Cheaper 2004 Ford Focus Insurance Cost

Want cheaper insurance coverage rates for your Ford Focus? If shopping for auto insurance quotes online is new to you, there’s a good chance you are baffled thanks to the incredible selection local agents and online companies competing for your business.

How you can control Ford Focus insurance rates

When buying car insurance it’s important to understand the factors that go into determining your policy premiums. If you know what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that could help you find lower premium levels.

The items below are some of the major factors companies use to determine rates.

  • Remove unneeded incidental coverages – There are a lot of additional coverages that sound like a good idea at the time when buying car insurance. Insurance for rental car coverage, better glass coverage, and extra life insurance coverage are probably not needed. The coverages may be enticing initially, but now you might not need them so get rid of them and save.
  • What’s your car’s crash test rating? – Vehicles with good safety scores are cheaper to insure. Vehicles engineered for safety protect occupants better and lower rates of occupant injuries means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders. If your Ford Focus scored at minimum an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website you may qualify for a discount.
  • How many miles do you drive? – Driving more miles every year the higher your rate. Most companies apply a rate determined by how the vehicle is used. Autos that sit idle most of the time can be on a lower rate level compared to those used for work or business. It’s a good idea to make sure your vehicle rating is showing annual mileage. An incorrectly rated Focus can cost quite a bit.
  • Get a ticket, pay higher rates – Having a clean driving record has a huge affect on how much you pay. Even a single citation can boost insurance rates by as much as twenty percent. Drivers with clean records get better rates as compared to those with violations. Drivers who have careless citations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find they need to maintain a SR-22 with their state’s licensing department in order to keep their license.

Cheap auto insurance quotes

Comparing auto insurance rates can take hours if you don’t utilize the fastest way to get free quotes. You could spend your day talking to local insurance agents in your area, or you can utilize the web to achieve your goal.

Most of the larger companies participate in a marketplace that enables customers to submit one quote, and each participating company can provide price quotes determined by their information. This prevents consumers from doing quotation requests for every auto insurance company.

To compare rates now click here to open in new window.

The one downside to comparing rates this way is buyers cannot specifically choose which providers to get quotes from. So if you want to select individual companies to compare rates, we have a listing of companies who write auto insurance in your area. View list of insurance companies.

The method you choose is up to you, but make sure you are using the same coverages and limits on every price quote you get. If the quotes have higher or lower deductibles you will not be able to make a fair comparison for your Ford Focus. Just slight variations in limits can result in a big premium difference. And when quoting auto insurance, remember that comparing a wide range of rates helps locate the best offered rates.

Beware of misleading auto insurance ads

Big name companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm regularly use ads on television and other media. They all seem to tend to make the same promise that drivers will save a bundle just by switching your coverage to them. But how can every company sell you cheaper insurance coverage? This is the way they can do it.

Insurance companies quote their cheapest rates for a prospective insured that earns them the most money. A good example of a preferred risk could possibly be a married male, has few claims, and drives less than 5,000 miles a year. Anybody who fits those characteristics will most likely get cheap premium rates and will also pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential insureds who don’t qualify for the ideal profile may receive higher premiums and the customer buying from a different company. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much when switching. That is how insurance companies can confidently lure you into getting a quote. That is why you need to compare quotes as often as possible. It is impossible to predict which company will have the best prices at this point in time.

You may qualify for discounts

Some insurance providers don’t always advertise every discount very well, so we took the time to find some of the more common and also the lesser-known credits available to lower your premiums when you buy auto insurance online. If you do not double check each discount available, you are just wasting money.

  • Safety Restraint Discount – Requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off the medical payments premium.
  • Defensive Driver Discount – Successfully completing a course that instructs on driving safety could earn you a small percentage discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.
  • Anti-lock Brakes – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Theft Deterent – Vehicles that have factory alarm systems and tracking devices are less likely to be stolen and earn discounts up to 10% off your auto insurance quote.
  • Multi-policy Discount – When you combine your auto and home insurance and place coverage with the same company they may give you a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
  • Smart Student Discounts – A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. Most companies allow this discount well after school through age 25.
  • Club Memberships – Being a member of qualifying clubs or civic groups could trigger savings on your next renewal.
  • Driver’s Ed – Have your child enroll in driver’s education if it’s offered in school.

One thing to note about discounts is that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Despite the appearance that you could get a free car insurance policy, nobody gets a free ride.

Some companies that may include some of the discounts shown above include:

It’s a good idea to ask every prospective company how many discounts you can get. Depending on the company, some discounts might not be available to policyholders in your area. To see a list of companies that have a full spectrum of discounts, click here to view.

There’s no such thing as the perfect insurance policy

When choosing the right insurance coverage, there really is no one size fits all plan. Every insured’s situation is different.

Here are some questions about coverages that might point out whether your personal situation will benefit from professional help.

  • Can I drive in Mexico and have coverage?
  • Is business equipment covered while in my vehicle?
  • How do I file an SR-22 for a DUI in my state?
  • Am I covered by my employer’s commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
  • Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
  • Do I need replacement cost coverage?
  • Does liability extend to a camper or trailer?
  • Is upholstery damage covered by car insurance?

If you’re not sure about those questions, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form.

Information about specific coverages

Having a good grasp of a insurance policy can help you determine the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Insurance terms can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your Ford Focus.

Since many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea.

Comprehensive insurance

Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for things such as damage from a tornado or hurricane, hail damage, rock chips in glass, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and vandalism. The maximum payout a insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Auto collision coverage

Collision insurance covers damage to your Focus resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage protects against claims like sideswiping another vehicle, damaging your car on a curb, scraping a guard rail, sustaining damage from a pot hole and hitting a mailbox. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Med pay and PIP coverage pay for bills for things like prosthetic devices, funeral costs and X-ray expenses. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Liability insurance

This protects you from injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property. This coverage protects you against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

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 25/50/25 which means $25,000 bodily injury coverage, $50,000 for the entire accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability insurance covers claims such as pain and suffering, medical expenses, loss of income and repair costs for stationary objects. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.

More comparisons equals lower rates

In this article, we presented many tips how you can save on 2004 Ford Focus insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers could even find that the lowest priced auto insurance comes from some of the lesser-known companies.

Consumers change insurance companies for any number of reasons including policy cancellation, questionable increases in premium, poor customer service and even delays in paying claims. No matter why you want to switch, finding a new company can be pretty painless.

Discount 2004 Ford Focus insurance is definitely available both online as well as from insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who do not offer the ability to get a quote online and these smaller providers sell through independent insurance agencies.

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