How Much Does 2003 Ford Escape Insurance Cost?

No one in their right mind cherishes buying car insurance, in particular when the cost is too high.

Numerous car insurance companies battle for your hard-earned dollar, so it can be very hard to choose a company and get the best coverage at the best rate

It’s a good idea to check car insurance prices once or twice a year since rates change frequently. Even if you think you had the best price on Escape coverage a couple years back the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. So just block out anything you think you know about car insurance because you’re about to learn the fastest and easiest way to save on car insurance.

If you have car insurance now, you should be able to reduce your rates substantially using these techniques. Finding affordable coverage is not rocket science. Although car owners do need to know how big insurance companies price online insurance because it can help you find the best coverage.

Take advantage of discounts

Companies don’t always list every available discount very clearly, so here is a list some of the more common and the more hidden ways to save on insurance.

  • Good Student Discount – Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. The good student discount can last well after school through age 25.
  • Accident Waiver – A few companies permit an accident before your rates go up so long as you haven’t had any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
  • Multiple Cars – Insuring all your vehicles on one policy qualifies for this discount.
  • Bundle and Save – When you have multiple policies with one company you may save at least 10% off all policies.
  • Student in College – Any of your kids who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
  • Braking Control Discount – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can reduce accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
  • Anti-theft System – Anti-theft and alarm systems are stolen less frequently and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may earn rate discounts of more than 20%.

It’s important to understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don’t profit that way.

For a list of companies who offer insurance discounts, click here.

Which Car Insurance is Cheapest?

Performing a rate comparison can take time and effort if you aren’t aware of the easiest way. You could waste a few hours driving to insurance companies in your area, or you could save time and use the internet to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.

Many popular insurance companies belong to a marketplace where insurance shoppers enter their coverage request one time, and every company then returns a price quote based on that information. This system prevents you from having to do quote requests to each company.

To find out how much you can save on car insurance click here to start a free quote.

One minor caviat to pricing coverage this way is you are unable to specify which providers you want to price. So if you prefer to pick specific providers to request quotes from, we have a listing of the cheapest car insurance companies in your area. Click here to view list.

However you get your quotes, make darn sure you compare identical coverage limits for every quote you compare. If you enter different values for each quote it’s not possible to determine the lowest rate for your Ford Escape. Having just a slight variation in limits can make a big difference in price. And when quoting car insurance, remember that having more price comparisons will increase your chances of finding lower pricing.

These factors can influence Ford Escape insurance rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that come into play when calculating the price you pay for car insurance. Knowing what influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

  • Multi-policy discounts can save money – Many companies provide better rates to policyholders who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you’re getting this discount you may still want to compare other company rates to make sure you are getting the best deal. You may still find a better deal by insuring with multiple companies.
  • Your occupation can affect rates – Occupations like judges, business owners and financial analysts have higher average rates in part from job stress and lengthy work days. Conversely, jobs such as pilots, engineers and retirees get better rates on Escape coverage.
  • Rural vs Urban Areas – Residing in a small town is a positive aspect when talking about car insurance. Urban drivers have more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. Less people living in that area means fewer accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft.
  • Tickets mean higher rates – Good drivers receive lower rates compared to drivers with tickets. Just one ticket can increase rates by as much as thirty percent. If you have flagrant violations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find they need to file a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.
  • Men are more aggressive – Statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, this does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Both sexes tend to get into accidents at a similar rate, but men have costlier accidents. Men also receive more costly citations like reckless driving and DUI. Young males are most likely to cause an accident and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
  • Optional equipment can affect rates – Owning a car with a theft deterrent system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system can help prevent your car from being stolen.
  • Drive a safer car and pay less – Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Safer cars have better occupant injury protection and any reduction in injury severity means less money paid by your insurance company and thus lower rates. If your Ford Escape is rated at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website it is probably cheaper to insure.
  • Younger drivers pay higher rates – Young drivers have a tendency to be more careless when behind the wheel so they pay higher car insurance rates. Older insureds are viewed as being more responsible, file fewer claims and get fewer tickets.

How to know if you need help

When choosing the best insurance coverage coverage, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Every insured’s situation is different so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions may help you determine if your insurance needs could use an agent’s help.

  • Are my friends covered when driving my 2003 Ford Escape?
  • Am I better off with higher deductibles on my 2003 Ford Escape?
  • I have a DUI can I still get coverage?
  • Do I pay less for low miles?
  • Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?
  • What is PIP insurance?
  • Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
  • Does my insurance cover damage caused when ticketed for reckless driving?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Is there deception in advertising?

Insurance providers like Allstate and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. They all make the same claim of big savings if you switch to their company. But how can every company say the same thing? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that earns them a profit. For example, a profitable customer could be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no tickets, and has a short commute. Any driver who meets those qualifications will get very good rates and as a result will probably save quite a bit of money when switching.

Drivers who do not match these standards will be charged higher premiums and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can make the claims of big savings. That is why drivers must get as many quotes as possible. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will have the lowest Ford Escape insurance rates.

Educate yourself about insurance coverages

Understanding the coverages of a insurance policy aids in choosing appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Shown next are the normal coverages offered by insurance companies.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision

This pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as a broken windshield, damage from flooding, rock chips in glass and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The most a insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider dropping full coverage.

Medical costs insurance

Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for short-term medical expenses for things like funeral costs, X-ray expenses, ambulance fees, dental work and doctor visits. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Collision insurance

This will pay to fix damage to your Escape resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage pays for claims like rolling your car, hitting a mailbox and colliding with another moving vehicle. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Auto liability insurance

This coverage will cover injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property by causing an accident. It protects YOU from legal claims by others. It does not cover 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 values of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability coverage pays for claims such as legal defense fees, repair costs for stationary objects, court costs and bail bonds. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy as much as you can afford.

UM/UIM Coverage

This gives you protection from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your Ford Escape.

Since many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their limits can quickly be used up. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family.

Quote often and quote early

You just read quite a bit of information on how to compare 2003 Ford Escape insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more rate quotes you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Drivers may discover the most savings is with some of the smallest insurance companies. They may cover specific market segments cheaper than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive and Geico.

As you shop your coverage around, don’t be tempted to buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many instances, drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits and found out when filing a claim they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage at the best price.

The cheapest insurance is possible on the web and with local insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. Some companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.

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