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Auto-Owners Car Insurance Review

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Great customer service
Plenty of student discounts
Independent agents

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Reviews Report

  • Reviews.com scores Auto-Owners insurance company with a 4.4 out of 5, based on options and discounts available, financial strength, and customer reviews.
  • We compared Auto-Owners to large insurers such as Progressive, State Farm, and USAA to highlight the carrier’s strengths and weaknesses. 
  • Personal Automobile Plus Package is Auto-Owners’ value-packed bundle featuring several coverages for one flat rate.

Finding the best car insurance out of dozens of carriers takes some research. Auto-Owners car insurance is a strong contender because it checks off all the boxes of what most car owners search for — plenty of coverage options, savings on vehicle insurance, and solid customer service available when you have questions or need to file a claim.

We conducted a thorough Auto-Owners insurance review and researched its bundled packages, coverage options, and the discounts available. Regardless of what your needs are for vehicle insurance, you may find what you’re looking for at an affordable price with Auto-Owners insurance.

The States Where Auto-Owners’ Premiums Are Cheapest and Most Expensive

South DakotaArkansasMichiganColoradoKansasNebraska
MinnesotaGeorgiaSouth CarolinaNorth DakotaIowaUtah
WisconsinIndianaIllinoisPennsylvaniaIdahoOhio

Data Source: Coverage.com

Auto-Owners Car Insurance Overview

Reviews.com Score:
4.4
In business since
1916
AM Best: AM Best rates insurance providers creditworthiness. Ratings are based on the provider’s ability to follow through with a payout when a consumer files a claim.
A++
J.D. Power: J.D. Power scores are based on surveys for customer satisfaction and product quality.
845*
States served:
26

Auto-Owners car insurance provides vehicle coverage with a personal touch. Unlike many of its competitors that are mostly digital, most of the management of your car insurance happens over the phone or through an Auto-Owners claims office.

Although it’s a traditional way to do business these days, it seems to work well. Auto-Owners’ “No Problem” claims process is highly regarded by policyholders. In J.D. Power’s Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, Auto-Owners scored well above average with 845 out of 1,000, as well as No. 1 in customer satisfaction for auto insurance in the Central region. Furthermore, Auto-Owners complaint index rating from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners is lower than average, at 0.86.

PROS

  • Customer service: High J.D. Power ratings in customer satisfaction and claims satisfaction
  • Financial stability: Awarded an A++ (Superior) rating from AM Best for financial strength
  • Full service: Auto-Owners also offers boat, mobile home, pet, farm, home, renters insurance, and more
  • Collision Coverage Advantage: If you’re in an accident with another Auto-Owners policyholder, your collision deductible will be waived

CONS

  • Not available nationwide: Auto-Owners is only available in 26 states, primarily on the east coast
  • No online quotes: Potential customers must contact an agent to get an Auto-Owners insurance quote
  • No online claims: Drivers can only file a claim over the phone or through an agent

Auto-Owners Car Insurance Highlights

Coverage
Customer Experience
Discounts & Add-ons
Claims

Auto-Owners offers all the coverages needed in each state to legally comply with car insurance mandates, including liability, uninsured/underinsured motorist, and medical payments/PIP insurance. In addition, you could add comprehensive and collision coverage, which is typically required by your car lender.

The typical Auto-Owners insurance review is positive. As mentioned, Auto-Owners is one of the top-rated carriers in the annual J.D. Power customer and claims satisfaction studies. Respondents evaluate a company’s products, communication, and claims process to rank the top insurers. Additionally, the NAIC keeps complaint records for insurance companies. Auto-Owners has a below-average complaint rating of 0.86, with only 68 complaints total in 2020.

