1996 Ford Explorer Car Insurance Quotes – 6 Policy Discounts

Trying to find better insurance rates for your Ford Explorer? Expensive insurance can dwindle your bank account and make it impossible to make ends meet. Comparing price quotes is a great way to help make ends meet.

Because you have many choices of insurance companies, it can be challenging to choose the lowest cost insurance company.

The purpose of this post is to instruct you on how to effectively get price quotes and some tricks to saving. If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to cut costs considerably using this strategy. But consumers do need to understand the way insurance companies compete online.

Where Can I Get Cheap Insurance Coverage?

There are several ways to get quotes from local insurance coverage companies. One of the best ways to find the lowest 1996 Ford Explorer rates is simply to get online rate quotes. This can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.

  1. One of the simplest ways to get quotes for comparison is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This type of form prevents you from having to do separate quotation requests for each company. One simple form gets rate comparisons from many national carriers.
  2. A slightly less efficient method to find lower rates requires visiting the website of each company and complete a new quote form. For instance, we’ll assume you want rates from Allstate, State Farm and Liberty Mutual. You would have to visit each site to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is more popular. For a handy list of car insurance company links in your area, click here.
  3. The least recommended method of comparing rate quotes is driving to insurance agents’ offices. Shopping for insurance coverage online can eliminate the need for a local agent unless you want the professional guidance that only a license agent can provide. It is possible to get prices online but still have the advice of a local agent and we’ll touch on that later.

Whichever way you use, ensure you’re using exactly the same coverages and limits for each price quote. If you are comparing differing limits it’s impossible to find the best deal for your Ford Explorer. Having just a slight variation in limits can make a big difference in price. Just remember that having more price comparisons helps locate the best offered rates.

Lower rates by qualifying for these six discounts

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but there could be available discounts to help offset the cost. Certain discounts will be applied at quote time, but some must be requested specifically before they will apply.

  • Anti-lock Brake System – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
  • Safe Drivers – Safe drivers may save up to 50% more for Explorer insurance than drivers with accident claims.
  • Auto/Life Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase auto and life insurance together.
  • Low Mileage Discounts – Fewer annual miles on your Ford can qualify you for a substantially lower rate.
  • One Accident Forgiven – Some insurance companies will forgive one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.
  • Good Students Pay Less – This discount can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.

A little note about advertised discounts, some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck. Any qualifying discounts will cut your overall premium however.

To see a list of insurers with the best car insurance discounts, click here to view.

Car insurance is unique, just like you

When choosing the best car insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s so your insurance needs to address that. For example, these questions can aid in determining whether your personal situation would benefit from professional advice.

  • Is my 1996 Ford Explorer covered for smoke damage?
  • Do I need replacement cost coverage?
  • Where can I find DUI or SR-22 insurance?
  • I have a DUI can I still get coverage?
  • Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
  • Why am I required to buy liability insurance?
  • How can I get my company to pay me more for my totalled car?
  • Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in my state?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

How can Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm save drivers who switch?

Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with ads on television and other media. All the companies make an identical promise about savings if you switch your coverage to them. How can each company say the same thing?

Different companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of driver that is profitable for them. A good example of a preferred risk could be between 25 and 40, has no tickets, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote that hits that “sweet spot” is entitled to the best price and most likely will save when switching.

Consumers who are not a match for this ideal profile will have to pay a higher premium which leads to the customer not buying. The ads state “people who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. That is how companies can claim big savings.

Because of the profiling, you need to get as many comparisons as possible. It’s just too difficult to predict which company will fit your personal profile best.

Car insurance coverage information

Understanding the coverages of your car insurance policy aids in choosing which coverages you need at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. These are the normal coverages offered by car insurance companies.

Coverage for medical expenses – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for expenses like chiropractic care, nursing services and prosthetic devices. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Liability coverages – Liability coverage can cover damage or injury you incur to other people or property by causing an accident. This coverage 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. Your policy might show policy limits of 100/300/100 which means a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property. Occasionally you may see a combined limit that pays claims from the same limit without having the split limit caps.

Liability coverage protects against claims like funeral expenses, pain and suffering, loss of income, medical services and bail bonds. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy higher limits if possible.

Comprehensive car insurance – This 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 coverage pays for things such as rock chips in glass, vandalism and damage from flooding. The highest amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Collision – Collision insurance pays for damage to your Explorer from colliding with another car or object. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage pays for claims such as crashing into a ditch, rolling your car and hitting a mailbox. 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. Another option is to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers – Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your Ford Explorer.

Due to the fact that many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Most of the time these limits are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

More choices the merrier

We’ve covered a lot of information how to compare 1996 Ford Explorer insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even find the lowest priced insurance coverage comes from the smaller companies. Smaller companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate or State Farm.

When buying insurance coverage, it’s a bad idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. There have been many cases where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The aim is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

More detailed insurance coverage information is located by following these links: