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My personal philosophy for insuring my home carries over into insuring my vehicles. Maybe even more, since my vehicle goes out in the fray of things on a regular basis, so it's exposed to even more random acts of UNkindness, while my casa stays put in one place waiting for potential trouble to come to it!

Whether you're a part-timer or a full-timer, do you insure your vehicles? Do you go native & forego insurance on the assumption you can always pay your way out? What level of coverage do you carry & why? Got a company to recommend? Any you'd avoid? Rates to share? Experiences?

I have two vehicles. A new one with full coverage and a beater for which I still have driver's license insurance, not to mention full coverage for the new one through AAA in the states. Lots of insurance.

Drivers license insurance only - in the old country just required liability. None of my fleet are worth the premiums for colision/comp. I can replace a windshield at a authorized LOF dealer for less than Comp. for a year.

Liability only, including 3rd party and legal assistance. My car is an '87 and doesn't qualify for comprehensive. Coverage costs a little under 1,500 pesos/yr with Grupa Inbursa.

What is drivers license insurance?

Old beater with just liability.

I'm already way, way ahead on saved premium for full coverage versus replacement cost.

In other words: if it's totaled now, the money I didn't spend for full coverage is way more than buying another comparable vehicle would cost.

Plus I like having a car that just screams "no money there."

Since we drive back and forth so often, we carry full coverage

Originally Posted by kate

Liability only, including 3rd party and legal assistance. My car is an '87 and doesn't qualify for comprehensive. Coverage costs a little under 1,500 pesos/yr with Grupa Inbursa.

What is drivers license insurance?

Pretty much the same thing you have, Kate, or I think you have. For only liability, you can insure your car or your license for around 145 bucks, including legal assistance.
The problem is, and many who buy it don't know this, it's for non-residents. A state-side address is required. Is that the way it is for you?
Anyway, it's not for full time residents but who knows what you are till you need to use it. If that happens, don't tell anybody you live here full time. Your insurance won't cover you.
Mexicans living here can't even buy the policy. Ask your agent about DL insurance.

Thanks, Dennis. My car is BCS plated, and everything about it is linked to my address here in La Paz. So if drivers license insurance is a US thing, it's not what I have. By insuring your license, do you mean that you're insured to drive any car on that license? Not sure if that's available here. At least I've never heard of such a thing.

Originally Posted by kate

Thanks, Dennis. My car is BCS plated, and everything about it is linked to my address here in La Paz. So if drivers license insurance is a US thing, it's not what I have. By insuring your license, do you mean that you're insured to drive any car on that license? Not sure if that's available here. At least I've never heard of such a thing.

I should have thought of that, Kate. Up here, we're less inclined to go through impotation and keep US plates.
Yeah.......With a DL policy, I can drive any US plated car as long as the registration is up to date. Not for Baja or any other Mexico plates.

2002 Honda Odyssey- full coverage
1996 Ford truck- used for work- full, commercial
1992 GMC box truck- work truck- full, commercial
1985 pos pick up- liability
1989 Plymouth Voyager- in storage in La Paz- none right now, formerly liability
1985 box truck- not using right now
1989 Suburban- not using right now
1979 toyota pick up- dead
1985 flat bed truck- dead

We had 11 vehicles this last winter. I just gave away the 1985 Plymouth Voyager last week and we sold the Ford Taurus a couple months ago.

I keep asking our agent for fleet insurance, but she keeps telling me it's not available.

I didn't vote cuz I don't know how these all average out. I guess full coverage would be the best.

I think we spend about $4200 a year for vehicle insurance. Not including health insurance ($807 a month), business liability insurance or house insurance. We're insurance poor. I think last year we spent over $10,000 for all our insurances.

edit-ok, I just voted full coverage

Uhhhhhhh...Ms Nutty 1...I'm guessing you mighta missed the Baja part of the poll question?

no, I didn't............
I said my van is in storage in LA PAZ! (that counts )

BUT......... just to clarify............
insurance in US as listed above, (since others were referencing US policies)bought a full coverage Mexico policy for the van while driving in MX.

