June 1, 2012—Ford Motor Company and State Farm Insurance this week established an agreement that could offer lower insurance premiums to Ford drivers.
Owners of Ford vehicles can now choose to have their actual mileage reported automatically to State Farm using Ford’s SYNC technology as part of State Farm’s Drive Safe & Save insurance model.
The new program, which will initially launch in Utah before rolling out to other U.S. states, allows State Farm customers with select SYNC-equipped Ford vehicles to reduce their auto insurance premiums by using the Vehicle Health Report feature to report their mileage, Ford said.
Ford SYNC, a standard feature available on Ford’s 2009 and newer model vehicles, is an in-car connectivity system that provides drivers with the ability to voice command and control their mobile devices—such as cell phones and MP3 players—and provides services including 911 Assist and Vehicle Health Report.
Ford said Vehicle Health Report is a standard, no-subscription vehicle feature that allows owners to request diagnostic reports about their vehicle’s performance and maintenance needs. Ford said Vehicle Health Report pulls the odometer reading directly from the vehicle engine’s computer. The mileage from the report is considered verified and can be shared with State Farm representatives to qualify the vehicle for Drive Safe & Save.
“We’re very pleased to be working with State Farm to lower the cost of vehicle ownership for the three million Ford SYNC owners who are driving vehicles with the Vehicle Health Report feature,” said Doug VanDagens, connected services global director for Ford. “SYNC Vehicle Health Report is free for the life of the vehicle, so our customers can qualify for insurance discounts without having to pay a monthly subscription.”
Ford said the magnitude of savings for drivers will be determined by the number of miles they drive. Individuals who enroll in the program will initially save roughly 5 percent on their auto insurance coverage. The amount of premium savings will be determined at each policy renewal date based on the number of miles driven during that period.
Ford said people who drive the national average of 1,000 miles per month will typically save about 10 percent on insurance premiums, and low-mileage drivers could save up to 40 percent.
“We’re excited to have Ford as a partner in this effort,” said Mike Wey, senior vice president of State Farm. “State Farm is always looking for better ways to serve our customers.”
