Last Updated on December 14, 2025

Car insurance is expensive enough already — and one “small” mistake (like a ticket, an at-fault crash, or a coverage lapse) can trigger a big jump at renewal.

This guide walks through the most common ways people accidentally make their car insurance more expensive, so you’ll know what not to do.

From adding risky drivers to choosing the wrong car (or the wrong coverage), here are the biggest premium-boosters — and why insurers care about them.

Key Takeaways

• Most big rate hikes come from major violations (like a DUI), at-fault accidents, coverage lapses, or adding a high-risk household driver to your policy.
• What you drive matters: fast, expensive-to-repair, high-theft, or poorly rated vehicles typically cost more to insure than safer, lower-risk models.
• Skipping discounts (bundling, multi-car, good student, telematics, paid-in-full) is an easy way to overpay — even if your driving record is clean.
• If your premium jumps, shopping around is one of the fastest ways to find relief because insurers price the same driver very differently.

Add High-Risk Drivers to Your Policy

If your roommate has multiple incidents or a terrible driving history, add your roommate to your policy and watch your premium rise.

Insurance is priced on risk, and insurers typically look at the licensed drivers in your household. Even if you’re a great driver, adding someone with violations, accidents, or a poor insurance history can push your rate up fast.

Some drivers exclude a risky spouse or roommate (when the insurer and state rules allow it) to avoid paying for that added risk. If you want to pay more, add every high-risk driver you can.

Buy a Fast (or Expensive-to-Repair) Car

One of the quickest ways to increase car insurance is to buy a sports car, performance model, or another high-end car. These vehicles often cost more to repair, cost more to replace, and can be stolen more frequently — all of which can raise premiums.

Some cars are simply cheaper to insure. Minivans often land on the “lower-cost” side because they’re associated with fewer risky driving behaviors and can perform well in crash data.

But if you’re trying to raise insurance rates, a fast car is a classic way to do it — especially if it’s pricey, powerful, or comes with expensive parts.

Skip Bundling Discounts

To raise car insurance rates, buy different insurance products through different providers.

Buy your auto insurance through GEICO, for example, and your home insurance through USAA. When you don’t bundle, you may miss out on a multi-policy discount many insurers offer.

Most major insurers provide meaningful savings for bundling multiple insurance products together under one carrier (auto + home, auto + renters, etc.). If you want higher bills, keep everything split.

Buy a Car with a Poor Safety Record

To increase car insurance rates significantly, buy a vehicle with a weak safety rating.

Insurers look at loss history: how often a vehicle is in crashes, how severe claims tend to be, and how expensive it is to fix. Vehicles that perform poorly in real-world crash outcomes (or rack up bigger injury claims) can cost more to insure.

Get a DUI or Other Serious Violation

Impaired driving is one of the fastest ways to spike premiums. A single DUI can raise rates dramatically and may also force you into high-risk insurance or an SR-22/FR-44 filing (depending on your state).

Better (or worse): many states treat DUIs as major offenses for years. That means you could pay thousands more over multiple renewals, especially if you also have other tickets or claims.

Insure Each Car on Separate Policies

Instead of putting multiple vehicles on one policy, separate your cars across different policies to increase premiums.

Most insurers offer discounts for multiple vehicles together under one policy. If you split them up, you’re more likely to miss multi-car savings.

Lose Your Good Student Discount

Many major insurers offer good grade discounts to full-time high school and college students. If you want to raise car insurance premiums, do whatever it takes to stop qualifying.

Car insurance is typically costly for drivers under 25. Insurers often view strong academic performance as a sign of lower risk, which is why the discount exists.

Most companies require around a B average (or equivalent) for a good grade discount. Drop below the requirement and your premium can jump at renewal.

Rack Up Speeding Tickets (or Drive Aggressively)

Speeding tickets are a reliable way to increase insurance premiums, especially if you get more than one in a short period.

Some insurers are more forgiving about a minor first offense, but repeated tickets — or a serious “excess speed” violation — can produce major surcharges for several years.

