Do you want lower-priced auto insurance rates in Seattle, WA? Seattle shoppers have options when shopping for the best price on Ford Fiesta insurance. They can either spend hours struggling with agents getting price quotes or leverage the internet to get rate quotes. There is a right way and a wrong way to compare auto insurance rates and we’ll show you the best way to quote coverages for a Ford and get the lowest price.
It’s astonishing, but a large majority of auto insurance policyholders kept buying from the same company for a minimum of four years, and practically 40% of auto insurance customers have never compared rates to find cheap insurance. Washington drivers could save almost $430 every year by just shopping around, but they underestimate the benefits if they just switched companies.
The providers in the list below offer comparison quotes in Washington. If multiple companies are shown, we recommend you visit two to three different companies to get a more complete price comparison.
Discount Seattle insurance rates
Insurance can be pricey, but you may qualify for discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you purchase, but once in a while a discount must be manually applied before you get the savings.
- Accident Waiver – This one isn’t a discount, but a few companies such as Allstate and GEICO will let one accident slide before raising your premiums if you are claim-free before the accident.
- Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts as much as 30%.
- Discount for New Cars – Insuring a vehicle that is new may earn a small discount because new model year vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
- Early Renewal Discounts – Some larger companies provide a discount for signing up before your current expiration date. This can save 10% or more.
- No Claim Discounts – Insureds with no claims or accidents have much lower rates when compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Pay Upfront and Save – If you can afford to pay the entire bill rather than spreading payments over time you can avoid the installment charge.
- Telematics Discount – Insureds that choose to allow their insurance company to track vehicle usage by using a telematic data system such as State Farm’s In-Drive may see discounts if they are good drivers.
- Theft Prevention System – Vehicles with anti-theft systems have a lower chance of being stolen and will save you 10% or more on Fiesta insurance in Seattle.
- Good Student – Being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. This discount can apply up to age 25.
- Paper-free Discount – A handful of insurance companies will give you a small discount get Seattle car insurance over the internet.
Just know that most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Despite the fact that it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
To choose providers that offer some of these discounts in Washington, click this link.
Buying from car insurance agents
A small number of people still prefer to go talk to an agent and we recommend doing that Insurance agents can help you build your policy and help you file claims. A good thing about comparing car insurance online is that you can find cheap rate quotes and also buy local.
Upon completion of this quick form, your coverage information is immediately sent to participating agents in Seattle that give free quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. There is no reason to leave your house as quotes are delivered immediately to you. In the event you want to quote rates from a specific company, don’t hesitate to find their quoting web page and give them your coverage information.
Selecting an provider needs to be determined by more than just a cheap price quote. These are valid questions to ask:
- Is the agency covered by Errors and Omissions coverage?
- Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
- How often do they review policy coverages?
- Is working in the agency their full-time job?
- Will they make sure you get an adequate claim settlement?
If you are wanting to find a reliable insurance agent, it’s important to understand the types of insurance agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Car insurance policy providers can be classified as either exclusive or independent. Both handle car insurance, but it’s important to know how they are different because it can factor into the kind of agent you use.
Exclusive Car Insurance Agents
Agents that choose to be exclusive write business for a single company such as Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. These agents are unable to compare rates from other companies so keep that in mind. Exclusive agents are well trained on the products they sell which aids in selling service over price. Drivers often buy from exclusive agents primarily because of the brand legacy rather than having low rates.
Shown below are exclusive insurance agencies in Seattle that can give you rate quotes.
- Paulla Suy – State Farm Insurance Agent
900 S Jackson St #213 – Seattle, WA 98104 – (206) 381-3733 – View Map - Dave Newman – State Farm Insurance Agent
3435 California Ave SW – Seattle, WA 98116 – (206) 932-1878 – View Map - Luan Vu – State Farm Insurance Agent
6951 Martin Luther King Jr Way S #224 – Seattle, WA 98118 – (206) 243-3041 – View Map
Independent Car Insurance Agencies
Independent agents can quote rates with many companies and that allows them to write policies amongst many companies and find you cheaper rates. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house which requires no work on your part. When comparing car insurance rates, you definitely need to get insurance quotes from a couple of independent agencies to have the most options to choose from. They also have the ability to place coverage with mutual insurance companies that many times have cheaper rates.
Shown below are independent insurance agencies in Seattle that are able to give price quote information.
- BGI Agency Network Inc
4634 E Marginal Way S C 140 – Seattle, WA 98134 – (206) 682-9990 – View Map - Michael Wong Insurance
1200 Westlake Ave N #607 – Seattle, WA 98109 – (206) 284-0171 – View Map - Secord Agency Insurance
265 NE 45th St – Seattle, WA 98105 – (206) 783-4024 – View Map
Your insurance coverage should be tailored to you
When buying a policy, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Your needs are unique to you.
For example, these questions can help discover whether or not you would benefit from professional advice.
- Should I have a commercial auto policy?
- Do I have coverage if my license is suspended?
- Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
- Can I afford low physical damage deductibles?
- Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
- How can I force my company to pay a claim?
- Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
- What does medical payments coverage do?
- Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
- Who is covered by my policy?
If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form. It only takes a few minutes and may give you better protection.
Seattle Insurance Rates are Influenced by These Factors
Many factors are taken into consideration when quoting car insurance. Most are fairly basic such as traffic violations, but other factors are not quite as obvious such as your credit history or how safe your car is. A large part of saving on insurance is knowing the rating factors that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for insurance. If you have a feel for what determines base rates, this helps enable you to make changes that could result in cheaper rates.
- Additional coverages that may be costing you – Insurance policies have a lot of extra bells and whistles that sound like a good idea at the time when buying insurance. Insurance for things like vanishing deductibles, high-cost glass coverage, and extra equipment coverage may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good when discussing your needs, but if you don’t need them get rid of them and save.
- Always keep your policy in force – Having a gap between insurance policy dates can be a fast way to trigger a rate increase. Not only will you pay more, the inability to provide proof of insurance may result in fines and jail time. You could then be forced to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Washington motor vehicle department.
- Fast cars cost more to insure – The make and model of the vehicle you are buying insurance for makes a significant difference in your car insurance bill. The cheapest rates are generally reserved for lower cost passenger cars, but other factors influence the final cost greatly. Because the Ford Fiesta falls in the passenger car class, rates will be similar in price or lower than the average rate where you live in Seattle.
- More than one policy can earn a discount – Most insurance companies allow lower prices to people that purchase more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can add up to ten or even fifteen percent. Even with this discount applied, consumers should still compare other Seattle Fiesta insurance rates to help guarantee you have the best rates. It’s possible to still save even more than the discount even if you have your coverage with different companies
- Premiums drop with age – More experienced drivers are proven to be safer behind the wheel, statistically cause fewer accidents, and usually have better credit.Youthful drivers are statistically shown to get distracted easily when at the wheel of a vehicle so insurance rates are higher.
- Marriage is a factor – Having a significant other can actually save you money on insurance. Having a significant other usually means you are less irresponsible and statistics show married drivers tend to have fewer serious accidents.
- Low coverage deductibles cost more – Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, covers your vehicle from damage. Some examples of covered claims are a broken side mirror, damage caused by hail, and rolling your vehicle. Comp and collision deductibles state the amount of money you are required to spend out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The more damage repair cost the insured has to pay upfront, the less your insurance will be.
- Choose high crash test ratings and save – Vehicles with good safety scores cost less to insure. Vehicles built for safety result in less severe injuries and reduced instances of injuries translates directly to fewer claims which can mean better rates for you. If the Ford Fiesta is rated at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website you may qualify for a discount.
- Ford Fiesta insurance loss probability – Insurers use historical loss data to help determine the price you pay. Models that historically have higher claim amounts or frequency will cost more for specific coverages. The table below shows the historical loss data for Ford Fiesta vehicles.
For each type of coverage, the statistical loss for all vehicles, as an average, is considered to be 100. Values below 100 represent a good loss history, while numbers shown that are more than 100 point to more claims or tendency to have higher losses.
Ford Fiesta Insurance Claim Statistics
Make and Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Ford Fiesta 96 91 73 115 123 113 Statistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
Car insurance is not optional in Washington
Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Ford in Seattle, paying for car insurance is most likely required but also gives you several important benefits.
- The majority of states have minimum liability requirements which means you are required to buy a minimum amount of liability protection in order to get the vehicle licensed. In Washington these limits are 25/50/10 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you bought your Ford with a loan, most banks will have a requirement that you buy full coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the bank will be required to insure your Ford for a lot more money and force you to pay for it.
- Car insurance preserves not only your vehicle but also your assets. It also can pay for most medical and hospital costs incurred in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, will also pay for a defense attorney if you are sued as the result of your driving. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of buying car insurance greatly outweigh the cost, particularly if you ever have a claim. According to a 2015 survey, the average American driver overpays more than $850 per year so smart consumers compare quotes at every renewal to ensure rates are competitive.
Quote more to save more
People who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including delays in responding to claim requests, policy non-renewal, poor customer service and not issuing a premium refund. Regardless of your reason, finding a new company can be easier than you think.
Discount Ford Fiesta insurance in Seattle can be sourced online as well as from independent agents in Seattle, so you should be comparing quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who do not provide the ability to get a quote online and these regional carriers sell through local independent agencies.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, you should never buy less coverage just to save a little money. There have been many situations where someone sacrificed liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible at the best possible price.
For more information, link through to the articles below:
- Choosing an Insurance Company (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for a Ford Focus in Seattle? (FAQ)
- How Much are Auto Insurance Quotes for a Hyundai Elantra in Seattle? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for a Learners Permit in Seattle? (FAQ)
- New head restraint design cuts injuries (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Pickups fall short in headlight tests (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Understanding your Policy (NAIC.org)