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Auto-Owners Insurance has been around since 1916, and it's the 11th largest auto insurer in the U.S. by market share of premiums. The company has over 48,000 local agents and offers policies in 26 states.Â
This regional insurer emphasizes personalized experiences, which means you can only get a quote via an agent instead of the online quote processes widely available from other insurers. This can be a significant downside since comparing quotes online can help you make sure you're getting the best deal possible, but I'll point out that Auto-Owners receives above-average ratings for satisfaction across many independent reviews.
Auto-Owners Insurance premiums are also very low when you compare them to the best car insurance companies and certainly the national average, so I recommend going through the effort of contacting an agent for more information if you see the type of policy you're looking for in this review. The company provides more coverage options as well, including specialty coverage, than many other insurers, so it could be a good fit for people with unique policy needs.
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.
Auto-Owners Insurance pros and cons
- Over 48,000 local agents
- Unique and specialized coverage options
- Strong customer service and financial strength
- Doesn't have an online quote process
- Only operates in 26 states
How much does Auto-Owners Insurance cost?
Auto-Owners Insurance costs much less than even some of the best car insurance companies, on average. That goes for the best drivers, the riskiest drivers, and everyone in between (hello, it's me). Even teen drivers, a famously expensive bunch to insure, are offered low average prices, and the difference between their rates and rates for drivers with perfect records is much smaller than I usually see.
I'll admit I did a double-take when digging into Auto-Owners Insurance's prices because they were so much lower than rates from other insurers. These average premiums are lower than those of GEICO and USAA, which is saying something.
But instead of just telling you, let me show you:
| Driver type | Auto-Owners Insurance liability-only monthly premium | Auto-Owners Insurance full coverage monthly premium |
| Clean driving record | $32 | $68 |
| Speeding ticket on driving record | $40 | $85 |
| At-fault accident on driving record | $41 | $88 |
| DUI on driving record | $52 | $111 |
| Teen driver | $53 | $114 |
| Senior driver | $23 | $49 |
| Data sourced from Insurify | ||
Now, contrast those rates with national average rates for liability-only and full coverage car insurance.
| 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 Auto-Owners car insurance good?
Company ratings:
- AM Best: A+ (Superior)
- J.D. Power claims satisfaction: 692/1,000 (study average 697)
- BBB: A+
- NAIC complaints: 0.46 (Private Passenger)
Auto-Owners Insurance is a very good company, with high marks from customers and review agencies alike. If I were to give it a report card based only on client satisfaction and financial stability, we'd be looking at a solid A. Here's how that breaks down.
Its A+ BBB grade is reassuring, even if this maximum score isn't altogether uncommon for insurance companies. Its NAIC Company Complaint Index of 0.46 is more interesting, in my opinion, because it's one of the lowest I've seen for an auto insurance company.
1.00 is the index for the entire market, so anything under that means an insurer has a below-average share of complaints for its size. Auto-Owners' NAIC index is impressive, and it indicates that its customers are generally satisfied (or, at least, not unhappy enough to complain to their state insurance departments as often as customers from other companies do).
Its J.D. Power claims satisfaction score is the only negative to talk about here, and it's not an overly extreme one. The average score in the 2024 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study is 697, so Auto-Owners doesn't lag far behind that; it came ahead of GEICO, Allstate, Travelers, and Progressive. However, it also came behind Erie, Nationwide, Liberty Mutual, and Amica.
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Discounts
Auto-Owners Insurance has a roughly average number of car insurance discounts available compared to most companies, though it stands out a bit for offering a few options for young adults.
But discounts are less crucial when you're starting with low rates, so it's possible you could save money on car insurance by going with this insurer without discounts versus going with another where you do qualify for discounts. It all depends on your specific policy and discount eligibility, though.
Here are the discounts Auto-Owners Insurance offers next to those from two of its top competitors.
| Discount | Does Auto-Owners Insurance have it? | State Farm | Erie |
| Loyalty | No | Yes | No |
| Multi-policy/bundling | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple vehicle | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Airbag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Anti-lock brakes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Anti-theft | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Safe driver | No | Yes | No |
| Good student | Yes | Yes | No |
| Away-from-home student | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| New car | No | No | No |
| Pay in full | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic payments | Yes | No | No |
| GAP insurance | No | No | No |
| Senior | No | No | No |
| Military | No | Yes (select states) | No |
| Defensive driving course | Yes | Yes | No |
Coverage
Auto-Owners Insurance provides a wider range of policy options than you might expect from a carrier that isn't nationally available, including unique coverages. GAP insurance (for loans, leases, and rentals), additional expense, and diminished value coverage are a few types of less-common policies you can find with this insurer, and they're all designed to essentially protect against unexpected costs and loss of value above and beyond base coverage.
