Save on 2003 Ford Ranger Insurance Cost

Searching for better auto insurance rates for your Ford Ranger? Shopping for the lowest cost auto insurance over the internet is rather challenging for beginners to buying insurance online. When there are so many insurers to choose from, how can consumers even start to compare every company to locate the best pricing?

If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using these methods. The purpose of this post is to help you learn how car insurance quotes work and some money-saving tips. But car owners do need to learn how the larger insurance companies sell online and apply this information to your search.

Factors that might impact rates for a Ford Ranger

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that help determine your insurance coverage rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

The following are a few of the “ingredients” companies use to determine prices.

  • Traffic violations increase rates – Whether or not you get tickets has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Only having one speeding ticket can bump up the cost forty percent or more. Drivers who don’t get tickets receive lower rates than bad drivers. Drivers with serious tickets such as DUI or reckless driving are required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.
  • Don’t skimp on liability – Liability coverage provides coverage if ever a jury decides you are liable for personal injury or accident damage. It provides you with a defense in court which can cost thousands of dollars. This coverage is very inexpensive when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not cut corners here.
  • High deductibles save money – Physical damage deductibles represent how much money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, insures against damage to your car. Examples of covered claims could be colliding with a building, damage from fire, and burglary. The higher the amount you’re willing to pay, the less your insurance coverage will be for Ranger coverage.
  • Pleasure use or commuting – Driving more miles each year the more you will pay for insurance coverage. The majority of insurers charge to insure your cars based on their usage. Cars and trucks that are left in the garage qualify for better rates than those used for commuting. Having the wrong rating on your Ranger may be costing you. Verify your insurance coverage coverage properly reflects the proper vehicle usage.
  • Never go without insurance – Not having insurance is illegal and you will pay a penalty because you let your insurance lapse. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but not being able to provide proof of insurance may earn you a steep fine or even jail time.You may then be required to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with your state motor vehicle department.
  • Do you have a high stress job? – Occupations such as lawyers, business owners and stock brokers have the highest rates in part from stressful work requirements and lots of time spent at work. On the other hand, professions such as scientists, students and the unemployed get better rates for Ranger coverage.
  • Discounts for married couples – Getting married can actually save you money on your insurance coverage policy. Marriage means you’re more mature and statistics show married drivers get in fewer accidents.

These discounts can lower your rates

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but companies offer discounts to reduce the price significantly. Most are applied when you quote, but some must be inquired about in order for you to get them.

  • Defensive Driving Course – Successfully completing a course teaching defensive driving skills could cut 5% off your bill if your company offers it.
  • Employee of Federal Government – Employees or retirees of the government can earn a discount up to 10% for Ranger coverage with certain companies.
  • Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts of more than 20%.
  • New Car Discount – Insuring a new car is cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.
  • Use Seat Belts – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts could save 15% off the personal injury premium cost.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like you could get a free insurance policy, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any amount of discount will cut your overall premium however.

A partial list of companies who might offer some of the above discounts include:

Double check with every prospective company which discounts they offer. Savings might not be offered in your area.

Different people need different coverages

When it comes to buying coverage, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different.

Here are some questions about coverages that may help you determine whether your personal situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.

  • How do I insure my teen driver?
  • What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
  • Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
  • Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver?
  • Are rental cars covered under my policy?
  • Should I rate my 2003 Ford Ranger as pleasure use or commute?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form.

Specific coverages for a Ford Ranger

Having a good grasp of your policy can help you determine the best coverages for your vehicles. Insurance terms can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

This coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your Ford Ranger.

Due to the fact that many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Normally these coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for immediate expenses for things like doctor visits, surgery, rehabilitation expenses and ambulance fees. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Coverage for liability

This coverage can cover injuries or damage you cause to other people or property by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU against claims from other people. It does not cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. As an example, you may have values of 25/50/25 which means $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Another option is a combined limit which combines the three limits into one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability coverage protects against claims such as court costs, structural damage and funeral expenses. How much coverage you buy is your choice, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.

Collision coverage

This coverage will pay to fix damage to your Ranger resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision can pay for things like sustaining damage from a pot hole, rolling your car, crashing into a ditch, sideswiping another vehicle and scraping a guard rail. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Comprehensive insurance

This coverage covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims such as hitting a deer, damage from a tornado or hurricane and hitting a bird. The maximum payout a insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Pennies from heaven

We just showed you a lot of tips how to get a better price on 2003 Ford Ranger insurance. The key concept to understand is the more you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Drivers may discover the most savings is with an unexpected company.

Consumers who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including high rates after DUI convictions, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, policy cancellation or even unfair underwriting practices. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, choosing a new insurance company can be easy and end up saving you some money.

Lower-priced insurance is available on the web as well as from independent agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

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