Searching for cheaper insurance for a Dodge Stratus in Washington can normally be an all-consuming task, but you can follow our car insurance buying tips to save time.
There is a right way and a wrong way to buy car insurance so we’re going to tell you the quickest way to quote coverages for your Dodge and obtain the best price possible.
It’s a great practice to compare rates occasionally since insurance rates are usually higher with each renewal. Even if you got the best premium rates on Dodge Stratus insurance in Seattle six months ago a different company probably has better prices today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in the quickest way to save on car insurance.
Quoting the best insurance policy in Seattle is not as difficult as people think. If you already have coverage or are looking for a new policy, use these techniques to shop for the lowest rates without sacrificing coverage. You just need to know the most time-saving way to compare company rates online.
Lower Your Seattle Insurance Prices
One of the most helpful ways to save on car insurance is to to have a grasp of the different types of things that come into play when calculating the price you pay for car insurance. If you have some idea of what determines premiums, this allows you to make good choices that may result in better car insurance rates. Many factors are considered when premium rates are determined. Most are fairly basic like a motor vehicle report, but other criteria are less apparent like your vehicle usage or how financially stable you are.
Big cities have higher prices – Residing in less populated areas may provide you with better prices when insuring your vehicles. Fewer drivers translates into fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. Drivers who live in large Washington cities have to deal with congested traffic and more severe claims. Longer commute distances can result in more accidents.
Theft deterrents lower premiums – Owning a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your premiums. Theft deterrent systems such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all help stop auto theft.
Bundle policies and save money – The majority of car insurance companies afford a discount for people who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you already get this discount, it’s still a good idea to compare Dodge Stratus rates in Seattle to help guarantee you have the best rates.
What’s your car’s crash test rating? – Vehicles with high crash test scores cost less to insure. Highly rated vehicles result in less severe injuries and lower rates of occupant injuries translates into savings for insurance companies and thus lower rates. If your Dodge earned at least four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org you may pay a lower rate.
Tickets and citations cost more than a fine – How you drive has a huge affect on how much you pay. Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Getting just one citation may increase your cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who have gotten license-revoking violations such as reckless driving or DUI may find they need to file a SR-22 with their state in order to drive a vehicle legally.
Insurance rates for married couples – Having a significant other helps lower the price on your car insurance bill. It means you’re more mature and it’s statistically proven that drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
Small coverages can add up – There are many extra bells and whistles that you can buy on your Stratus policy. Insurance for things like personal injury protection, accidental death, and additional equipment coverage are some examples. You may think they are a good idea when you first buy your policy, but your needs may have changed so consider taking them off your policy.
Most companies give coverage price quotes direct online. Comparing Dodge Stratus insurance rates online is quite simple as you simply type in the coverage amounts you desire into the form. After the form is submitted, their quoting system pulls credit information and your driving record and quotes a price.
This makes it a lot easier to compare rates and it’s very important to do this in order to get affordable rates.
In order to find out if lower rates are available, compare quotes from the companies shown below. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you duplicate deductibles and limits as close as possible to your current policy. This ensures you will have a rate comparison for exact coverage.
The companies in the list below are ready to provide free quotes in Washington. If more than one company is shown, we recommend you get price quotes from several of them to get the best price comparison.
Why auto insurance is not optional
Even though it can be expensive, maintaining insurance is required for several reasons.
- Just about all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means you are required to carry specific limits of liability insurance in order to drive the car legally. 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 your Stratus has a lien holder, most banks will stipulate that you buy insurance to guarantee loan repayment. If the policy lapses, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Dodge at a more expensive rate and require you to reimburse them the higher premium.
- Auto insurance protects both your car and your personal assets. It will also reimburse you for medical bills for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability coverage also pays for attorney fees and expenses in the event you are sued. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, your auto insurance policy will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.
The benefits of buying enough insurance are without a doubt worth the cost, particularly when you have a large claim. According to a survey of 1,000 drivers, the average driver overpays more than $810 a year so it’s important to compare rates once a year at a minimum to ensure rates are inline.
These discounts can lower Dodge Stratus insurance rates
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but you can get discounts that can help lower your rates. Certain credits will be shown when you purchase, but a few need to be specifically requested before you will receive the discount.
- Seat Belts Save – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to buckle their seat belts can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off PIP or medical payments premium.
- Multiple Cars – Buying coverage for more than one vehicle on one policy can reduce the rates for all insured vehicles.
- Low Miles Discount – Driving fewer miles could earn lower premium rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Responsible Driver Discount – Accident-free drivers may receive a discount up to 45% than their less cautious counterparts.
- Theft Prevention System – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and can earn a small discount on your policy.
- Save with a New Car – Insuring a vehicle that is new can save up to 30% due to better safety requirements for newer vehicles.
- Employee of Federal Government – Federal government employees can earn a discount up to 10% with a few insurance companies.
- Braking Control Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are much safer to drive and will save you 10% or more on Stratus insurance in Seattle.
- Distant College Student Discount – Kids who attend college more than 100 miles from Seattle and do not take a car to college could qualify for this discount.
A quick disclaimer, some of the credits will not apply to the whole policy. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Despite the appearance that all the discounts add up to a free policy, insurance companies aren’t that generous. But all discounts will cut the cost of coverage.
