American Family offers affordable premiums relative to the national average, but the company is neither the cheapest auto insurer in the country nor the best rated. If you're looking to purchase multiple car insurance add-ons, like gap insurance, OEM coverage, and rideshare coverage, American Family might be a good fit. The company also offers affordable rates and defensive driving discounts for older adults.
But folks seeking a standard car insurance policy may find competitors that offer lower premiums and have better financial strength and customer satisfaction ratings. Additionally, American Family is only available to drivers in 19 states, and coverage options and discounts vary by location.
Ask an insurance agent about options in your state, and make sure to compare quotes from other top car insurance companies before buying a policy. Read our full American Family insurance review to learn more about costs, ratings, and coverage options.
How we evaluate products
FinanceBuzz researches a number of factors in each auto insurance provider to create our reviews. These factors include cost and discounts, complaints and customer satisfaction, coverage, and ease of use. We also gather information from sources such as Insurify, J.D. Power, AM Best, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), and the Better Business Bureau to ensure we provide the most useful information to our readers.
American Family pros and cons
- Several multi-policy and usage-based discount options
- Relatively affordable average premiums, especially for seniors
- Certified repair program for fast repairs and guaranteed workmanship
- Wide variety of car insurance coverage add-ons
- Below-average J.D. Power rating for claims satisfaction
- Only offers car insurance coverage in 19 states
- Poor customer rating with the BBB
How much does American Family insurance cost for car insurance?
Car insurance premiums depend on individual factors, like your age, driving record, and location, but some companies charge lower average premiums than others.
American Family is relatively affordable — the company charges an average monthly premium of $150 for full coverage car insurance and $68 for liability-only insurance. For comparison, the national average is $193 for full coverage and $102 for liability-only coverage.
American Family premiums for drivers in their 70s are especially inexpensive. However, a few competitors offer even lower premiums for seniors, including Auto-Owners and Erie.
Driver type | American Family liability-only monthly premium | American Family full coverage monthly premium |
Clean driving record | $68 | $150 |
Speeding ticket on driving record | $84 | $184 |
At-fault accident on driving record | $88 | $193 |
DUI on driving record | $110 | $242 |
Teen driver | $123 | $271 |
Senior driver (60s) | $50 | $111 |
Senior driver (70s) | $45 | $100 |
Data sourced from Insurify |
Driver type | National average liability-only monthly premium | National average full coverage monthly premium |
Clean driving record | $105 | $192 |
Speeding ticket on driving record | $141 | $265 |
At-fault accident on driving record | $146 | $274 |
DUI on driving record | $166 | $313 |
Teen driver | $194 | $364 |
Senior driver | $85 | $160 |
Data sourced from Insurify |
Is American Family car insurance good?
American Family holds an A financial strength rating with AM Best, which indicates the company has an excellent financial ability to pay claims. The company also has fewer complaints with the NAIC than other companies with a similar market share, indicating that American Family policyholders are relatively satisfied.
However, American Family ranks below average in the 2024 J.D. Power U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study and has mixed customer service reviews on third-party sites. While the company's Trustpilot rating is excellent, its average rating with the BBB is poor. The insurer is also not accredited with the BBB, though this isn't uncommon among car insurance companies.
American Family's third-party ratings are not as strong as competitors like Amica and State Farm, which rank higher in J.D. Power customer satisfaction studies and have better financial strength ratings from AM Best. American Family isn't a bad choice, especially if the company offers you a low premium, but we suggest collecting quotes from the best car insurance companies and comparing your options.
Company ratings:
- AM Best: A (Excellent)
- J.D. Power claims satisfaction ranking: 11th (below average)
- BBB: Unaccredited; 1.14/5 star average rating
- Trustpilot: 4.5/5 star rating
- NAIC complaints: 0.26 (few complaints relative to company size)
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Discounts
American Family offers several ways to save money on car insurance, including usage and mileage-based discounts, savings for drivers with a clean record, and several discounts for young drivers. The company also offers a discount for bundling your auto insurance policy with a home insurance, renters insurance, or life insurance policy from AmFam.
Keep in mind that discounts vary by state, so you'll want to check with your insurance agent to find out if you're eligible for the discounts below.
Discount | Does American Family Insurance have it? | GEICO | Progressive |
Loyalty | Yes | No | No |
Multi-policy/bundling | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Multiple vehicle | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Airbag | Yes | Yes | No |
Anti-lock brakes | No | Yes | No |
Anti-theft | No | Yes | Yes (select states) |
Safe driver | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Good student | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Away-from-home student | Yes | Yes | Yes |
New car | No | Yes | No |
Pay in full | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Automatic payments | Yes | Yes | Yes |
GAP insurance | Yes | No | No |
Senior | No | No | No |
Military | No | Yes | No |
Defensive driving course | Yes | Yes | Yes (select states) |
DriveMyWay and MilesMyWay
Usage and mileage-based programs are great ways to lower your car insurance premium. American Family offers both options.
- DriveMyWay: You can get a discount just for enrolling in DriveMyWay and allowing American Family to track your driving habits via the MyAmFamDrive app. You could save up to 20% on your premiums for safe driving behavior, but note that reckless driving may increase your rate.
- MilesMyWay: This program allows drivers in select states who drive less than 8,000 miles per year to pay based on the miles they drive. You submit a photo of your odometer at the beginning and end of your policy term to qualify. There's no penalty for driving more than 8,000 miles annually, and you could save up to 25% at renewal based on your mileage.
Average rate:
Coverage
American Family offers all the standard coverages that most drivers want along with convenient add-ons like roadside assistance and rental reimbursement coverage, which help ensure you always have a working vehicle. And the company offers a unique Travel Peace of Mind package for avid roadtrippers.
AmFam also offers GAP insurance, which protects new car owners. If you're in a bad accident at a time when the depreciated value of your car is less than your outstanding loan balance, GAP insurance pays the difference. And the company offers rideshare coverage for Uber and Lyft drivers. Not all car insurance companies offer these coverages.
Here's a complete list of coverage options at American Family.
- Bodily injury liability
- Property damage liability
- Collision coverage
- Comprehensive coverage
- Medical payments
- Personal injury protection
- Uninsured motorist coverage
- Underinsured motorist coverage
- Rental reimbursement
- Emergency roadside assistance
- Accidental death and dismemberment
- GAP coverage
- Accident forgiveness
- OEM coverage
- Travel Peace of Mind
- Rideshare coverage
Note that coverage options vary by state.
American Family vs. competitors
American Family is less expensive than the national average, but many of the company's competitors charge even lower average premiums. Examples include Allstate, Auto-Owners, Erie Insurance, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA. Keep in mind that car insurance premiums are based on individual factors along with your coverage choices, and the best way to compare car insurance premiums apples-to-apples is to get customized quotes.
Company name | Average monthly full coverage | Average monthly liability-only coverage |
USAA | $99 | $46 |
GEICO | $118 | $55 |
State Farm | $119 | $55 |
Allstate | $132 | $62 |
Progressive | $148 | $101 |
American Family | $157 | $72 |
Nationwide | $181 | $85 |
Travelers | $191 | $90 |
National average | $199 | $105 |
Farmers | $236 | $110 |
Liberty Mutual | $250 | $169 |
Data sourced from Insurify |
Price isn't the only factor you should consider when choosing a car insurance company. But American Family also lags behind some of its competitors with regards to financial strength and customer satisfaction ratings. Here's how American Family compares to two of its top competitors.
American Family vs. GEICO
GEICO charges lower average premiums than American Family for all types of drivers, including teens and drivers with a DUI. GEICO also offers a greater variety of discounts than AmFam, including generous military and federal employee discounts, and offers coverage nationwide.
GEICO holds an A++ financial strength rating with AM Best, but the company is ranked lower than American Family for claims satisfaction in the 2024 J.D. Power study. GEICO also has a higher NAIC complaint index than AmFam, but the number of complaints is still low relative to company size.
Learn more in our GEICO review.
American Family vs. Progressive
Progressive offers a slightly lower average premium for full-coverage car insurance than American Family. Progressive charges a higher monthly premium for liability coverage across driver profiles, but it may be a better deal than AmFam for people with a blemished driving record who want full coverage. Progressive also offers benefits like free accident forgiveness for your first small accident, which is available to drivers in most states.
Like AmFam, Progressive offers an array of add-ons, including a unique pet injury coverage. The company also has an A+ (Superior) AM Best rating. However, Progressive received a poor rating in the 2024 J.D. Power Auto Claims Satisfaction Study and has a higher NAIC complaint index than AmFam.
Learn more in our Progressive review.
FAQs
How do I contact American Family Insurance?
American Family policyholders have access to many service options through the MyAmFam app, including claims filing, payments, and roadside assistance requests. If you need help with something else, or if you are a new customer looking to get a quote, you can reach the American Family Care Center at 1-800-MYAMFAM (1-800-692-6326).
Does American Family Insurance pay claims well?
It's easy to file a claim with American Family at any time using the MyAmFam mobile app. American Family also has an A (Excellent) financial strength rating with AM Best, which suggests the company has the financial capacity to pay claims. But AmFam doesn't specify a timeline for claims processing. What's more, the insurer received a below-average rating for claims satisfaction from J.D. Power.
Bottom Line
American Family is well-rated for financial strength and offers a variety of coverage options and relatively affordable premiums. But some competitors offer cheaper coverage on average and have a better reputation for customer satisfaction. Ultimately, the best way to determine whether American Family is right for you is to get customized quotes from the company and a few of its competitors. Once you compare costs and coverage options side by side, you'll feel confident choosing the policy that best meets your needs.
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