Auto-Owners has over one dozen discounts available for safe driving, electronic payments, and car safety features. The following discounts are featured by Auto-Owners online:

  • Multi-policy
  • Good payment history
  • Multi-vehicle
  • Green discount
  • Safety features
  • Advance quote
  • Pay in full
  • Good student
  • Teen Driver Monitoring enrollment
  • Student away at school
  • Favorable loss history

While it’s always important to have at least the state minimum requirements for car insurance, adding additional endorsements or optional coverage to your Auto-Owners car insurance policy can further protect your vehicle. Auto-Owners offers the following additional coverage:

  • Medical payments
  • Personal injury protection
  • Personal Automobile Plus bundle
  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist
  • Road trouble service
  • Loan gap/Lease gap
  • Diminished value
  • Additional expense

To file a claim, drivers must contact their Auto-Owners agent or call the company hotline after hours. Auto-Owners has over 100 claims offices to make the process of repair/reimbursement as localized and efficient as possible. Based on the excellent J.D. Power rating and the low number of complaints in the NAIC trend report, Auto-Owners does a great job at processing and paying out claims.

Auto-Owners’ Car Insurance Bundling Discounts for Cheaper Insurance

One of the ways to save on all your insurance needs is by bundling them all together with one carrier. Auto-Owners insurance aims to make bundling more convenient and affordable than other carriers. You’ll find that the insurer is a one-stop-shop for insurance with a variety of options for your home or mobile home, vehicles (including boats, motorcycle, and classic cars), life insurance, as well as coverage for your pets and farm. 

Best of all, you won’t have to worry about paying out multiple deductibles in case of a disaster.  Auto-Owners has a common loss deductible, which drops the auto deductible by the amount of the personal property deductible you have to pay or waive it entirely if it’s less than the personal property deductible amount.

Auto-Owners Car Insurance vs. The Competition 

ProviderReviews.com ScoreAM BestJ.D. Power Customer Satisfaction*No. of Discounts
Auto-Owners4.4A++84513
Progressive4.4A+83019
State Farm5A++84713
USAA4.8A++88417

Information accurate as of September 2021

*J.D. Power’s 2021 Auto Insurance Satisfaction Study average rating across all regions. Based on a 1,000-point scale.

Auto-Owners vs. Progressive

Progressive may turn out to offer cheaper car insurance than Auto-Owners simply because it offers more discounts. However, Auto-Owners is higher rated when it comes to financial strength and customer service, earning an A++ with AM Best compared to Progressive’s A+ and 845 average J.D. Power rating compared to Progressive’ss 830 out of 1,000. It’s best to evaluate whether you’re willing to trade off on personal service to save money on your car insurance.

Auto-Owners vs. State Farm

Auto-Owners and State Farm are both evenly matched when it comes to coverage options and discounts. The main difference is size — State Farm is the country’s largest vehicle insurance company, while Auto-Owners is only available in 26 states. In addition, State Farm’s online platform and mobile app are robust enough to allow drivers to file claims and manage their accounts entirely without having to call an agent or customer service representative for support.

Auto-Owners vs. USAA

Auto-Owners and USAA are a couple of the highest-rated car insurance companies when it comes to claims and customer satisfaction overall. They also both have a long list of discounts you may qualify for. However, Auto-Owners may be the only choice for many drivers. USAA is only available to past and present military personnel and qualifying family members.

Auto-Owners FAQ

Methodology

We evaluated Auto-Owners Insurance Company based on discounts, coverage, online resources, financial strength and customer satisfaction to determine Reviews.com scores and create our best car insurance reviews. To compare car insurance companies with other providers across the board, we calculate each Reviews.com score based on the following:

  • Discounts: Auto insurance companies that advertised more discounts received higher scores in our methodology.
  • Financial Stability: Reviews.com utilized AM Best ratings to assign a score based on each car insurance company’s financial stability.
  • Customer Satisfaction: J.D. Power ranks car insurance companies by customer satisfaction, so we used its 2021 Auto Insurance Satisfaction Study to compare the average rating of insurers across all regions.
  • Coverage: Car insurance companies were awarded higher scores for advertised coverages beyond the body liability, property liability, collision, and personal injury protection.
  • Online Resources: We reviewed the digital resources of each car insurance company and awarded higher scores to insurers with mobile claim estimates, digital insurance cards, and more.

About the Authors

Sara Coleman is a personal finance freelance writer based in Charlotte, NC. A Journalism Major who studied at the University of Georgia, she enjoys creating approachable content. She’s written for sites such as WorkingMother, BetterYouMag, and SmartMoneyMamas. She loves spending time with her husband and 3 kids, and has a healthy obsession with coffee.

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