2003 Volkswagen Passat Insurance Quotes – 10 Tips for Cheaper Rates

Nobody I know looks forward to buying insurance coverage, especially knowing they are paying too much. Companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually hit you with ad campaigns and it is difficult to ignore the flying pigs and cute green geckos and take the time to shop coverage around.

If you have a policy now or need a new policy, you can follow these tips to reduce the price you pay while maintaining coverages. Finding the best rates is easy if you know what you’re doing. Drivers just need to learn the most efficient way to get comparison quotes over the internet.

More discounts equal less premium

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you can get discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time you complete a quote, but less common discounts must be requested specifically prior to getting the savings. If you aren’t receiving every discount possible, you are throwing money away.

  • Anti-lock Brake System – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems can avoid accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Use Seat Belts – Requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could save 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
  • Government Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job could cut as much as 10% off for Passat coverage with select insurance companies.
  • Safe Driver Discount – Drivers who avoid accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates for Passat coverage than less cautious drivers.
  • Clubs and Organizations – Being a member of a professional or civic organization could trigger savings when buying insurance coverage for Passat coverage.
  • No Accidents – Good drivers with no accidents pay much less compared to frequent claim filers.
  • Accident Waiver – Some insurance companies permit an accident before your rates go up if your claims history is clear for a set time period.
  • Pay Now and Pay Less – By paying your policy upfront instead of making monthly payments you may reduce your total bill.
  • Student Driver Training – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to successfully complete driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
  • Low Mileage Discounts – Low mileage vehicles could qualify for better rates on cars that stay parked.

It’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. Even though it may seem like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck. Any amount of discount will reduce the amount you have to pay.

A partial list of companies that may have some of the above discounts may include but are not limited to:

Check with every prospective company how you can save money. Discounts might not apply in your state.

Insurance Comparisons

Comparing insurance rates can be exhausting if you don’t utilize the most efficient way to do it. You can spend your afternoon driving to local insurance agents in your area, or you could use the web to get rates in a matter of minutes.

Many of the larger companies take part in a program where prospective buyers enter their policy data once, and every company then gives them pricing based on that information. This system prevents you from having to do quote requests to each company.

To find out how much you’re overpaying now click here (opens in new window).

The single downside to using this type of system is you are unable to specify the companies to get quotes from. If you would rather choose specific providers for rate comparison, we have assembled a list of low cost insurance companies in your area. Click to view list.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just make darn sure you compare apples-to-apples deductibles and coverage limits on every quote. If you are comparing differing limits then you won’t be able to determine the lowest rate for your Volkswagen Passat.

It’s not one size fits all

When it comes to buying adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and your policy should reflect that. These are some specific questions may help you determine whether or not you would benefit from professional advice.

  • What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
  • What exactly is covered by my policy?
  • Can I get a multi-policy discount for packaging my home and auto coverage?
  • When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
  • What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in my state?
  • Is my babysitter covered when using my vehicle?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It is quick, free and can provide invaluable advice.

Car insurance coverage considerations

Knowing the specifics of your car insurance policy can help you determine the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring. Shown next are typical coverages found on most car insurance policies.

Auto liability insurance

Liability insurance provides protection from damage that occurs to a person or their property that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show limits of 25/50/25 which stand for a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Alternatively, you may have a combined single limit or CSL which provides one coverage limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability insurance covers things like medical services, medical expenses and emergency aid. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but you should buy as large an amount as possible.

Collision coverage

Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Passat caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage pays for things such as hitting a parking meter, backing into a parked car, crashing into a ditch and sideswiping another vehicle. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Another option is to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.

Insurance for medical payments

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for bills for EMT expenses, rehabilitation expenses and surgery. They are 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 and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

This coverage will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like falling objects, hitting a bird, a broken windshield, damage from a tornado or hurricane and hail damage. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

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.

Since many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Frequently these coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

A tidy conclusion

We covered many tips how you can save on 2003 Volkswagen Passat insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more price quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the best price on car insurance is with a small mutual company. These smaller insurers often have lower prices on specific markets as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive and GEICO.

Cost effective insurance can be bought both online and with local insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

Additional information is available on the following sites: