How much is Ford Explorer insurance in Illinois?
For the driver profile in our methodology, a 2024 Ford Explorer costs between $40/mo at the state minimum and $291/mo for low-deductible full coverage. Most owners land in the full-coverage row — lenders and lessors require it.
| Coverage level | What it covers | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum CoverageYou’re viewing this tier | Other people's injuries and property only | $40 – $67 | $480 – $804 |
| Liability Only | Higher limits; still nothing for your car | $62 – $104 | $744 – $1,248 |
| Full CoverageMost owners | Adds damage to your Explorer, theft, glass | $148 – $247 | $1,776 – $2,964 |
| Full Coverage + Low Deductible | Same, with less out of pocket per claim | $175 – $291 | $2,100 – $3,492 |
What minimum coverage includes
- Bodily injury + property-damage liability at 25/50/20 plus 25/50 UM
- No required PIP in this state
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist as listed with the state minimum
- No comprehensive or collision — the Explorer itself is uninsured
What Illinois requires to drive a Explorer
Illinois lists 25/50/20 plus 25/50 UM as the liability floor. That is what makes a Explorer legal to drive — not full coverage, not a $500 deductible, and not a particular carrier.
- Liability floor
- 25/50/20 plus 25/50 UM
- Fault system
- Illinois is a tort (at-fault) state — the driver who causes a crash is who liability pays for.
- PIP
- PIP is not a required minimum in this state.
- Uninsured motorist in the minimum
- UM/UIM is listed with this state’s minimum package in our registry.
Explorer insurance cost by model year
Newer models cost more to insure — a 2024 Explorer runs about 17% more than a 2020 — because comp and collision track replacement value and parts cost. Liability barely moves with age.
| Model year | Full coverage / mo | Liability / mo | vs. 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $148 – $247 | $62 – $104 | — |
| 2023 | $141 – $235 | $61 – $103 | −5% |
| 2022 | $135 – $225 | $61 – $102 | −9% |
| 2021 | $129 – $215 | $60 – $100 | −13% |
| 2020 | $123 – $205 | $58 – $98 | −17% |
Explorer vs. comparable vehicles
How the Explorer stacks up against the vehicles shoppers most often cross-shop it with — the Toyota Highlander insures for about 9% less in Illinois. Same coverage, same driver profile.
| Vehicle | Full coverage / mo | vs. Explorer | Why it differs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Explorer | $148 – $247 | — | Above-average claim severity |
| Toyota Highlander | $135 – $225 | −9% | Highlander's moderate repair tier undercuts Explorer collision claims. |
| Chevrolet Traverse | $135 – $225 | −9% | Traverse shares domestic parts economics with slightly lower severity. |
| Honda Pilot | $135 – $225 | −9% | Pilot's loss history is cleaner across most rating territories. |
Explorer insurance cost by Illinois city
Chicago drivers pay about 20% above the state average while Springfield runs 10% below. City pricing follows claim frequency — dense-metro traffic and repair costs carry the surcharge.
| City | Full coverage / mo | vs. IL average |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $178 – $296 | +20% |
| Aurora | $163 – $272 | +10% |
| Joliet | $160 – $267 | +8% |
| Rockford | $151 – $252 | +2% |
| Springfield | $133 – $222 | −10% |
Why Explorer insurance costs what it costs
Minimum coverage on a 2024 Ford Explorer in Illinois is the 25/50/20 plus 25/50 UM package — bodily injury and property damage you cause, up to those caps. It does not pay to repair or replace this Explorer. Illinois requires that package (or a listed alternative) to drive legally.
The Explorer is a SUV in the premium MSRP tier, with above-average claim severity in our model and a 5-star NHTSA overall rating in our registry. It is not on the NICB top-100 most-stolen list in our registry, so theft is not a modeled comprehensive surcharge here.
On this Explorer the modeled ladder in Illinois runs $40 – $67 at minimum, $62 – $104 at higher liability, and $148 – $247 once comprehensive and collision attach — that last jump is the car showing up on the bill.
Chicago is modeled 20% above the IL average ($178 – $296/mo full coverage on this Explorer); Springfield is modeled 10% below at $133 – $222. Those city factors scale the same band as the hero — they are not a second rate file. UM/UIM is listed with Illinois's minimum package in our registry.
What the model knows about this Explorer
- NHTSA overall
- 5 starsFeeds the safety multiplier in our rate model. We do not publish IIHS/HLDI scores — they are not in this registry.
- NICB theft list
- Not in top 100No theft surcharge is applied for this vehicle in the model.
- MSRP tier
- premiumReplacement-cost proxy. Higher tiers raise the full-coverage mid-point.
- Repair severity
- highClaim-severity proxy used only on comprehensive/collision, not on the liability floor.
Is minimum coverage the right tier for you?
