Cheaper 2003 Ford Explorer Insurance Quotes

If you’re shopping for more affordable insurance, do you get overwhelmed by the number of car insurance providers in your area? Many other drivers are as well. people have so many providers to choose from that it can easily turn into a difficult mission to find the lowest price.

Save a ton with these car insurance discounts

Some companies don’t always advertise every discount very well, so the list below gives a summary of some of the more common as well as the least known discounts that you may qualify for.

• Include Life Insurance and Save – Some car insurance companies give a lower rate if you buy life insurance from them.
• Student Discounts – This discount can earn a discount of 20% or more. You can use this discount normally up until you turn 25.
• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars with anti-lock braking systems can reduce accidents and the ABS can save up to 10%.
• Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents may save up to 50% more on Explorer coverage than less cautious drivers.
• Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.
• Early Signing – A few larger companies offer discounts for renewing your policy before your current coverage expires. It’s a savings of about 10%.

It’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. If you do the math and it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.

Companies that may offer policyholders most of these discounts include:

• Progressive
• Farmers Insurance
• Farm Bureau
• State Farm
• Geico
• SAFECO
• Liberty Mutual

When comparing rates, check with every insurance company which discounts they offer. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not be offered everywhere. If you would like to see a list of car insurance companies that offer discounts, click this link.

How much is insurance?

To find cheap rates, there are a couple of ways to compare rate quotes from many insurance companies in your state. The best method to find competitive Ford Explorer insurance rates is to get quotes online. This can be accomplished in a couple minutes as outlined below.

1. The recommended way consumers can make multiple comparisons is an all-inclusive rate comparison click here to open form in new window. This quick form saves time by eliminating separate forms for every company. One form submission gets rate comparisons from insurance companies with the best prices.It’s the quickest way to get rates.
2. A less efficient way to find more affordable insurance consists of visiting the website of each company and request a quote. For example, we’ll pretend you want rates from Farmers, Allstate and State Farm. To find out each rate you need to go to each individual site and punch in your information repeatedly, which can get rather old.

   For a list of links to companies insuring cars in your area, click here.

3. The last method to comparison shop rate quotes is physically going to insurance agencies in your area. Doing it all online has reduced the need for local agents unless you require the professional assistance that only a licensed agent can provide. Although, it is possible get the lowest quotes online but still have the advice of a local agent.

Whichever method you choose, do your best to use the exact same coverage data on every price quote you get. If you have different limits and deductibles on each one you can’t possibly get a fair rate comparison. Just a small difference in limits may cause a big price difference. Just remember that more quotes will increase your chances of finding more affordable rates.

Get cheap insurance premiums by understanding these factors

Lots of factors are used when quoting car insurance. Some are pretty understandable like a motor vehicle report, but other factors are more obscure like your vehicle usage and annual miles driven.A large part of saving on insurance coverage is knowing the factors that play a part in calculating your policy premiums. If you understand what influences your rates, this allows you to make good choices that may result in big savings.

The list below includes some of the most rate-impacting factors used by your company to calculate your rate level.

• Get better costs if you’re married – Your spouse can actually save you money when buying insurance coverage. Having a spouse means you’re more mature and statistics show married drivers tend to have fewer serious accidents.
• How much liability coverage – The liability section of your policy provides coverage if you are ruled to be at fault for physical damage or personal injury to other. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense which can cost a lot. It is affordable coverage compared to comp and collision, so drivers should carry high limits.
• Lower rates with continuous insurance coverage coverage – Driving without insurance is against the law and you will pay a penalty because you let your insurance lapse. In addition to paying higher premiums, getting caught without coverage will get you a revoked license or a big fine.
• Annual miles is a factor – The higher the mileage driven in a year’s time the more it will cost to insure it. A lot of companies apply a rate based upon how much you drive. Cars and trucks that do not get driven very much cost less to insure than those used for commuting. It’s always a good idea to double check that your insurance coverage policy shows the correct usage. A policy that improperly rates your Explorer can cost quite a bit.
• Credit rating impacts premium costs – Credit history is a big factor in determining premium rates. If your credit score is lower than you’d like, you could pay less to insure your 2003 Ford Explorer by taking the time to improve your credit score. Drivers who have high credit ratings tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with poor credit.
• City dwellers may pay more – Choosing to live in less populated areas can save you money when it comes to insurance coverage. Residents of big cities regularly have traffic congestion and higher rates of accident claims. Fewer drivers on the road means less chance of accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft.

Auto insurance can get complicated

When buying adequate coverage, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is unique.

For instance, these questions can help discover whether you would benefit from professional advice.

• Do I need PIP coverage since I have good health insurance?
• Do I need motorclub coverage?
• Should I waive the damage coverage when renting a car?
• I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
• How high should my medical payments coverage be?
• Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
• How can I get my company to pay me more for my totalled car?
• How do I buy GAP insurance?
• Which is better, split liability limits or combined limits?
• Is my 2003 Ford Explorer covered for smoke damage?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

Insurance coverage in the media

Allstate and Progressive seem to constantly run television, radio, and online ads. They all advertise claims that you’ll save big after switching your insurance coverage policy to them. How does every insurance coverage company make almost identical claims? It’s all in how they say it.

Most companies provide the lowest rates for the type of customer that is profitable for them. One example of this type of insured may be married and over the age of 30, has no claims, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote that hits that “sweet spot” will get a cheap rate quote and is almost guaranteed to cut their rates if they switch.

Insureds who are not a match for those criteria will probably be forced to pay higher premium rates which usually ends up with the customer buying from a different company. If you pay attention, the ads say “drivers who switch” not “everyone who quotes” save money. That’s why companies can make claims that they all have the best prices. Because of this risk profiling, drivers must get as many free auto insurance quotes as possible. It’s impossible to know which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest premium rates.

What insurance coverages do you need?

Learning about specific coverages of your insurance policy helps when choosing which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. Insurance terms can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Collision – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision insurance covers claims such as colliding with a tree, scraping a guard rail, sustaining damage from a pot hole and sideswiping another vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. Another option is to choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance – This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your Ford Explorer.

Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision) – Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things like a tree branch falling on your vehicle, rock chips in glass and theft. The most your insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.

Insurance for medical payments – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for bills such as dental work, surgery, rehabilitation expenses, hospital visits and doctor visits. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Coverage for liability – Liability coverage provides protection from damage that occurs to other’s property or people by causing an accident. This coverage protects you from claims by other people. It does not cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see values of 100/300/100 which stand for a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability coverage protects against claims like attorney fees, medical expenses and emergency aid. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying higher limits if possible.

Shop smart and save

While you’re price shopping online, it’s not a good idea to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are a lot of situations where an accident victim reduced collision coverage only to discover later that it was a big mistake. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest cost while not skimping on critical coverages.

Cost effective 2003 Ford Explorer insurance can be found online and with local insurance agents, so you should compare both to have the best selection. Some car insurance companies do not provide internet price quotes and many times these smaller companies only sell through local independent agents.

Insureds change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as denial of a claim, poor customer service, high rates after DUI convictions or delays in responding to claim requests. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching car insurance companies is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.

More resources

• Things to Know Before you Cancel Insurance (Allstate)
• Understanding your Policy (NAIC.org)
• Coverage Information (Progressive Insurance)
• How Does Hitting a Deer Impact Insurance Rates? (Allstate)
• Auto Insurance 101 (About.com)
• Cellphones, Texting and Driving (iihs.org)