Don't remember the company, about $130 for the year, but will shop around again when I need to re-instate the policy for the LA PAZ van.


(are my posts good now, 'legs? )



itsallgood

After the flood at the storage yard in September 2007, you're braver than me storing it anywhere without current coverage. A LOT of people who only activate insurance when they're here driving their vehicles were totally blindsided, several vehicles were totaled & it was really sad!

Full time in BCS, mexican plated, 11 year old SUV. Full coverage $400 (US) a year with ING. Incremental cost for full over lesser wasn't great enough to assume the risk.

Full coverage through Discover Baja... just over $240 per year for my '05 Tacoma with legal aid and vehicle gets repaired in the US.

I get my insurance through Club Vagabundos. Full coverage.Fortunately, I have never had to turn in a claim. I talked to someone a couple of years ago who had a serious accident and he said they went right to the scene and then handled the claim courteously and efficiently.

You have to join the club for $35/yr. Their insurance rates are reasonable and now includes attorney's fee. You can also get FMTs and fishing licenses through them.

I carry liability only here and in the U.S. I keep the cost of the ins. in the states down by claiming the minium milage driven in the U.S.
My vehicles are older and wouldnt be too hard to replace.

What is a drivers license

Old thread indeed!.. from 2009???

For the second year I now am fully covered through BajaBound.com but I am still a member of Discover Baja Travel Club and they are great folks as well. Both use the same Mexican company for insurance.

If there an unwritten rule that older threads can't be resurrected, if the subsequent posts are on-topic? Makes more sense to me to have common information in one thread than little bits 'n pieces all over the place!

I was hoping that I'd NEVER have to put my full coverage auto insurance to the test!!! Alas....."If wishes were horses, beggars would ride"!!

For the record; before an onslaught of cracks about women drivers begins; I personally was a patient in the Fidepaz Hospital when this accident occurred!! As well as the day before & the day after! Which can be attested to by at least one member on this site!!

Because I wasn't available for an accident-site consultation.....in my absence, the claims agent made the call that my car would be repaired rather than totaled. If I'd have been there AND if it hadn't taken the claims agent 2 weeks to get the pictures e-mailed to me, I'd have brought up the cost to total vs the cost to repair vs resale value after the accident!! I friggin HATE driving a vehicle that rattles! That I'm aware of.....they are replacing the hood, finish detail panel below windshield at back of hood, front passenger side quarter panel, front passenger side door, entire interior wheel well assembly substructure, front passenger side tire & wheel, interior grill & both upper & lower front bumper assemblies, headlight assembly. They will also be checking & correcting suspension & alignment damages obviously! The engine is (was) encased in a waterproof casing (that's all the broken parts you see on the road under the engine).....which will also be replace!

Don't ask what they're doing to the Mustang ragtop.....which wasn't even mentioned in passing on the paperwork written at the accident scene by the claims agent!!! I haven't a clue, but I do know it's also against my policy! Thank GAWD I just renewed my annual policy in March, so I'll be in suspense for nearly a full year as to what impact this accident will have on my rates!

Repairs are SUPPOSED to be done by May 31st.....yeah, we'll see! The first 10-14 days out of the hospital, when I felt so bad that death woulda been a blessing, I could have cared less that I was car-less.....now that I feel better, it's a pain-in-the-butt being totally dependent on others to haul my butt in for lab tests & to make grocery runs on my behalf! Being 10 miles outside of town with no car for a month really SUCKS now!

And YES! This WAS the FINAL DRIVE the person in the driver's seat at the time of the accident will be making in my car!! I have since refreshed my haul-my-butt-to-Fidepaz-Hospital-in-case-of-medical-emergency-when-I'm-not-up-to-driving-myself contact list!! Thank GAWD for good friends!!! My longtime friend Oldlady hauled my butt home & make several grocery runs for me! Kate also went on a "shopping spree" on my behalf & delivered the purchases to the hospital for me.

Once I find out how much this accident I wasn't in is going to cost me out-of-pocket for my deductible, I'll update.

Any questions on why I always carry full coverage insurance?