Large insurance companies and some of the discounts can be found below.
- Farm Bureau may have discounts that include good student, driver training, renewal discount, safe driver, 55 and retired, multi-vehicle, and youthful driver.
- Liberty Mutual offers discounts including good student, teen driver discount, new vehicle discount, exclusive group savings, multi-car, hybrid vehicle, and newly retired.
- State Farm may offer discounts for Steer Clear safe driver discount, good driver, safe vehicle, accident-free, and student away at school.
- Auto-Owners Insurance discounts include student away at school, paperless, multi-policy, multiple vehicles, mature driver, air bags, and safe driver.
- GEICO has savings for driver training, anti-lock brakes, federal employee, multi-policy, and military active duty.
- SAFECO offers premium reductions for anti-lock brakes, teen safety rewards, accident prevention training, safe driver, teen safe driver, and bundle discounts.
When getting a coverage quote, ask every insurance company what discounts are available to you. Depending on the company, some discounts might not apply in Seattle. To see a list of providers who offer insurance discounts in Washington, click here to view.
Compare rate quotes but buy from a local neighborhood Seattle car insurance agent
A lot of people still like to buy from a local agent and doing so can bring peace of mind Licensed agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help you file claims. One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is that drivers can save money and get cheap rate quotes and still have an agent to talk to. And supporting local agents is definitely important in Seattle.
Once you complete this simple form, the coverage information is submitted to participating agents in Seattle that provide free Seattle auto insurance quotes for your business. It’s much easier because you don’t need to contact any insurance agencies due to the fact that quote results will go directly to you. If you wish to compare prices from a specific insurance provider, feel free to find their quoting web page to submit a rate quote request.
When finding a local agent, you must know there are a couple different types of agents and how they work. Agents are considered either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments. Either one can sell and service insurance coverage, but it’s worth learning the subtle differences because it may have an impact on the selection process.
Independent Insurance Agents
These type of agents do not sell for just one brand and that gives them the ability to insure with many different companies and get you the best rates possible. If they find a lower price, your agent can just switch to a different company and you can keep the same agent.
When comparing rates, we recommend you include multiple independent agents so that you can do a thorough price comparison. Most independent agents also contract with mutual insurance companies which could offer lower prices.
Featured below is a list of independent agents in Seattle who may provide pricing information.
- Christopher Togawa Insurance Agency
222 Etruria St # 110 – Seattle, WA 98109 – (206) 838-9450 – View Map - Magnolia Insurance Agency, Inc.
3424 W McGraw St – Seattle, WA 98199 – (206) 284-4886 – View Map - Seattle Insurance
2414 SW Andover St – Seattle, WA 98106 – (206) 937-4613 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Agents that choose to be exclusive have only one company to place business with and examples are Allstate and State Farm. These agents are unable to place coverage with different providers so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. Exclusive insurance agents are well schooled on their company’s products which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates. Some people will only purchase coverage from exclusives primarily because of high brand loyalty rather than having the cheapest rates.
Listed below is a list of exclusive agents in Seattle willing to provide comparison quotes.
- Luan Vu – State Farm Insurance Agent
6951 Martin Luther King Jr Way S #224 – Seattle, WA 98118 – (206) 243-3041 – View Map - Heather Proctor – State Farm Insurance Agent
2600 SW Barton St, Ste E22 – Seattle, WA 98126 – (206) 935-3922 – View Map - AAA Washington Insurance Agency – Seattle
320 NE 97th St c – Seattle, WA 98115 – (206) 529-2700 – View Map
Picking an insurance agency needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. Any good agent in Seattle should know the answers to these questions.
- Are they able to provide referrals?
- If independent agents, which companies do they recommend?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies in Seattle?
- Are there any extra charges for paying monthly?
- Will your rates increase after a single accident?
- Does the company have a local claim office in Seattle?
- How are they compensated?
Upon receiving positive responses to any questions you have and an acceptable price quote, you’ve probably found a car insurance agent that will properly insure your vehicles. Just keep in mind you have the power to cancel your coverage whenever you choose to so don’t feel you are locked into any specific company for a certain time period.
Cheaper insurance rates are possible
Consumers who switch companies do it for a variety of reasons including not issuing a premium refund, high prices, denial of a claim or even policy cancellation. Whatever your reason, finding a great new company is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.
Cost effective Dodge Stratus insurance can be purchased online as well as from independent agents in Seattle, so you need to shop Seattle auto insurance with both to have the best rate selection. Some companies may not have internet price quotes and usually these smaller companies prefer to sell through independent agents.
We just covered a lot of techniques to lower your Dodge Stratus insurance car insurance rates in Seattle. It’s most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Drivers may even discover the lowest priced insurance comes from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.
Even more information is located by following these links:
- Vehicle Safety Ratings (iihs.org)
- Who Has Cheap Seattle Auto Insurance for Used Cars? (FAQ)
- How Much is Seattle Auto Insurance for a Honda Accord? (FAQ)
- Shopping for a Safe Car (Insurance Information Institute)
- What to do at the Scene of an Accident (Insurance Information Institute)
- Property Damage Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- State Laws for Cellphones and Texting (iihs.org)