1997 Ford Windstar Car Insurance Rates – 7 Tricks for Cheaper Quotes

Searching for lower auto insurance rates for your Ford Windstar? Wish you could get a refund on overpriced auto insurance? It’s quite common and you’re not the only one.

You have so many auto insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and even though it’s nice to have multiple companies, it makes it harder to compare rates.

Auto insurance discounts are available to slash your rates

Buying auto insurance is not cheap, but discounts can save money and there are some available that many people don’t even know exist. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time of quoting, but once in a while a discount must be specifically requested prior to receiving the credit.

  • Discount for Life Insurance – If the company offers life insurance, you could get better premium rates if you take out auto and life insurance together.
  • Save over 55 – Older drivers can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums on Windstar insurance.
  • Driver Safety – Completing a course that instructs on driving safety could save 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
  • E-sign – Some of the larger companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for completing your application on the web.
  • Discounts for Federal Employees – Active or retired federal employment could provide a small rate reduction on Windstar insurance with select insurance companies.
  • Theft Deterent – Vehicles that have factory alarm systems and tracking devices are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more.
  • Own a Home and Save – Just being a homeowner may trigger a policy discount on auto insurance since owning and maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.

As a sidenote, some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. So even though they make it sound like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck.

A few popular companies and some of the discounts are included below.

  • Farm Bureau offers discounts including 55 and retired, youthful driver, good student, multi-policy, renewal discount, and driver training.
  • Liberty Mutual may have discounts that include newly retired, exclusive group savings, preferred payment discount, teen driver discount, and good student.
  • State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including accident-free, good driver, good student, student away at school, defensive driving training, and driver’s education.
  • Auto-Owners Insurance may include discounts for group or association, multiple vehicles, anti-lock brakes, teen driver, company car, and anti-theft.
  • Geico discounts include military active duty, five-year accident-free, air bags, multi-policy, membership and employees, and defensive driver.
  • SAFECO includes discounts for drive less, bundle discounts, homeowner, teen safety rewards, safe driver, anti-lock brakes, and accident prevention training.

Double check with every company which discounts you may be entitled to. Depending on the company, some discounts may not apply to policies in every state. To locate auto insurance companies that provide some of the discounts listed above, click here to view.

How to compare insurance coverage rate quotes

When looking for affordable insurance coverage quotes, there are a couple ways to obtain and compare prices from insurance coverage companies in your area. The best way to compare 1997 Ford Windstar insurance prices is to jump online and get quotes. This can be done by using one of the methods below.

  1. The simplest way to find low rates would be an industry-wide quote request form like this one (opens in new window). This style of form saves time by eliminating repetitive form entry for every prospective company. Filling out one form compares rates direct from many companies.
  2. A more time consuming way to compare rate quotes is going to each company’s website and fill out their own quote form. For examples sake, let’s assume you are doing a rate comparison from Geico, Safeco and Progressive. To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website and enter your information, which can be really labor intensive. For a handy list of car insurance company links in your area, click here.

It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just do your best to use equivalent coverage data on every quote you get. If each company quotes higher or lower deductibles it’s impossible to decipher which rate is best. Having just a slight variation in coverages can result in a big premium difference. Just remember that comparing more rates from different companies helps locate the best rates.

Everyone needs different insurance coverage coverages

When it comes to buying adequate coverage, there is no one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different so your insurance should reflect that For instance, these questions may help highlight whether or not you might need professional guidance.

  • Should I buy full coverage?
  • How much liability coverage do I need in my state?
  • What exactly is covered by my policy?
  • Do I pay less for low miles?
  • When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
  • How can I get high-risk coverage after a DUI?

If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of insurance coverage companies in your area.

Can switching companies really save?

Car insurance providers like Allstate and Progressive continually stream television and radio advertisements. All the ads make the same claim about savings just by moving your car insurance policy to them. How do they all give you a lower rate? It’s all in the wording.

Car insurance companies give the cheapest rates for a prospective insured that will most likely be profitable. One example of a desirable insured might be described as between the ages of 30 and 50, owns their home, and has a high credit rating. Any new insured that fits those parameters receive the lowest rate quotes and will also save when they switch companies.

Insureds who may not quite match this stringent profile will probably be forced to pay a more expensive rate and this results in the customer not buying. The ads say “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” can save as much as they claim. That’s the way companies can truthfully advertise the savings.

This emphasizes why you really need to quote coverage with many companies. It’s just not possible to know the company that will have the lowest rate quotes.

Car insurance coverage information

Having a good grasp of a insurance policy helps when choosing the right coverages for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. These are the usual coverages available from insurance companies.

Liability coverage

Liability coverage can cover damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people that is your fault. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have policy limits of 100/300/100 that means you have a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Alternatively, you may have a combined limit which limits claims to one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability coverage pays for claims such as pain and suffering, medical services and legal defense fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but buy as much as you can afford.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision

This coverage pays for 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 coverage pays for claims like rock chips in glass, damage from getting keyed and a broken windshield. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Medical costs insurance

Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for expenses such as chiropractic care, ambulance fees, hospital visits and pain medications. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

UM/UIM Coverage

This coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your Ford Windstar.

Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Usually the UM/UIM limits are set the same as your liablity limits.

Auto collision coverage

Collision coverage pays for damage to your Windstar caused by collision with another car or object. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage protects against things like colliding with another moving vehicle, colliding with a tree, scraping a guard rail and driving through your garage door. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

The bottom line

Cheaper 1997 Ford Windstar insurance can be sourced on the web in addition to local insurance agencies, so you should compare both to have the best selection. A few companies do not provide online quoting and these regional carriers work with independent agencies.

As you shop your coverage around, never buy poor coverage just to save money. In many cases, an insured dropped full coverage to discover at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. Your goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate and still be able to protect your assets.

More tips and info about auto insurance can be read in the articles below: