1998 Ford Explorer Car Insurance Rates – 8 Tips to Save

I really doubt anyone anticipates paying for car insurance, particularly when the price is too high.

People have so many insurance companies to insure vehicles with, and although it’s a good thing to be able to choose, it can be more difficult to find the lowest rates.

Low cost auto insurance prices

The are a couple different ways to obtain and compare prices from lots of auto insurance companies. One of the best ways to find the cheapest 1998 Ford Explorer insurance rates is to use the internet to compare rates. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in a couple minutes as outlined below.

The recommended way to get quotes for comparison is a comparison rater form (click to open form in new window). This quick form saves time by eliminating separate quotes for every prospective company. In just a few minutes this one form gets you price quotes from multiple companies.

A more time consuming way to find more affordable insurance requires a trip to the website for each individual company and fill out a new quote form. For example, let’s assume you are doing a rate comparison from Farmers, Geico and American Family. To find out each rate you need to go to each individual site to enter your coverage information, and that’s why the first method is more popular.

For a handy list of car insurance company links in your area, click here.

You can use whichever method you prefer to find lower rates, just try to use identical deductibles and coverage limits with each company. If you use different liability limits it will be very difficult to determine which company has the best rates. Slightly different limits could skew the results. It’s important to know that obtaining a wide range of quotes provides better odds of finding the best rates. Not every company provides price estimates online, so it’s important to also get price estimates from them as well.

Save with these eight premium-slashing discounts

Some providers don’t always publicize every disount available in a way that’s easy to find, so the list below gives a summary of both well-publicized as well as some of the hidden discounts that may be available.

• Multi-car Discount – Buying a policy with more than one vehicle on one policy could earn a price break for each car.
• Memberships – Being a member of specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations may earn a discount when shopping for auto insurance.
• No Claims – Insureds with no claims or accidents pay less as opposed to drivers who are more careless.
• Pay Now and Pay Less – By making one initial payment instead of paying each month you can actually save on your bill.
• One Accident Forgiven – but some insurance companies permit an accident without raising rates so long as you haven’t had any claims prior to being involved in the accident.
• Paper-free Discount – Certain insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up digitally online.
• Resident Student – College-age children who attend college more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can be insured at a reduced rate.
• Senior Citizen Discount – Mature drivers may receive a small discount on rates for Explorer insurance.

As is typical with insurance, some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. Even though the math looks like it’s possible to get free car insurance, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.

Car insurance companies that possibly offer these discounts are:

• Geico
• Auto-Owners Insurance
• American Family
• Esurance
• Progressive
• State Farm
• AAA

Before purchasing a policy, check with every prospective company which discounts you may be entitled to. A few discounts might not apply in your area. To view insurers that have a full spectrum of discounts, click here.

Do I need special coverages?

When it comes to buying coverage for your vehicles, there really is no single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s needs are different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. These are some specific questions could help you determine whether your personal situation could use an agent’s help.

• Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver?
• How much can I save by bundling my policies?
• Are rental cars covered under my policy?
• Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
• What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
• When would I need rental car insurance?
• Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
• Should I waive the damage coverage when renting a car?
• When should I drop full coverage on my 1998 Ford Explorer?
• When do I need to add a new car to my policy?

If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

Detailed coverages of your insurance policy

Learning about specific coverages of a insurance policy aids in choosing which coverages you need at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Below you’ll find typical coverage types found on the average insurance policy.

Comprehensive coverages

Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive can pay for things such as hitting a deer, fire damage, rock chips in glass, damage from flooding and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.

Coverage for collisions

Collision coverage covers damage to your Explorer caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage pays for things such as crashing into a building, hitting a mailbox and backing into a parked car. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Liability coverage

This coverage protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property in an accident. This insurance protects YOU against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show policy limits of 100/300/100 which means a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability can pay for claims such as legal defense fees, attorney fees and court costs. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage

This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family and also any damage incurred to your 1998 Ford Explorer.

Since many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.

Coverage for medical payments

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for immediate expenses for things like nursing services, ambulance fees and surgery. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage