Turo car rental - insurance options

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Topic Author
DarkHelmetII
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Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:25 pm

Turo car rental - insurance options

Post by DarkHelmetII »

Looking at renting a car through turo.com. When posing the question to my auto insurer, got a very slippery response basically saying that they advise me to insure through Turo's product but at the same time not outright stating that I would not be covered.

My assessment is that the Turo business model is too new for traditional insurers (at least in the case of mine) to give a definitive answer. To make this actionable:

1) Are there any cost effective auto insurers out there, to cover my "regular" car, that also explicitly cover cars rented through the likes of Turo? I have not shopped my policy recently so this might be reason enough to look at some alternatives.
2) Any recommendations on where to find liability + physical damage insurance only for rentals? Turo offers this, basically I would just be comparison shopping to see if I can beat the price of what Turo offers.
Last edited by DarkHelmetII on Mon Sep 26, 2022 12:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
OnceARunner
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Re: Turo car rental - insurance options

Post by OnceARunner »

Going to be tougher because Turo explicitly doesn't consider themselves a car rental agency.

Both Amex Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve usually offer primary car rental insurance complimentary, but Turo is excluded due to the above.
cubs1999
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Re: Turo car rental - insurance options

Post by cubs1999 »

I'm bumping this once the other relevant thread I found had a first post deleted by the OP.

I want(ed) to use Turo to try some cars on vacation that I am interested in purchasing. After reading this and other threads, I guess the situation with insurance hasn't changed. Many personal insurance companies won't cover these bc Turo is not a car rental company but rather a peer to peer rental. You can purchase extra insurance for damage to the car but all those provide the state minimum coverages. (The exception is NY, I assume due to local laws where you get 1,250,000 of 3rd party liability).

It seems to me that it isn't worth he risk in the unlikely chance that I get into an accident unless I rent in NY. State minimums likely won't be enough unless is a small fender bender and even then, party could claim to be injured.

https://help.turo.com/protection-plans- ... yinsurance

**Exception for New York: In New York, third-party liability insurance will always be primary and have a limit of $1,250,000.

The Travelers policy insures Guests against liability to third parties for bodily injury and third-party property damage resulting from the use of the booked vehicle during the booked trip. The coverage provided is up to the minimum liability coverage required by state law. Guests can’t decline this coverage.
Topic Author
DarkHelmetII
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Re: Turo car rental - insurance options

Post by DarkHelmetII »

Bumping this. Have yet to rent a car via Turo platform but am considering again for an upcoming trip. Even the 'platinum' insurance offered through the platform offers only state minimum liability requirements.

I am still getting slippery / conflicting responses from my insurer. Any recommendations on 3rd party / travel or trip insurance I can buy for 100'sK of liability coverage on a car for only a few days?
BBBob
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Re: Turo car rental - insurance options

Post by BBBob »

I don't think you have read the entire content of the posted link. At the end, there appears to be an available supplemental liability coverage, and the name of the company is provided. Perhaps you should contact them to find out what the premium is, and be careful to read the policy to ensure you are getting what you think you are paying for.(Or maybe I missed something)
Topic Author
DarkHelmetII
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Re: Turo car rental - insurance options

Post by DarkHelmetII »

I don't see it, though maybe I'm the one missing something. Plausible it's not there / varies by state?

Regardless guess it's up to me to ask Turo one way or another.
davebo
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Re: Turo car rental - insurance options

Post by davebo »

I was with Allstate and they said they do cover rentals like Turo. I've since switched insurance companies and the new company was more wishy/washy so I just decided to avoid it. I have heard mixed reviews on the insurance, I have no idea when it kicks in.

I used Turo a couple times and the first time was really smooth. The guy parked the car in the airport garage, we walked out, and just drove off. I also liked the fact that the hosts seem very responsive, whereas if I had an issue with a rental car, I don't even know how it would get resolved since they never seem to answer the phone. 2nd time I used Turo it went fine, but the car was definitely beat up despite its relatively young age. The guy also tried to give me a $50 charge for topping off the gas (premium) plus a convenience fee. I disputed that one and won.

I've since gone back to traditional rentals. Their insurance is more straightforward so I do it because I don't want to worry while on vacation. If you're at a busy airport, they never seem to really check anything (gas, dents, etc).
cubs1999
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Re: Turo car rental - insurance options

Post by cubs1999 »

The text below seems to be new as I would have noticed it when I originally read the link I provided in my previous post. It appears now that 300k liability can now be purchased as a supplement to the state minimum coverage. This might make me consider renting from Turo again to try out some vehicles I might purchase in the future.

Supplemental liability insurance
Guests can purchase optional supplemental liability insurance (SLI) from Mobilitas Insurance Company. Supplemental liability insurance is excess to any insurance in place, with a limit up to $300k, and is not mandatory. Claims will be handled through Mobilitas.


$300k isn't ideal considering many of us on here have higher liability on our personal insurance plus umbrella but I'd be willing to take this risk so I can try out some cars on Turo as sort of an extended paid test drive.

I was unwilling to risk it on the state minimum liability that was the only option previously.
MtnTravel
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Re: Turo car rental - insurance options

Post by MtnTravel »

davebo wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2025 9:52 pm 2nd time I used Turo it went fine, but the car was definitely beat up despite its relatively young age.
This is the reason I won't use Turo. Traditional rental companies use late model vehicles and maintain them. How do you know that some random person renting their car on an app has properly maintained it and that it's safe to drive?
MichDad
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Re: Turo car rental - insurance options

Post by MichDad »

A few months ago, I wrote to my auto insurance carrier, State Farm, and asked if they'll cover my Turo rental car for a two to three week trip we've got planned in the USA. Here's the response my agent sent me:

"Yes, you are covered if you rent a Turo vehicle. It will be treated as a regular rental. Your policy allows for renting up to 30 days before State Farm requires that a 'Use of Non-Owned Car' endorsement be added to the auto policy if the renting agreement is longer than 30 days."

I've had a rental car rider on my policy for many years. When I called my agent's office they weren't sure so they communicated with their underwriter in advance of sending me the above message.

MichDad
ScubaHogg
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Re: Turo car rental - insurance options

Post by ScubaHogg »

MtnTravel wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2025 7:48 am
davebo wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2025 9:52 pm 2nd time I used Turo it went fine, but the car was definitely beat up despite its relatively young age.
This is the reason I won't use Turo. Traditional rental companies use late model vehicles and maintain them. How do you know that some random person renting their car on an app has properly maintained it and that it's safe to drive?
You read the reviews just like you would with an Airbnb, Vrbo, etc.
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K72
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Re: Turo car rental - insurance options

Post by K72 »

A couple of weeks ago I checked with my auto insurance company (Geico) and was told they don't cover cars rented via Turo.

I used Turo once last year and was pretty happy, but the car was older and not surprisingly, rather beat up. Planning to try Turo again this summer with a much newer car. I like that you can get the exact model and accessories you want (e.g. roof rack, trailer hitch). I did rent a mini-van once from a standard car company but was always concerned about the (or equivalent) clause. Couple of years ago DW and I (for a long driving trip) responded to a specific ad for a Prius by a standard rental car agency. When we arrived to pick up the car, of course they didn't have any. Seemed like bait and switch to me.
All we want are the facts...
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