2003 Ford Explorer Sport Insurance Rates

Want lower auto insurance rates for your Ford Explorer Sport? Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an overpriced auto insurance policy? It’s quite common and there are lots of residents who feel the same. Having so many online and local companies to choose from, it is hard for the average consumer to pick the right insurance company.

Ways to get insurance quotes

There are a lot of ways to compare insurance quotes, but one way is less time-consuming than others. You can spend countless hours discussing policy coverages with agents in your area, or you can utilize online quoting to get rates in a matter of minutes.

Most car insurance companies belong to an insurance system where prospective buyers only type in their quote data once, and at least one company returns a rated price determined by their information. This eliminates the need for repetitive form submissions for each company you want a rate for. To get comparison pricing now click here (opens in new window).

One minor caviat to getting quotes like this is you can’t choose which providers to receive prices from. So if you prefer to pick individual companies to compare prices, we put together a list of the cheapest insurance companies in your area. Click to view list.

Which method you use is up to you, but make darn sure you compare the exact same coverage limits and deductibles for every company. If the quotes have different values for each quote it will be next to impossible to determine the lowest rate for your Ford Explorer Sport.

Insurance discounts are available to slash your rates

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but companies offer discounts that may help make it more affordable. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time of purchase, but some may not be applied and must be asked about before they will apply.

• Data Collection Discounts – Drivers who elect to allow their company to spy on driving habits through the use of a telematics system like In-Drive from State Farm and Progressive’s Snapshot could see a rate decrease if they show good driving skills.
• Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can get savings of 25 to 30%.
• Discounts for Multiple Vehicles – Buying coverage for primary and secondary vehicles on a single policy can reduce the rates for all insured vehicles.
• Senior Citizen Discount – Seniors could receive better insurance rates on Explorer Sport coverage.
• Own a Home – Simply owning a home can get you a discount due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
• Federal Employees – Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% on Explorer Sport coverage with select insurance companies.
• Military Discounts – Having a deployed family member may lower your premium rates slightly.
• Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents have much lower rates as compared to bad drivers.

A quick disclaimer, most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, you aren’t that lucky.

Some of the larger companies who might offer these benefits may include but are not limited to:

• Geico
• MetLife
• Progressive
• Travelers
• SAFECO
• AAA

If you want cheaper insurance coverage quotes, ask every company what discounts are available to you. A few discounts might not be offered on policies in your area. To choose providers who offer free insurance quotes, click this link.

Everyone needs different insurance coverage coverages

When buying adequate coverage, there isn’t really a one size fits all plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s so your insurance should reflect that Here are some questions about coverages that might point out if your insurance needs might need professional guidance.

• What is the ISO rating for a 2003 Ford Explorer Sport?
• Is my 2003 Ford Explorer Sport covered for smoke damage?
• Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
• What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
• Do I have newly-aquired coverage?
• When should my teen driver be added to my policy?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with 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. It is quick, free and can help protect your family.

The coverage is in the details

Having a good grasp of your policy aids in choosing the best coverages for your vehicles. Car insurance terms can be confusing and nobody wants to actually read their policy. These are typical coverage types found on most car insurance policies.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage

Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your 2003 Ford Explorer Sport.

Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Most of the time your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Coverage for liability

This protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property that is your fault. It protects YOU against other people’s claims. It does not cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see liability limits of 100/300/100 which means $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property. Occasionally you may see a combined limit which limits claims to one amount without having the split limit caps.

Liability insurance covers things like medical expenses, structural damage and loss of income. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as much as you can afford.

Comprehensive coverage

Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as rock chips in glass, hitting a deer, fire damage, vandalism and damage from getting keyed. The most a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider dropping full coverage.

Medical payments coverage and PIP

Med pay and PIP coverage pay for bills like X-ray expenses, EMT expenses, surgery and funeral costs. They are often used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Collision protection

Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your Explorer Sport from colliding with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision insurance covers things such as scraping a guard rail, crashing into a ditch and sideswiping another vehicle. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.

At the end of the day…

We’ve covered a lot of techniques to reduce 2003 Ford Explorer Sport insurance auto insurance rates online. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the lowest auto insurance rates are with some of the smallest insurance companies. Regional companies may have significantly lower premium rates on certain market segments than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate and Progressive.

As you prepare to switch companies, don’t be tempted to skimp on coverage in order to save money. Too many times, someone dropped liability coverage limits and learned later that they should have had better coverage. The aim is to get the best coverage possible at the lowest possible cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.

Budget-friendly car insurance is possible from both online companies in addition to local insurance agencies, and you need to price shop both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance providers may not provide online quoting and many times these smaller companies prefer to sell through local independent agents.

To read more, feel free to browse the articles below:

• Safety Features for Your New Car (State Farm)
• How Much is Austin Auto Insurance for a Ford Explorer? (AustinCarInsuranceQuotes.com)
• Reducing Your Risks in a Car Crash Video (iihs.org)
• How to Avoid Buying a Flooded Car (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Tools for Teen Driving Safety (State Farm)
• Vehicle Safety Ratings (iihs.org)
• Car Insurance: When not to Skimp (BankRate.com)