Ford Explorer Car Insurance: Costs and Ways to Save

What drives the cost of insuring an Explorer

Insurers combine information about the vehicle with information about you. For the Explorer, the vehicle-related factors include:

• Engine and trim. The 3.0-liter V6 trims are more powerful and more expensive, which can raise both collision and liability pricing with some insurers.
• Drivetrain. Four-wheel drive adds to the purchase price and can add to repair costs.
• Technology. Cameras, radar, and large screens increase what it costs to repair even moderate damage.
• Theft. The Explorer's low theft claim rate helps keep the theft portion of comprehensive coverage down.

Your own profile usually matters more: driver ages and records, claims history, location, mileage, and the limits and deductibles you choose. Our auto insurance calculator can show how coverage changes affect a premium.

Explorer trims and insurance considerations

Ford adjusted the Explorer lineup with the 2025 refresh. The table below groups the trims by what tends to matter for insurance. Exact trim names vary by model year.

Trim names reflect the refreshed 2025 and later lineup in general terms. Earlier Explorers offered other trims, including XLT and Limited.

If you are deciding between a 2.3-liter trim and a V6 trim, ask for quotes on both. For younger or less experienced drivers, the difference can be large.

The Explorer's low theft risk

In the Highway Loss Data Institute's study of 2022 to 2024 models, the Explorer had a relative whole-vehicle theft claim frequency of 10, where 100 is average. That places it among the least-stolen vehicles of those model years. Lower theft risk means fewer comprehensive theft claims, which can help keep that part of your premium lower, particularly in areas where vehicle theft is common.

Comprehensive coverage still matters, because it also pays for hail, flooding, fire, falling objects, vandalism, and animal strikes. Keep it on any Explorer you could not easily replace.

Family and teen drivers in an Explorer

A three-row SUV is often the vehicle a family's newest driver uses. Adding a teen raises the premium significantly, regardless of vehicle. A few strategies can help:

• Choose a 2.3-liter trim over the ST for a household with a new driver.
• Use Ford's MyKey feature, available on many Fords, which lets parents set limits such as a top speed and audio volume. It does not automatically lower premiums, but it can support safer habits.
• Ask about good student and driver training discounts.
• Consider telematics if your teen drives carefully.
• Keep liability limits high. A family vehicle with several passengers can be involved in a crash with multiple injuries.

Our guide to insurance for a new driver covers more options for first-time drivers.

Coverage to consider for an Explorer

• Liability well above the state minimum, given that an Explorer can carry up to seven passengers.
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage at matching limits. See uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
• Collision and comprehensive on any Explorer that is financed, leased, or valuable.
• Rental reimbursement with a daily limit that covers a comparable SUV.
• Roadside assistance if you do not have it elsewhere.
• Trailer coverage. If you tow a camper or boat, liability generally extends to an attached trailer, but damage to the trailer itself usually needs separate coverage.

If you use the Explorer for business, such as client visits or deliveries, tell your agent so the policy fits that use.

Ways to save on Explorer insurance

1. Compare at least three insurers with identical coverage.
2. Bundle home and auto, and insure all household vehicles together for multi-car discounts.
3. Pick deductibles you can afford; higher deductibles lower premiums. Try our car insurance deductible calculator.
4. Ask about safety and anti-theft discounts, as well as safe driver, autopay, and paid-in-full discounts.
5. Check for open recalls on NHTSA's recall lookup and keep the vehicle maintained. Recalls do not change your premium, but unrepaired defects can affect safety.

Insuring a used or older Explorer

The Explorer has been one of the best-selling SUVs in the country for decades, so many families insure a used one. Insurers rate the specific model year and VIN. Earlier generations, including the fifth-generation Explorer sold from 2011 to 2019, have different equipment and claim histories from the current model.

As an Explorer ages, compare the cost of collision and comprehensive with its value. If you are paying a large share of the vehicle's worth each year, a higher deductible or liability-only coverage may make sense. Keep comprehensive longer if you live where hail, flooding, or animal strikes are common. Before buying a used Explorer, review the vehicle history report and check NHTSA's recall lookup with the VIN.

Hands-free driving and former police Explorers

BlueCruise and your responsibility

BlueCruise lets drivers take their hands off the wheel on certain mapped highways while the system manages steering, speed, and spacing. It still requires you to watch the road, and a camera monitors your attention. From an insurance standpoint, you remain the driver. If a crash happens while BlueCruise is active, your liability, collision, and medical coverages respond as they would in any other crash. If the system's features require a subscription, that cost is separate from insurance.

Buying a former police Explorer

Ford's Police Interceptor Utility is based on the Explorer, and retired units are often sold at auction. If you buy one for personal use, tell your insurer exactly what it is. The VIN identifies it as a police model, which can have different equipment and a different claim history from a civilian Explorer. Make sure emergency lighting and sirens have been removed and that the vehicle is properly titled and registered for civilian use. High mileage and idle hours can also reduce its value, which affects what collision and comprehensive would pay after a total loss.

What you need for an Explorer insurance quote

These details help insurers rate the right Explorer and match your coverage.

1. VIN, model year, and trim. This identifies the engine, drivetrain, and equipment, including whether it is an ST.
2. Every household driver. Names, dates of birth, license numbers, and driving history, including teens.
3. Current declarations page. To match your limits and deductibles across household vehicles.
4. Towing and use. Whether you tow a trailer, and any business or rideshare use.
5. Loan or lease details. Lienholder name and required coverages.

Ford Explorer insurance FAQs

Related vehicle insurance guides

These guides cover closely related vehicles and situations:

• Toyota Highlander car insurance
• Chevrolet Equinox car insurance

Your next step

Gather your Explorer's VIN, information on every driver, and your current policy. Then request a quote so we can compare companies and find the right balance of protection and price.