If you are planning on buying a Tesla- AARP/Hartford will not insure it.

[porterjames2]

I have had AARP/Hartford auto insurance for a number of years.  I just tried to add a Tesla to my policy and was shocked to find out the Hartford will not cover it.  I had to find an new auto insurance carrier.

Apparently a few insurance companies won't cover Tesla vehicles.

I suggested that AARP find another partner that can meet the needs of it's members.

Just another thing to think about when shopping for an automobile

[DaveMcK]

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FRONT PORCH IS NOT THE CORRECT AREA TO POST ABOUT YOUR ISSUES WITH AARP'S AUTO INSURANCE OFFERINGS.

IT IS ABOUT RISK. WHAT IS THE RISK OF WHAT YOU WANT TO INSURE. JUST WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF THE BATTERIES CATCHING ON FIRE.

PRINCIPLES OF INSURANCE 101!

YOU ARE JUST WASTING YOUR TIME POSTING HERE.

TRY CONTACTING YOUR STATE AARP OFFICE FOR WHERE TO GET A QUOTE.

[ThomasK165296]

What a useless response, in all caps as well. 

[Tempest332]

I was reading on the EV's if the battery is just slightly damaged in an accident (no matter how minor), the costly battery must be scrapped out as it is compromised.    

[DaveMcK]

A lot of insurance companies are no long insuring Ultra High Priced cars. A lot of companies are not insuring easily stolen cars like a Kia.

. 

If you are looking to buy an extra expensive vehicle l suggest you shop the insurance market first before you buy the new car.

Also you can keep the insurance rate down by having a $3000.00 or $4000.00 collision deductible.

Ford Full Sized Pickup

Topping the list of the most stolen vehicle in America in 2020 is the 2006 Ford F-150. This is the second year the pickup has topped the listing, with over 44,014 units stolen in 2020, 13% higher than in 2019. Pickup trucks are clearly a favorite amongst thieves, especially given their power, reliability and versatility. The F-150 in particular, however, may be the most popular option given how it boasts a great hauling capacity, a spacious interior and a powerful engine.

So, why are these cars so easy to steal, and is Hyundai interested in finding a fix for this matter? Well, the lower priced models of Hyundai and Kia cars don't have an engine immobilizer or a theft deterrent system. This is because Hyundai has too keep on offering cheaper products and has cut costs here. Thus they are absent from their lower priced models.

[Tempest332]

Now that's the reason my comprehensive jumped on my Hyundai (I expected this), yet when they find the fix scheduled for June, I'm sure it isn't going to drop.  

I remember years back my company refused to insure a Pontiac Fiero, & Geo

Tracker/Suzuki Sidekick as well. 

Will never be a Tesla, EV or a Hybrid in my garage in my lifetime.  

[JamuJoe]

The irony is that The Hartford insured my iMiEV (EV, but certainly not a ‘super car’ ) for five claim free years before I purchased the Polestar 2.  The simple fact is that insurance companies such as The Hartford follow cold blooded underwriting guidance, and care nothing about AARP customers or reducing the impact of fossil fuel vehicles. 

[DaveMcK]

They mostlikely would not cover a home if you bought or built a new house in a flood plain.

I'm sure that many companies would not cover you if your hobby was jumping out of airplanes or racing stock cars.

IT IS ABOUT RISK. WHAT IS THE RISK OF WHAT YOU WANT TO INSURE HAPPENS. JUST WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF THE BATTERIES CATCHING ON FIRE.

PRINCIPLES OF INSURANCE 101!

[IanA881576]

I wish people would stop whining on about batteries catching fire. Far more gasoline vehicles go up in smoke with often deadly consequences than battery fires.

[OrganizedChaos75]

You present a straw-man argument. You're comparing apples to oranges considering the number of internal combustion engines on the road compared to EV's.

It's a legitimate concern. Due to the chemical makeup of EV batteries, they are more likely to spontaneously combust compared to an IC engine. It may be rare, but it happens. And when they do catch fire, they burn much hotter, putting everything around it at risk, included a house, other cars, etc. No to mention, they are extremely difficult to extinguish.

[IanA881576]

Nice to see so many people with their heads in the sand. Being AARP members I would assume that they will be dead before China completely takes over the vehicle market with superior, safer and more environmentally friendly EVs.

[OrganizedChaos75]

First of all, AARP isn't just for "retired persons" anymore, but I'm sure a majority of their clientele are still seniors, so I guess I'll give you that one. So you believe China will make superior, safer, more environmentally friendly vehicles? I don't think you quite understand the Chinese model...make it as cheap as possible. Safety doesn't often go hand in hand with that, and if you think China cares about the environment, especially over their own prosperity, you haven't been paying attention.

[IanA881576]

I think the point you missed here is not that China is going to make better vehicles than we can in the USA, but that if the nay sayers have their way, and I do not personally believe that they will in the end, America will be left with no car industry at all because we did not keep up with the changes, or lead them as we should.

The world is moving towards EVs and Hydrogen fueled vehicles. You can lead the charge and make sure it is done right, or you can become a backwater and end up buying from abroad because you don't have you own industry. One way or another the world is changing and you are going to change with it.

Gasoline and diesel powered vehicles have wreaked havoc on our health and environment for over 100 years. The time is long past due for something better. Right now, electric vehicles, with all their problems, are very much better than gasoline cars were 50 years ago and they had had the benefit of 70+ years of development to get to that point. You will see the way it plays out, but I, for one, would prefer to see it in the rear view mirror as America leads the charge rather than peering into the future and just remembering what it was like when the world looked up to us as technological and moral leaders.

[JamuJoe]

Dave,

The risk of this EV catching fire is very very low.  Has your iPhone exploded?   Risk assessment requires data, and The Hartford hasn’t bothered to collect that data.  GEICO has a better approach. 

[OrganizedChaos75]

The problem isn't a spontaneous explosion, but that caused by a compromised battery. Have you ever watched videos of an EV on fire? They are extremely hard to put out, and on many occasions, when they are put out, they reignite later. If an EV battery explodes/catches fire, it is a guarantee there will be nothing left of the car, and nothing left of anything around it. That's a huge risk.

[DaveMcK]

In the past there have been battery problems. 

Hitting the Books: How Tesla engineers solved the problem of exploding EV batteries

Because you can't sell cars that have a 1 in 150 chance of randomly going boom.

A. Tarantola08.21.21

Between CEO Elon Musk's often erratic antics, strident competition from existing industry titans, and a public that is still not fully sold on the idea of traveling via electrical charge, Tesla's road to prominence has not been a smooth one. But facing a federal investigation into its driver assist systems, is far from the biggest roadblock the company has navigated. As journalist Tim Higgins explains in his new book, Power Play, back in the early aughts, Tesla's engineering team had to overcome an even tougher challenge: keeping the first iterations of its EVs from randomly exploding.

[wrh7787]

Hello-

As of June 2022- Hartford still won’t cover, when I asked why they would cover the house and garage my Model S sits in but not the car, they said it’s because they consider it a “super car”!

that is the dumbest thing I ever heard of- so then I called tesla and they actually covered it in my state at a great price but then I lost the car discount on the homeowners insurance- 

just sucks I say! 

[RichardH590013]

Hartford turned me down on a used car that I just bought. 2014 Kia Sportage SUV. I guess my 5 year good driver rating with GEICO for 50 years is not good enough for them. Don't waste your time on them, I hear they'll raise your rates 40% to 70% without any reason by the threads on this site.

08/02/2020 See below response when I tried to get insurance:

"Thank you for contacting The Hartford.

Based on the information provided, The Hartford is unable to issue insurance coverage at this time."

[IanA881576]

I think a more honest response from The Hartford would be "The Hartford is unwilling to issue insurance coverage at this time."

not "The Hartford is unable to issue insurance coverage at this time."

At the very least, regulations should force public insurance companies to provide insurance to all. They could charge higher premiums if they believe the risk warrants it but when insurance is legally required, any company operating in the space should be legally required to provide it. Let the consume decide if the company is worth while compared to rates across the board. Don't let the insurance industry dictate what you can and cannot drive then claim they have the best rates.

