Cheaper 2003 Volkswagen Passat Car Insurance Rates

Are you sick and tired of scraping the payment together to pay your car insurance bill each month? You are no different than most other car owners. Insurance companies such as State Farm, Progressive and Geico all promote huge savings with TV and radio ads and consumers find it hard to separate fact from fiction and find the best price available.

Consumers should take time to do rate comparisons on a regular basis because insurance rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Just because you had the best rates on Passat insurance a couple years back other companies may now be cheaper. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to the only way to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.

Comparison of Car Insurance

Performing a rate comparison can be a lot of work if you don’t utilize the easiest way. You can waste hours talking to insurance companies in your area, or you can utilize the web for quick rates.

Most of the best insurance companies belong to a marketplace where insurance shoppers enter their coverage request one time, and each participating company can provide price quotes for coverage. This prevents consumers from doing quotation requests to every company. To compare 2003 Volkswagen Passat rates now click here to start a free quote.

One minor caviat to comparing rates this way is that you can’t choose the companies to get pricing from. If you wish to select from a list of companies for rate comparison, we put together a list of the cheapest car insurance companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.

Which method you use is up to you, but make darn sure you compare the exact same coverage limits with every price quote. If each company quotes higher or lower deductibles it will be next to impossible to find the best deal for your Volkswagen Passat.

Why your Volkswagen Passat insurance rates may be high

It’s important that you understand the factors that play a part in calculating auto insurance rates. Understanding what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that could result in better auto insurance rates.

  • Small claims can cost you – Car insurance companies generally give cheaper rates to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can expect either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
  • Are you male or female? – Statistics demonstrate women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, this does not mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Men and women have accidents in similar numbers, but the male of the species have costlier accidents. Men also tend to get more serious tickets such as DWI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are most likely to cause an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
  • Liability coverage is peace of mind – The liability section of your policy provides coverage when a jury decides you are liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability provides you with a defense in court up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
  • Add-on coverages can add up – There are a lot of add-on coverages you can purchase on your auto insurance policy. Things like personal injury protection, better glass coverage and motor club memberships are some examples. They may seem like a good idea at first, but if you don’t need them remove them from your policy.
  • Equipment add-ons that lower auto insurance rates – Purchasing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention devices such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all aid in stopping car theft.
  • Marriage pays dividends – Having a spouse can actually save you money on your auto insurance policy. It translates into being more mature than a single person and it’s statistically proven that being married results in fewer claims.
  • Younger drivers pay higher rates – Older drivers are more cautious drivers, file fewer claims and are safer drivers. Young drivers have a tendency to be careless and easily distracted behind the wheel and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.

How much can you save with discounts?

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but there could be available discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Most are applied when you complete an application, but less common discounts must be manually applied prior to receiving the credit. If you don’t get every credit you qualify for, you are throwing money away.

  • Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less on Passat insurance than drivers with accident claims.
  • Senior Discount – Mature drivers may qualify for better auto insurance rates on Passat insurance.
  • Sign Online – Certain companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing over the internet.
  • Service Members Pay Less – Having a family member in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
  • Life Insurance – Select insurance companies reward you with a break if you buy life insurance.
  • Anti-lock Brake Discount – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
  • Bundle and Save – If you have multiple policies with one insurance company you may earn 10% to 20% off each policy.
  • Employee of Federal Government – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% on Passat insurance depending on your company.
  • Early Switch Discount – A few companies offer discounts for switching to them prior to your current policy expiring. It’s a savings of about 10%.
  • Driver Safety – Taking part in a driver safety course could cut 5% off your bill if your company offers it.

It’s important to note that some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous. But any discount will help reduce your premiums.

Insurance companies that may offer some of the above discounts are:

Double check with each company which discounts you may be entitled to. All car insurance discounts might not be offered in your area.

How much car insurance do I need?

When choosing adequate coverage, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions can help discover whether you may require specific advice.

  • Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?
  • Where can I find high-risk insurance?
  • How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in my state?
  • Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver?
  • What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?
  • Why am I required to buy liability insurance?
  • Should I carry comprehensive and collision coverage?
  • What if I owe more than I can insure my car for?
  • When can I cancel my policy?
  • Will filing a claim cost me more?

If you can’t answer these questions, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and may give you better protection.

Insurance coverages explained

Learning about specific coverages of a insurance policy can be of help when determining appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. Insurance terms can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are the usual coverages available from insurance companies.

Collision insurance

Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage pays for things like crashing into a ditch, hitting a parking meter, colliding with another moving vehicle and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Another option is to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your 2003 Volkswagen Passat.

Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Usually these coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Liability

This coverage protects you from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property. This coverage protects you against other people’s claims, and doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have values of 25/50/25 that translate to $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, $50,000 for the entire accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Occasionally you may see one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which combines the three limits into one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability insurance covers claims such as funeral expenses, repair costs for stationary objects, structural damage and attorney fees. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford.

Coverage for medical payments

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for immediate expenses for things like nursing services, X-ray expenses and pain medications. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Comprehensive coverages

Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. 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, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, fire damage and hitting a bird. The highest amount a insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Don’t break the bank

When you buy insurance online, make sure you don’t skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many situations where an accident victim reduced collision coverage only to find out they didn’t have enough coverage. Your focus should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.

Cheaper 2003 Volkswagen Passat insurance is possible on the web and also from your neighborhood agents, so compare prices from both to have the best selection. Some car insurance companies may not provide online quoting and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

In this article, we covered a lot of tips how to shop for insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from a small mutual company. Smaller companies often have lower prices on specific markets as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm and Allstate.

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