Cheap 2004 Ford Explorer Insurance Rates

Are you irritated from sacrificing other expenses to insure your Ford every month? You have the same problem as the majority of other drivers.

Online insurance companies like State Farm, Geico and Farmers Insurance all claim big savings with advertising and it can be hard to see past the geckos and flying pigs and take the time to shop coverage around.

If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce your rates substantially using this information. Buying car insurance is quite easy. Nevertheless, vehicle owners do need to know how insurance companies market insurance on the web because it can help you find the best coverage.

Components of your Ford Explorer insurance prices

It’s important that you understand the different types of things that aid in calculating the price you pay for car insurance. If you understand what determines base rates, this allows you to make educated decisions that could help you find cheaper rates.

The itemized list below are a partial list of the pieces used by your company to calculate prices.

  • Drive less and get lower premiums – Driving a lot of miles in a year the higher your rates will be. A lot of insurance companies calculate prices based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars that do not get driven very much get more affordable rates than cars that get driven a lot. Ask your agent if your policy correctly shows the correct usage, because it can save money. An improperly rated Explorer can result in significantly higher rates.
  • Battle of the sexes – Statistics have proven that females take fewer risks when driving. That doesn’t necessarily mean that females are better drivers. They both cause at-fault accidents at about the same rate, but the males have accidents that have higher claims. In addition to higher claims, males also have more aggressive citations such as reckless driving. Young males are the most expensive to insure and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
  • Bundling policies can get discounts – Most major car insurance companies allow a discount for people who have multiple policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Discounts can add up to five, ten or even twenty percent. Even if you’re getting this discount you still need to shop around to guarantee you are still saving the most. You may still find a better deal even if you insure with multiple companies
  • Certain occupations pay higher premiums – Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Occupations like judgesairline pilots and medical professionals usually pay the highest rates in part from intense work situations and long work hours. On the flip side, occupations like actors, engineers and homemakers have lower than average premiums for Explorer coverage.

Take advantage of these rate-reducing discounts

Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise every disount available in a way that’s easy to find, so the following list contains some of the more common and also the more inconspicuous credits available to lower your premiums when you buy insurance online.

  • Accident-Free Discounts – Drivers who stay claim-free can earn big discounts as compared to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
  • Discount for Life Insurance – Not all companies offer life insurance, but some may give you lower prices if you buy some life insurance too.
  • Early Payment Discounts – By paying your entire bill at once instead of paying each month you may have a lower total premium amount.
  • Professional Organizations – Having an affiliation with a qualifying organization can get you a small discount on your bill.
  • Discounts for Government Workers – Active or retired federal employment could qualify for a slight premium decrease for Explorer coverage with certain companies.
  • Defensive Driver Discount – Successfully completing a safe driver class may get you a small discount if your company offers it.
  • Seat Belt Usage – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle up before driving can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off the personal injury premium cost.
  • Homeowners Pay Less – Just owning your own home can earn you a little savings since owning and maintaining a home is proof of financial responsibility.
  • College Student Discount – Youth drivers who are attending college without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.

One last thing about discounts, some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way.

A few of the larger companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are included below.

  • State Farm offers premium reductions for passive restraint, Drive Safe & Save, accident-free, driver’s education, multiple policy, and good student.
  • American Family may offer discounts for good student, early bird, good driver, TimeAway discount, and mySafetyValet.
  • Geico includes discounts for driver training, air bags, good student, federal employee, and five-year accident-free.
  • 21st Century discounts include teen driver, automatic seat belts, theft prevention, student driver, driver training, and homeowners.
  • Progressive has savings for online signing, continuous coverage, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, online quote discount, and good student.

If you need lower rates, check with each company what discounts are available to you. Savings may not apply in your area.

Do I need special coverages?

When buying adequate coverage, there is no cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is a little different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine whether you might need an agent’s assistance.

  • Am I covered if I wreck a rental car?
  • Am I covered if I break a side mirror?
  • Does my insurance cover damage caused when ticketed for reckless driving?
  • Is a blown tire covered by insurance?
  • I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
  • Are rock chip repairs covered?
  • Should I have a commercial auto policy?
  • Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you might consider talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or click here for a list of insurance coverage companies in your area.

Learn about insurance coverages for a Ford Explorer

Knowing the specifics of insurance aids in choosing which coverages you need 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 found on the average insurance policy.

Collision – Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Explorer resulting from colliding with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision can pay for claims like damaging your car on a curb, rolling your car, backing into a parked car and sustaining damage from a pot hole. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Auto liability – Liability insurance can cover damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property that is your fault. This coverage protects you from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see limits of 100/300/100 which stand for a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Occasionally you may see a combined single limit or CSL which provides one coverage limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability can pay for claims such as medical expenses, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, bail bonds and structural damage. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but you should buy as much as you can afford.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your Ford Explorer.

Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Usually these coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.

Comprehensive coverage – This coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive insurance covers things like vandalism, rock chips in glass, hail damage, a broken windshield and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Medical payments coverage and PIP – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for expenses for things like pain medications, chiropractic care, prosthetic devices, nursing services and doctor visits. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

The bottom line

Affordable 2004 Ford Explorer insurance is definitely available from both online companies and from local agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. A few companies may not provide internet price quotes and most of the time these regional carriers work with independent agents.

In this article, we covered some good ideas how you can compare 2004 Ford Explorer insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the higher your chance of finding cheap insurance. You may be surprised to find that the lowest prices are with a small mutual company. These smaller insurers can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than their larger competitors like Progressive or Geico.

When buying insurance coverage, make sure you don’t skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many cases, someone sacrificed collision coverage only to regret that they should have had better coverage. Your goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.

More detailed auto insurance information is available at these sites: