If you opened a car insurance renewal any time in the last few years, the number likely jumped. Over the past decade, coverage costs have nearly doubled, although most of that climb is recent.
An insured, roadworthy vehicle is essential to most workers in the U.S. Rising prices across the board have made it harder to keep a vehicle on the road. What has had the most impact?
The triple whammy
Motor vehicle insurance rose about 94% between 2015 and 2025. The overall cost of living rose about 36%, and used vehicle prices rose about 25%. Insurance climbed more than two and a half times as fast as inflation, and nearly four times as fast as the cars it covers, but everything went up.
In addition to the vehicle purchase price, the average repair bill reached about $4,818 in 2025, according to claims data from CCC Intelligent Solutions. A modern bumper hides cameras, radar and parking sensors, and a routine tap now triggers a sensor recalibration that did not exist a decade ago.
Calibrations showed up on more than a quarter of repairs last year, and the share keeps climbing. Parts cost more, labor costs more, and the hours pile up.
When the bill to fix a car climbs toward what the car is worth, the insurer writes it off instead. Nearly one in four crashed vehicles (23.1%) was declared a total loss last year, a record. Every one of those payouts feeds back into the next year’s premiums.
What to do at renewal
At some point, full collision and comprehensive coverage on an older vehicle may cost more than it can ever pay back, since insurers settle a totaled older car at its cash value. Dropping that coverage frees up money, but it leaves you covering the replacement yourself if the car is wrecked or stolen, and a policy written years ago may leave you exposed in other ways too.
At renewal, it is worth a look rather than going ahead on autopilot.
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The price of staying on the road has risen on every front over the last 10 years, but only insurance has nearly doubled. The math will keep shifting, so the smart move is to run the numbers at every renewal rather than let the policy roll.