2002 Volkswagen Passat Car Insurance Cost – 7 Tips for Cheaper Prices

Trying to find the cheapest car insurance rates for your Volkswagen Passat? Cutting costs on car insurance can be nearly impossible for people who are new to shopping for insurance online. You have so many companies to choose from that it can turn into a real hassle to find lower rates.

How to Lower Your Insurance Coverage Cost

There are several ways to compare rate quotes from local insurance coverage companies. The best way to find competitive 2002 Volkswagen Passat insurance rates is simply to get online rate quotes. This can be done using a couple different methods.

  1. The first (and easiest) way consumers can analyze rates is a comparison rater form (click to open form in new window). This form saves time by eliminating boring form submissions to each individual insurance coverage company. One form gets you coverage quotes from multiple low-cost companies. Just one form and you’re done.
  2. Another way to compare rate quotes is spending the time to visit the website of each company to complete their respective quote request forms. For instance, we’ll pretend you want comparison quotes from Allstate, Progressive and State Farm. To get each rate you have to go to every website to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is more popular.

    For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.

  3. The least recommended method to compare rates is to waste gas driving to local insurance agencies. Buying insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you want the trained guidance that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, comparison shop online but still have the advice of a local agent and we’ll touch on that later.

It’s up to you which method you use, but double check that you are using exactly the same coverages with each company. If each company quotes mixed coverages it will be next to impossible to determine the lowest rate for your Volkswagen Passat. Slightly different coverage limits can make a big difference in price. And when comparison shopping, quoting more helps you find the best rates.

Slick advertising tricks that work

Companies like Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm consistently run ads on TV and radio. All the ads make the same claim that you can save if you change to their company. How can each company make the same claim?

All companies have a certain “appetite” for the right customer that is profitable for them. For example, a driver they prefer could be over the age of 40, a clean driving record, and has a high credit rating. A customer that hits that “sweet spot” will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably cut their rates substantially.

Potential insureds who don’t meet the “perfect” profile must pay more money and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. That’s why insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings. This illustrates why drivers must compare many company’s rates. It’s not possible to predict the company that will fit your personal profile best.

These seven discounts can slash insurance coverage rates

Auto insurance companies do not list all their discounts very clearly, so we researched some of the best known and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving.

  • Payment Method – If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you could save up to 5%.
  • Use Seat Belts – Requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save up to 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
  • No Charge for an Accident – Certain companies permit an accident before your rates go up so long as you haven’t had any claims for a set time period.
  • Organization Discounts – Participating in certain professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates when shopping for insurance coverage for Passat insurance.
  • Early Switch Discount – Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching to them before your current policy expires. It’s a savings of about 10%.
  • Senior Citizens – If you’re over the age of 55, you may qualify for a discount up to 10% for Passat insurance.
  • Government Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% for Passat insurance depending on your company.

Drivers should understand that some credits don’t apply to the entire cost. Most only cut individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Just because you may think it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way.

Car insurance companies that may have these money-saving discounts include:

Check with all companies you are considering what discounts are available to you. Discounts may not be available everywhere.

When might I need the advice of an agent?

When it comes to buying adequate coverage, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Each situation is unique.

For instance, these questions might help in determining if your situation may require specific advice.

  • When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
  • What happens if I owe more than my 2002 Volkswagen Passat is worth?
  • Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
  • Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
  • When should I buy a commercial auto policy?
  • Should I buy more coverage than the required minimum liability coverage?
  • How high should my medical payments coverage be?

If you can’t answer these questions, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form.

Insurance policy coverages for a 2002 Volkswagen Passat

Learning about specific coverages of insurance aids in choosing the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Insurance terms can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.

Medical expense coverage

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for short-term medical expenses for doctor visits, surgery and X-ray expenses. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Uninsured or underinsured coverage

This gives you protection from other drivers when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your Volkswagen Passat.

Due to the fact that many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.

Collision coverage protection

Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Passat resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision insurance covers claims like backing into a parked car, hitting a parking meter, driving through your garage door and hitting a mailbox. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. You can also increase the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Comprehensive protection

Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as damage from a tornado or hurricane, theft, damage from getting keyed, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and damage from flooding. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Liability

This provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property by causing an accident. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see liability limits of 25/50/25 that means you have a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability coverage protects against claims such as repair costs for stationary objects, emergency aid, bail bonds, medical expenses and medical services. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but buy higher limits if possible.

And the best car insurance company is…

We’ve covered a lot of tips how to reduce 2002 Volkswagen Passat insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may even discover the lowest rates come from a small mutual company.

Consumers switch companies for many reasons like an unsatisfactory settlement offer, poor customer service, delays in paying claims or high rates after DUI convictions. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a new car insurance company can be less work than you think.

As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many cases where an insured dropped physical damage coverage and learned later they didn’t have enough coverage. The proper strategy is to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

Much more information about car insurance can be found on the following sites: