Lower Your 2000 Volkswagen Passat Car Insurance Cost

Paying for high-priced Volkswagen Passat insurance can dwindle your personal savings and make it hard to pay other bills. Shopping your coverage around is a great way to make sure you’re not throwing money away. Popular companies such as GEICO, Progressive and Allstate persitently shower you with TV and radio ads and it is challenging if not impossible to ignore the flashy ads and take the time to shop coverage around.

You should take the time to take a look at other company’s rates quite often since insurance rates go up and down regularly. Just because you had the best deal on Passat insurance a year ago you can probably find a better price now. There is a lot of bad advice regarding insurance coverage online, so we’re going to give you some solid techniques on how to save money.

Be sure to get all your discounts

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but companies offer discounts to cut the cost considerably. Most are applied at the time of purchase, but a few must be inquired about before you will receive the discount. If you aren’t receiving every discount possible, you are throwing money away.

  • Federal Government Employee – Active or retired federal employment could cut as much as 10% off on Passat insurance with a few car insurance companies.
  • No Charge for an Accident – Certain companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don’t have any claims prior to the accident.
  • Memberships – Belonging to a qualifying organization is a good way to get lower rates when buying car insurance on Passat insurance.
  • Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
  • Discount for Life Insurance – Companies who offer life insurance give a break if you buy life insurance from them.
  • No Claims – Drivers with accident-free driving histories can save substantially when compared to bad drivers.
  • Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles equipped with air bags can receive discounts of more than 20%.
  • Student Driver Training – Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver’s ed class if it’s offered in school.
  • New Car Discount – Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
  • Lower Rates for Military – Having a family member in the military may qualify for rate reductions.

It’s important to note that some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But any discount will bring down the cost of coverage.

Companies that may have these money-saving discounts may include but are not limited to:

Double check with each insurance company which discounts you may be entitled to. All car insurance discounts may not apply in your area.

How do I know if I need professional advice?

When buying coverage, there really is not a perfect coverage plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s so your insurance needs to address that. For instance, these questions may help you determine if you may require specific advice.

  • Why is insurance for a teen driver so high?
  • Can I drive in Mexico and have coverage?
  • Should I bundle my homeowners policy with my auto?
  • When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
  • If I drive on a suspended license am I covered?
  • Does my policy cover me when driving someone else’s vehicle?
  • Do I need motorclub coverage?

If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It’s fast, free and can provide invaluable advice.

Auto insurance 101

Having a good grasp of your car insurance policy aids in choosing which coverages you need at the best deductibles and correct limits. Car insurance terms can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Shown next are typical coverage types available from car insurance companies.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection 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 Volkswagen Passat.

Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea. Most of the time these coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for immediate expenses for X-ray expenses, ambulance fees, EMT expenses and doctor visits. They are often used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Collision coverage protection

Collision coverage pays for damage to your Passat from colliding with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as crashing into a ditch, sideswiping another vehicle and hitting a mailbox. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Comprehensive insurance

Comprehensive insurance pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims like damage from flooding, damage from a tornado or hurricane and damage from getting keyed. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Liability coverages

Liability coverage provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property in an accident. This insurance protects YOU from legal claims by others, and does not provide coverage for damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show policy limits of 50/100/50 that translate to a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Another option is a combined single limit or CSL which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.

Liability insurance covers claims such as emergency aid, repair costs for stationary objects, medical expenses, medical services and bail bonds. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but you should buy higher limits if possible.

Be a Smart Shopper

As you prepare to switch companies, do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many cases where someone dropped full coverage only to discover later that the savings was not a smart move. Your aim should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.

Low-cost 2000 Volkswagen Passat insurance can be bought both online as well as from independent agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

To learn more, take a look at these articles: