest insurance rates. If they quote lower rates, an independent agent can move your coverage which requires no work on your part. When comparing rates, you need to get quotes from several independent agencies so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare.
The following is a short list of independent agencies in San Jose who can help you get pricing information.
Care Insurance Agency Inc
900 N 1st St E – San Jose, CA 95112 – (408) 292-2925 – View Map
Oasis Insurance Agency Inc. Branch 4
1629 Alum Rock Ave – San Jose, CA 95116 – (408) 929-6111 – View Map
LNA Insurance Agency Inc
999 Story Rd – San Jose, CA 95122 – (408) 280-5815 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Agents of this type generally can only insure with one company and some examples include Allstate, State Farm and Farm Bureau. They usually cannot give you multiple price quotes so keep that in mind. Exclusive insurance agents receive extensive training on their company’s products which helps them compete with independent agents.
Shown below is a short list of exclusive insurance agents in San Jose willing to provide comparison quotes.
Steve Sosnowski – State Farm Insurance Agent
841 Blossom Hill Rd #102 – San Jose, CA 95123 – (408) 629-4700 – View Map
Farmers Insurance
1080 Minnesota Ave # 4 – San Jose, CA 95125 – (408) 294-4348 – View Map
Jim Fiorentino – State Farm Insurance Agent
3150 Almaden Expy #204 – San Jose, CA 95118 – (408) 267-3276 – View Map
Finding the right insurance agent should include more criteria than just the bottom line cost. These questions are important to ask:
- Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
- Is there any savings for paying the full premium?
- How often do they review policy coverages?
- Do they have designations such as AIC, CPCU, or CIC?
- How will an accident affect your rates?
- Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
- Does the agent have a valid license to sell insurance in California?
Upon getting reasonable responses to these questions and low cost Nissan Pathfinder insurance quotes, it’s possible that you found an insurance agent that meets the criteria to insure your vehicles.
Auto insurance can be complex
When quoting and choosing coverage online or from an agent for your vehicles, there isn’t really a “best” method to buy coverage. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance should reflect that
For example, these questions can help discover whether or not you might need an agent’s assistance.
- Why do I only qualify for high-risk insurance?
- What is GAP insurance?
- Do I need rental car coverage?
- Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
- Does my policy pay for OEM or aftermarket parts?
- Is my Nissan Pathfinder covered for smoke damage?
- Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
- Am I covered if my car is in a flood?
- What exactly is covered by my policy?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and can provide invaluable advice.
Smart consumers save more
When searching for affordable Nissan Pathfinder insurance quotes, don’t be tempted to buy less coverage just to save a little money. Too many times, someone sacrificed uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your goal is to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price.
You just read quite a bit of information on how to compare Nissan Pathfinder insurance premium rates in San Jose. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the higher your chance of finding affordable San Jose car insurance quotes. Drivers may even discover the biggest savings come from some of the smallest insurance companies. Some small companies may have significantly lower prices on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm or Progressive.
More detailed car insurance information can be found in the articles below:
- Honda warning system reduces insurance claims (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Who Has the Cheapest San Jose Car Insurance Rates for a Toyota Corolla? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Toyota Tundra in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Choosing an Insurance Company (Insurance Information Institute)
- What are my Rights when Filing a Claim? (Insurance Information Institute)