- Title is free and clear on a Explorer you can afford to replace without an insurer
- You accept that Illinois's 25/50/20 plus 25/50 UM caps may be below a serious injury claim
- Mileage and parking exposure are low enough that you are choosing to self-insure the car
- Anyone still financing or leasing the Explorer — this tier is not what a lender typically accepts
- Anyone who cannot pay a Explorer repair bill without insurance
- Anyone whose assets exceed Illinois's 25/50/20 plus 25/50 UM caps
$500 vs $250 deductible on a Explorer
On a Explorer this model prices a $250 deductible at $27–$44/mo above the $500 deductible. You save $250 per comprehensive or collision claim; you pay the extra premium every month whether you claim or not.
| Tier | Deductible | Monthly | Annual | In this file |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard full coverage | $500 | $148 – $247 | $1,776–$2,964 | Default first-party deductible in this model |
| Low-deductible full coverage | $250 | $175 – $291 | $2,100–$3,492 | Priced at 1.18× the $500 band in rates.ts |
Add-ons that are not automatic on minimum coverage
These are typical market add-ons, not Illinois mandates and not priced in our rate model. Confirm each line on a quote.
- Roadside assistance
Useful on a SUV you drive far from a dealer network — towing, lockout, flat.
2024 vehicles may still have factory roadside; stacking two roadside products rarely helps.
- Medical payments (MedPay)
Illinois does not require PIP, so MedPay is the usual small first-party medical add-on for occupants.
It is not a substitute for health insurance, and it is not required in this state.
Carriers that commonly quote Illinois
These are carriers we have real logos for and that commonly quote Illinois. We do not publish a per-carrier Explorer price — that would be a fabricated quote. The range on this page is the modeled band, not “from $X at GEICO.”
GEICOLowest base rate
ProgressiveSR-22 + tickets
State FarmBundling + agents
How to lower your Explorer rate
- Raise your deductible to $1,000. On a Explorer premium this is the single biggest lever you control directly.Saves ~$16–$30/mo
- Shop at least three carriers. Rates for the identical Explorer profile differ by 2x or more between carriers in Illinois.Saves up to $1,000+/yr
- Clean up billing. Paid-in-full, paperless, and autopay credits stack — small individually, real together, and none are applied unless you ask.Saves 3–8%
- Ask about safety-tech discounts. Automatic emergency braking, lane keeping, and anti-theft equipment all carry filed credits with some carriers — none are applied unless you ask.Saves 3–8%
- Report your real mileage. Commuting under ~10,000 miles a year moves you down a rating band with most carriers, and pay-per-mile programs go further if you drive little.Saves 5–15%
- Bundle home or renters. Multi-policy is the largest standing discount most carriers file — typically 10–20% off the auto side.Saves 10–20%
About these numbers
Sources. Rate ranges are modeled from average premiums published by the Illinois Department of Insurance and industry rate data, adjusted per vehicle using NICB theft rankings, NHTSA safety ratings, MSRP tier, and repair-severity data. They are estimates, not filed quotes.
Rating profile. Unless noted: a 35–55-year-old driver with a clean record, average credit where states allow it, 12,000 annual miles, and standard $500 comprehensive and collision deductibles. Your rate will differ — that is the point of quoting.
Ranges, not averages. We publish a band rather than a single average because the spread between carriers for the same driver routinely exceeds 2x — a lone number hides the gap that makes shopping worth your time.
What this model does not do. It does not publish age-band prices, ticket/DUI/credit surcharge tables, per-carrier quotes, J.D. Power ranks, NAIC complaint indexes, or IIHS/HLDI scores. Vehicle knobs are only the four in the rate model: MSRP tier, NICB theft rank, NHTSA stars, and repair-severity tier. The $250-deductible band is the $500 band × 1.18.
Ford Explorer insurance in Illinois: FAQ
01Does Illinois's 25/50/20 plus 25/50 UM minimum pay to fix my Explorer?
No. That package is liability for other people. A damaged 2024 Ford Explorer is only paid for if you buy collision (crash) or comprehensive (non-crash). Those lines start at the full-coverage tier, which models at $148 – $247/mo on this page.
02What does Illinois actually require to drive a Explorer?
Illinois lists 25/50/20 plus 25/50 UM as the liability floor. Full coverage is a market/lender product on top of that, modeled here at $148 – $247 for a 2024 Ford Explorer.
03Does Explorer insurance cost more in Chicago than in Springfield?
In this model, yes — Chicago is 20% vs the IL average ($178 – $296/mo full coverage) and Springfield is -10% ($133 – $222). Same 2024 Ford Explorer, same driver profile; only the city factor changes.
04Does a 5-star NHTSA rating lower Explorer insurance in Illinois?
This model applies a small credit for a 5-star overall NHTSA rating (the Explorer is a 5). It is one of four vehicle modifiers next to MSRP tier, theft rank, and repair tier — not a standalone “safety discount” we can quote as a percent off your bill.