There are also noteworthy benefits like a Common Loss Deductible and a Collision Coverage Advantage. The former gives you a break on your deductibles if both your home and car are insured by Auto-Owners and damaged in one incident, and the latter waives your deductible if you happen to get into an accident with another Auto-Owners driver, which is unusual.
The Personal Automobile Plus Package includes a handful of add-ons, like trip interruption coverage, improved personal property coverage, increased transportation cost coverage, and re-key coverage (among several others). It isn't available in Pennsylvania.
Auto-Owners Insurance offers the following coverage:
- Bodily injury liability
- Property damage liability
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist
- Medical payments and personal injury protection
- Comprehensive insurance
- Collision insurance
- Loan and lease GAP
- Diminished value coverage
- At-fault accident forgiveness
- Rental car coverage
- Road trouble service
- Personal Automobile Plus Package
Editor's note
It's worth pointing out that Auto-Owners doesn't have any sort of telematics-based program where you might install a device or use an app to track your safe-driving habits. These are pretty common with other insurers, and the company used to offer a program like this.
Average rate:
Auto-Owners Insurance vs. competitors
In terms of pricing, Auto-Owners blows many of its competitors out of the water. It's not in our handy table below because it isn't quite as popular as the rest, but it would be at the top of this list as the cheapest option, given that its average monthly premiums are even lower than USAA's for both liability and full coverage.
Take a look at how many of the most popular car insurance companies compare on rates alone and notice where the national average falls.
| 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 | ||
Auto-Owners Insurance vs. State Farm
State Farm is the largest car insurance company in the country, and one of the many ways it differs from Auto-owners is that it offers coverage in every state. It also provides online quotes as well as access to local agents. But while Auto-Owners has over 48,000 agents, State Farm has about 19,000, so it might not be as good of an option for in-person support.
The two insurers also differ on prices. State Farm's rates are well below the national averages, but they tend to be higher than Auto-Owners Insurance's. On the flip side, though, State Farm provides the larger list of discounts.
Auto-Owners Insurance vs. Erie
Erie is very close in size to Auto-Owners Insurance when you just look at premiums issued in the U.S., but how do the two compare when you get down to brass tacks?
Auto-Owners operates in 26 states, while Erie operates in only 12, so Auto-Owners wins on availability. But like Auto-Owners Insurance, Erie does well on customer and claims satisfaction. It only beat Auto-Owners in the J.D. Power claims satisfaction study, though. One of the main ways the two differ is that you can get an online quote from Erie, and Erie has about 14,000 agents. And although Erie's average rates are also quite low, Auto-Owners' rates are lower.
FAQs
How do I contact Auto-Owners Insurance?
You can get in touch with an Auto-Owners Insurance representative online using this contact form. Alternatively, call 800-346-0346 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday. Unfortunately, the insurer doesn't offer weekend support.
And you can, of course, visit your local independent agent with any questions. Most agencies are locally-owned.
What company owns Auto-Owners Insurance?
Auto-Owners Insurance is owned by Auto-Owners Insurance Group. The company, headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, includes:
- Auto-Owners Insurance Company (property and casualty insurance)
- Auto-Owners Life Insurance Company
- Owners Insurance Company
- Home-Owners Insurance Company
- Property-Owners Insurance Company
- Southern-Owners Insurance Company
Not all of the above are licensed to operate in Auto-Owners' whole 26-state service area. If you choose this insurer, the company that underwrites your policies depends on what type of policy you open and where you live.
Is Auto-Owners reputable?
Auto-Owners is a reputable company with a strong customer and claims satisfaction track record. BBB, AM Best, and NAIC data all reflect favorably on the company's ethics, its ability to fulfill its obligations to its customers, and its complaints with respect to its share of policies.
Bottom line
You aren't likely to find many companies offering better auto insurance rates than Auto-Owners Insurance, and I recommend the insurer for more than just its low premiums. Its reputation of customer satisfaction and stability speaks volumes about the company's practices, and I would feel comfortable recommending it to anyone who values service, coverage availability, and access to independent agents. However, just keep in mind that you won't be able to get quotes online when comparing rates from this company to others.
For the best chance to get cheaper car insurance, consider at least a few different auto insurance companies in your search, and always stay open to switching if you're not getting what you need (or the premiums you need) with your current insurer.
Average rate:
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