Should You Get Auto Insurance From Ford Insure?

A big trend in the world of insurance is the rise of telematics car insurance. Telematics is a type of car insurance that tracks driving data (with the driver's permission) to calculate a personalized insurance premium. With telematics, you can get rewarded for safe driving, and sometimes save big money on car insurance.

Some of the best car insurance companies are now offering telematics programs. And they're not alone: Automakers are also starting to offer car insurance. Getting car insurance from your car company is a type of insurance called "embedded insurance," where the insurance product is built into your car -- if you choose to sign up for it.

Ford Insure is a new telematics insurance product from Ford Motor Insurance Agency, an affiliate of Ford Motor Company. With Ford Insure, Ford drivers of 2020 and newer model year Ford vehicles can get car insurance from right within their vehicle -- and save up to 40% on car insurance.

Let's look at a few reasons why Ford Insure might be a good deal for your next car insurance policy.

Ford Insure: Telematics car insurance for Ford vehicles

Telematics car insurance is an intriguing option for insuring your vehicle, because it can reward you for safer driving. With telematics, you allow your insurance company to measure some data about how you drive -- such as mileage, times of day, how fast you drive, and how hard you brake.

Ford Insure is a special telematics insurance program for Ford vehicles from model year 2020 or newer. These newer Ford vehicles have connected vehicle technology that lets you sign up for Ford Insure, and with your permission, share your driving data to get a personalized insurance rate. To see if your Ford vehicle is eligible, look for an "Insurance" section in your Vehicle Details screen.

Just like other telematics insurance programs, Ford Insure can reward you with car insurance discounts -- as much as 40% off, depending on your driving. And you don't need any mobile apps or plug-in devices. If you drive a new enough Ford, the connected vehicle technology can already deliver the Ford Insure experience without any extra gadgets.

How Ford Insure can help you save money

Ford Insure uses your car or truck's connected vehicle technology to measure a few different types of driving data:

• Miles driven: The more miles you drive, the greater chance of a crash. Driving less can help you save on car insurance.
• Hard acceleration and braking: If you've got a lead foot or if you're not paying enough attention to stopping distance, it will show up in your driving data. Gentle acceleration and braking can help you save money on insurance premiums.
• Idle time: The more time you spend with the engine idling in the dreaded "stop-start" traffic that clogs up so many commutes, the more likely you are to have an accident. People with less idle time can save money on Ford Insure car insurance.
• Driving at night: The hours of midnight to 5 a.m. are the riskiest times to be on the road. Ford Insure can help you save if you spend more time driving during daylight hours.

Ford Insure and its underwriting partner, Nationwide, also offer a few other unique ways to save money on car insurance:

• Along with saving money based on driving less, Ford Insure offers an extra 10% discount for pay-per-mile plans, depending on your driving data.
• Traditional auto insurance policies that don't require connected vehicle technology or data sharing
• Options to bundle home and auto insurance
• Pet insurance (you can also bundle your Ford Insure car insurance with pet insurance)

Ford Insure: Pros and cons

Let's look at a few advantages and possible drawbacks of Ford Insure.

Ford Insure: Pros

• Available in most states: Unlike some other car companies' insurance programs, Ford Insure is available in all states except for Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Oklahoma (as of Jan. 8, 2024). New York and Florida residents can find out which products are available in their states by calling Ford Insure to speak to an agent.
• Flexible ways to save on car insurance: Ford Insure offers pay-per-mile car insurance, bundling home and auto insurance, and even bundling car insurance with pet insurance. If you don't want to share driving data or have an older vehicle, Ford Insure offers traditional non-telematics auto insurance policies.
• Significant discounts: Ford Insure offers discounts of up to 40%, depending on your driving. This could be a big enough savings on car insurance to be worth switching.
• Connected vehicle technology makes it easy: With Ford Insure, you don't need to sign up for extra mobile apps or plug-in gadgets. The technology is already there with your Ford vehicle (as long as you have a model year 2020 or newer).

Ford Insure: Cons

• It takes a few months to get your discount: Ford Insure requires four to six months of driving data before you can get your discount at the next policy renewal. (But you get an immediate 10% discount just for signing up.)
• Safe driving discounts are not guaranteed: Like other telematics programs, Ford Insure discounts will depend on your driving behavior. Driving-based discounts could be as little as 0%.
• Ford Insure only works with newer Ford vehicles: If you want Ford Insure telematics, you need to drive a newer Ford vehicle (2020 model year or newer).

Bottom line: If you own a newer model Ford with connected vehicle technology, Ford Insure could be an easy way for you to save money on car insurance. Ford Insure also offers some unique options to bundle home and auto, or even bundling auto and pet insurance.