[moviedoc]

I just bought a Model 3. Hartford's excuse for not coveing Tesla, I was told by a representative, is that they see Tesla as in the same class with Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley, etc., which is absurd.

AARP, hear me: A big part of what keeps me a member is the insurance. If Hartford doesn't get with the program, I will likely move ALL my insurance to another company.

[DaveMcK]

This is not the place to contact AARP/HARTFORD about insurance coverage for any area.

As noted before: 

‎08-28-2018 06:46 PM

My first thought is that there is not enough accident history to set rates for these vehicles. It has been a long time since I took principals of insurance. I would suggest you shop the insurance market. I'm sure they are a very small percentage of the vehicles that would be covered. Not enough to add them under the blanket coverage of many inuance companies. It is all about spreading their risk across a large cross section of vehicle types.

There are just 300,000 Tesla cars on the road compared to the 35,000 new Camry's sold in March 2018.

[DaveMcK]

My first thought is that there is not enough accident history to set rates for these vehicles. It has been a long time since I took principals of insurance. I would suggest you shop the insurance market. I'm sure they are a very small percentage of the vehicles that would be covered. Not enough to add them under the blanket coverage of many inuance companies. It is all about spreading their risk across a large cross section of vehicle types.

There are just 300,000 Tesla cars on the road compared to the 35,000 new Camry's sold in March 2018.

[IanA881576]

This absolutely IS the place for this sort of discussion. It is AARP related and henc should be easily available to members looking for information on services provided under the AARP umbrella.

[moviedoc]

Not helpful, Dave.

What IS the place??

[DaveMcK]

For auto insurance go to:
https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/all/hartford-auto/

This is a chat group.

[JamuJoe]

Your link is to The Hartford, not AARP. Useless.

[moviedoc]

A chat group?

Really?

There's nothing at the URL you provided that allows me to let AARP know that they should pressure Hartford to cover Teslas or find a new insco.

[DaveMcK]

If you clck on the link this is what you will find. 

AARP® Auto Insurance Program from The Hartford

DETAILS

DISCLOSURES

Auto Insurance

The AARP® Auto Insurance Program from The Hartford offers savings and benefits designed to reward members for being safer, more experienced drivers. The program offers a Lifetime Renewability benefit in most states – coverage will be renewed each year as long as you meet a few simple requirements. No-cost, no-obligation quotes are available. Added savings if you bundle your home and auto policies.

How to Access

Enter or mention your AARP membership number to get a quote online or by phone.

SEE AVAILABILITY IN YOUR STATE

You'll leave AARP.org and go to the website of a trusted provider. The provider's terms, conditions, and policies apply.

LEARN MORE

or call The Hartford at 1-800-684-5518

[ReyesGray]

I own a Tesla and use SF.  I just tried to call for a quote given that I get at least one solicitation from Hartofrd a month throuh AARP.  Why not...?

It would have saved everyone time and money if it read on the solicitation "We don't Insure Teslas."

Oh well.

[DaveMcK]

My first thought is that there is not enough accident history to set rates for these vehicles. It has been a long time since I took principals of insurance. I would suggest you shop the insurance market. I'm sure they are a very small percentage of the vehicles that would be covered. Not enough to add them under the blanket coverage of many inuance companies. It is all about spreading their risk across a large cross section of vehicle types.

There are just 300,000 Tesla cars on the road compared to the 35,000 new Camry's sold in March 2018.

[ManicProgressive]

---

@porterjames2 wrote:

I have had AARP/Hartford auto insurance for a number of years.  I just tried to add a Tesla to my policy and was shocked to find out the Hartford will not cover it.  I had to find an new auto insurance carrier.

Apparently a few insurance companies won't cover Tesla vehicles.

I suggested that AARP find another partner that can meet the needs of it's members.

Just another thing to think about when shopping for an automobile

---

Wow, did they say why? There are many Teslas where I live and it’s on my to-buy list in a few years.  That’s very odd...