How Much Does 1998 Volkswagen Passat Insurance Cost?

Saving money on insurance is always hard for beginners to comparing rates online. People have so many choices that it can quickly become a lot of work to find the best price.

Buying affordable protection can be fairly easy. Just about every vehicle owner who has to buy insurance will most likely be able to lower their premiums. Although drivers need to learn how insurance companies market on the web and use this information to your advantage.

Factors that might impact rates for a Volkswagen Passat

It’s important that you understand the different types of things that play a part in calculating your insurance coverage rates. Knowing what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that could result in better insurance coverage rates.

  • Traffic violations increase rates – Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Even a single moving violation can increase rates by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who get serious violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
  • You might want pay the small claims yourself – If you are a frequent claim filer, you can pretty much guarantee either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Insurance companies give lower rates to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Your insurance policy is intended for the large, substantial claims.
  • A lapse in coverage is a bad thing – Allowing your coverage to lapse will be a quick way to increase your insurance coverage rates. Not only will rates go up, failure to provide proof of insurance may earn you a license revocation or jail time.
  • Marriage pays dividends – Having a spouse actually saves money when buying insurance coverage. Having a significant other usually means you are more mature and responsible and it’s statistically proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.

Lots of discounts mean lots of savings

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but you may find discounts to reduce the price significantly. Some discounts apply automatically when you purchase, but some may not be applied and must be specifically requested before you will receive the discount.

  • More Vehicles More Savings – Buying insurance for multiple cars or trucks on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
  • Accident Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories can earn big discounts compared to frequent claim filers.
  • Discount for Good Grades – Getting good grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. The discount lasts up to age 25.
  • Drivers Ed for Students – Have your child take driver’s ed class in high school.
  • Organization Discounts – Affiliation with certain professional organizations could trigger savings when shopping for insurance coverage for Passat coverage.
  • Anti-lock Brake Discount – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can avoid accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
  • Theft Prevention System – Vehicles with anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and will save you 10% or more.
  • Federal Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job may qualify you for a discount for Passat coverage with select insurance companies.
  • Military Discounts – Being on active duty in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
  • Safety Course Discount – Taking a driver safety course could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.

Keep in mind that some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So even though it sounds like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you’re out of luck. But any discount will cut your overall premium however.

To see a list of providers who offer insurance coverage discounts, click here to view.

Do drivers who switch really save $407 a year?

Insurance providers like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO regularly use ads on television and other media. They all say the same thing about savings if you move to their company. How can each company make almost identical claims? It’s all in the numbers.

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that is profitable for them. A good example of a desirable insured might be profiled as between the ages of 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has great credit. Any driver that hits that “sweet spot” will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Drivers who are not a match for these standards must pay a higher premium and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads state “drivers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. That’s the way companies can make those claims.

This illustrates why it’s extremely important to compare as many rates as you can. It is impossible to predict which company will provide you with the cheapest Volkswagen Passat insurance rates.

Situations that might require an agent

When it comes to buying coverage, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Every situation is different.

For instance, these questions can help discover if you might need an agent’s assistance.

  • When can my company non-renew my policy?
  • Does my insurance cover my expensive audio equipment?
  • Why is insurance for a teen driver so high?
  • Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
  • How can I get my company to pay me more for my totalled car?
  • Will filing a claim cost me more?
  • How much liability insurance is required?
  • What vehicles should carry emergency assistance coverage?

If you can’t answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form.

Auto insurance coverage breakdown

Having a good grasp of a auto insurance policy can help you determine the right coverages for your vehicles. Auto insurance terms can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Auto liability

Liability coverage protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property in an accident. This coverage protects you from claims by other people. Liability doesn’t 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 policy limits of 100/300/100 which stand for a limit of $100,000 per injured person, $300,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property. Occasionally you may see one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which limits claims to one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability insurance covers things such as court costs, structural damage, repair costs for stationary objects, pain and suffering and bail bonds. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but buy as large an amount as possible.

Insurance for medical payments

Med pay and PIP coverage pay for expenses like surgery, chiropractic care, X-ray expenses, rehabilitation expenses and ambulance fees. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

This coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your 1998 Volkswagen Passat.

Due to the fact that many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea. Normally your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive insurance covers things such as fire damage, rock chips in glass, hitting a deer and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The most your auto insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Coverage for collisions

This covers damage to your Passat resulting from colliding with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision insurance covers things such as rolling your car, sideswiping another vehicle, damaging your car on a curb, colliding with another moving vehicle and hitting a parking meter. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Have the Midas touch

Affordable 1998 Volkswagen Passat insurance is available from both online companies and with local insurance agents, and you should be comparing both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

People leave their current company for any number of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, high rates after DUI convictions, delays in responding to claim requests or policy non-renewal. Whatever your reason, choosing a new insurance company is not as hard as you think.

We just covered a lot of techniques to save on insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Drivers may discover the lowest rates come from a small mutual company.

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