Lower Your 1995 Dodge Stratus Insurance Quotes

Are you overwhelmed by the dozens of auto insurance options? Many other consumers are too. There are so many options that it can be more work than you anticipated to find lower rates.

What determines your Dodge Stratus insurance premium

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that come into play when calculating the price you pay for insurance coverage. Knowing what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with big savings.

  • Pleasure use or commuting – Driving more miles in a year’s time the higher your rates will be. The majority of insurers price each vehicle’s coverage based on how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks used primarily for pleasure use get more affordable rates than those used for commuting. Improper usage on your Stratus may be costing you. Double check that your insurance coverage coverage properly reflects the proper vehicle usage.
  • Liability coverage is cheap – Liability insurance is the coverage that protects you if a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Liability insurance provides legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
  • High deductibles save money – Deductibles for physical damage represent how much money you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. Coverage for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, insures against damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, and windstorm damage. The higher the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the lower your rates will be for Stratus insurance.
  • Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance – Vehicles with good safety scores tend to have better insurance rates. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and fewer injuries means lower claim amounts passed on to you as lower rates. If your Dodge Stratus scored better than four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org you may qualify for a discount.
  • Poor credit can mean higher rates – Your credit rating is a large factor in calculating your insurance coverage rates. Consumers who have high credit scores tend to be less risk to insure as compared to drivers with lower ratings. If your credit score can use some improvement, you could potentially save money when insuring your 1995 Dodge Stratus by spending a little time repairing your credit.
  • High numbers of claims are not good – If you frequently file small claims, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Auto insurance companies provide discounts to insureds who are claim-free. Your insurance policy is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of both well-publicized as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using.

  • Homeowners Discount – Owning a house can help you save on car insurance because owning a home shows financial diligence.
  • Sign Online – A handful of insurance companies give back up to $50 just for signing your application digitally online.
  • Driver Safety – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills can save you 5% or more if you qualify.
  • Auto/Home Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you could get a discount of at least 10% off all policies.
  • Government Employees – Simply working for the federal government may qualify you for a discount for Stratus insurance with select insurance companies.
  • More Vehicles More Savings – Having multiple cars or trucks with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.
  • Safe Drivers – Safe drivers can pay as much as 50% less for Stratus insurance than their less cautious counterparts.
  • Resident Student – Children who are attending college without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.

It’s important to note that most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it just doesn’t work that way.

Car insurance companies who might offer these benefits may include but are not limited to:

Check with each company how you can save money. All car insurance discounts may not be available in your state.

Don’t believe everything you hear

Insurance companies such as 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. They all seem to make the same claim that you can save if you switch your coverage to them. How can each company make the same claim?

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that earns them a profit. For instance, a desirable insured might be profiled as between 30 and 50, owns a home, and has great credit. Any driver who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and therefore will save a lot of money.

Potential customers who don’t meet these standards will have to pay a higher premium which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is “drivers who switch” not “people who quote” save that much money. This is how insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings. Because of the profiling, drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. It’s just too difficult to predict which insurance company will provide you with the cheapest Dodge Stratus insurance rates.

When might I need an agent?

When it comes to choosing the best insurance coverage coverage, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Every insured’s situation is different.

Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining if your insurance needs will benefit from professional help.

  • Will my insurance pay for OEM parts?
  • Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
  • Do I need rental car coverage?
  • Am I better off with higher deductibles on my 1995 Dodge Stratus?
  • Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in my state?
  • How can I find cheaper teen driver insurance?

If you’re not sure about those questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form.

Insurance coverage basics

Having a good grasp of insurance can help you determine which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Auto liability insurance

This provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people by causing an accident. It protects you from legal claims by others, and does not provide coverage for damage to your own property or vehicle.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see liability limits of 50/100/50 that means you have a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability can pay for things such as repair bills for other people’s vehicles, funeral expenses and legal defense fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying higher limits if possible.

Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family and damage to your Dodge Stratus.

Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea.

Comprehensive insurance

Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as hail damage, damage from flooding, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, a broken windshield and hitting a deer. The highest amount your insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider dropping full coverage.

Collision coverage

Collision insurance pays for damage to your Stratus 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 can pay for claims such as colliding with a tree, scraping a guard rail and rolling your car. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Coverage for medical expenses

Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for short-term medical expenses such as rehabilitation expenses, prosthetic devices, funeral costs and ambulance fees. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers both the driver and occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Best coverage at the best price

We just covered a lot of techniques to save on 1995 Dodge Stratus insurance. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the better your comparison will be. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from the smaller companies.

Low-cost insurance can be found on the web and with local insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. A few companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

When trying to cut insurance costs, you should never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice uninsured motorist or liability limits and learned later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.

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