Never Shop Around (Even When Rates Spike)

Car insurance companies price risk differently, and rates can change quickly due to claims trends in your area, repair costs, theft, and more — even if you didn’t do anything wrong.

To make sure you keep paying more than you need to, never compare quotes, never review your coverages, and never reconsider your deductibles. If you don’t shop around, you’ll never know whether a different insurer would treat your profile more favorably.

Choose a Vehicle Type That’s Costly to Insure

Large, boxy SUVs (like Hummers) can be more expensive vehicles to insure, depending on theft rates, repair costs, and claim history.

Because insurers pay for injuries and property damage you cause, vehicles that tend to generate bigger claims can lead to higher rates to SUV drivers in many cases — especially when the model is pricey to fix or frequently stolen.

Tank Your Credit-Based Insurance Score

In most states, insurers use your credit score to calculate rates (more accurately, a credit-based insurance score). Lower scores often correlate with higher claim costs, so premiums can rise when your credit profile worsens.

Drivers with poor credit (or thin credit history) can pay substantially more than drivers with strong credit. A handful of states restrict or ban the use of credit in auto insurance pricing — but in much of the country, it remains a major pricing factor.

Park in a High-Theft or High-Vandalism Area

Insurers price risk partly based on where your car “lives.” They commonly use your ZIP code to estimate theft, vandalism, weather losses, and crash frequency.

If your vehicle is regularly parked in an area with higher crime or more frequent claims, especially with comprehensive coverage, expect higher premiums.

Over-Insure the Wrong Car (or Pick Tiny Deductibles)

Many drivers pay extra by buying more car insurance than they need for their situation — like paying for comprehensive and collision on a very low-value vehicle, or choosing a deductible so low that the premium increase outweighs what you’d ever save in a claim.

If your goal is the highest possible premium, increase coverages, add endorsements, and select low deductibles — even when the math doesn’t make sense for your vehicle’s value.

Drive Far Above Average Mileage

Insurance pricing often reflects how much you drive. While mileage varies widely by state and driver, the U.S. average is roughly in the mid–13,000 miles per year range. If you drive far beyond that, your risk exposure increases — and so can your premium.

Long commutes, lots of road trips, and constant errands can all push you into higher-mileage rating tiers. If you want higher rates, log as many miles as possible.

Remove Anti-Theft and Safety Features

Anti-theft devices reduce the chance your vehicle is stolen. Safety features reduce the chance of severe injuries in a crash.

If you remove or disable these features, you increase the likelihood (and size) of future claims — which is exactly what insurers price into premiums.

Add Thousands in Aftermarket Mods

Aftermarket wheels, sound systems, suspension mods, body kits, and custom accessories can add serious value — and repair/replacement costs — to your car. Insurers may charge more (or require extra coverage) to protect those upgrades.

If you want to insure your mods, look into aftermarket components coverage. The more value you add, the more you can expect to pay.

Let Your Policy Lapse (Even for a Short Time)

A “lapse in coverage” is one of the most expensive mistakes drivers make. Even a short gap can signal higher risk to insurers and lead to higher rates — or fewer company options — when you try to start coverage again.

If you want cheaper insurance, keep continuous coverage and avoid cancellations for nonpayment.

Never Ask About Discounts (and Miss the Easy Ones)

Car insurance companies offer lots of discounts, but not all of them are applied automatically. By taking advantage of discounts, many drivers can save real money.

If you want to keep your bill as high as possible, avoid asking about anything — multi-policy, multi-car, telematics/safe-driving programs, good student, paid-in-full, paperless, defensive driving, anti-theft, and more.

FAQs on Making Your Car Insurance More Expensive

Final Word on Making Your Car Insurance More Expensive

Most premium increases come down to a few themes: higher-risk drivers, higher-risk vehicles, higher exposure (more miles), riskier behavior (tickets/DUIs), and paying for coverage you don’t need. Avoid those traps, shop around regularly, and you’ll give yourself the best chance at a lower rate.