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Erie Insurance offers car, home, life, business, and many other types of insurance. It's the 13th-largest auto insurance issuer in the U.S., putting it just behind Auto-Owners and not far behind Nationwide in terms of size. For the purposes of this Erie Insurance review, I'm going to cover the company's car insurance, including its coverage options, costs, who it's best for, and more.
I'd recommend Erie car insurance to anyone who lives in an eligible state and can find the coverage they need with the company. In addition to a stellar history of customer satisfaction, one of the insurer's key advantages over other companies is its low rates, which beat much of the competition. However, I wouldn't recommend Erie to anyone looking for a telematics-based safe driving discount or the best mobile app possible.
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Virginia;
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
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.
Erie pros and cons
- Excellent reputation for customer satisfaction
- Lower rates on policies than many companies
- Decent range of coverage options
- Only available in 12 states and Washington, D.C.
- Can't file claims through the mobile app
- No telematics discount
How much does Erie cost?
Erie's costs for car insurance are, across the board, quite a bit lower than the national average. Even for those with imperfections in their records and less experienced drivers, customers are more likely to save money on car insurance by choosing Erie than they would with the average company. These are also some of the lowest rates I've seen from an insurer, which is why I feel Erie is one of the best car insurance companies for affordability. In fact, Erie's premiums are comparable to GEICO's, which is known for its lower costs.
| Driver type | Erie liability-only monthly premium |
| Clean driving record | $50 |
| Speeding ticket on driving record | $65 |
| At-fault accident on driving record | $69 |
| DUI on driving record | $82 |
| Teen driver | $86 |
| Senior driver | $36 |
| Data sourced from Insurify | |
Editor's note
This company tends to cost consumers at least a little less than others in each state it issues policies in, but remember that 38 states are, unfortunately, missing from its list.Now, look at how Erie's costs compare to national average rates for liability-only car insurance, and you'll see what I mean about the company being competitive.
| 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 Erie car insurance good?
Company ratings:
- AM Best: A+ (Superior)
- J.D. Power claims satisfaction: 733/1,000 (study average 697)
- BBB: A+
- NAIC complaints: 0.82 (Private Passenger)
Each of the above ratings and scores reflects well on Erie, and I want to take a moment to break down what each one might mean for consumers. First, you've got the AM Best rating. AM Best is an independent research agency that takes a deep dive into a company's financial viability, and a grade of A+ for Financial Strength means that it feels Erie is more than capable of fulfilling its insurance obligations to consumers. Erie has received this rating for many years in a row. A++ is the best grade possible, and some car insurance companies (like GEICO and State Farm) have received it.
In the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, Erie ranked as the third-best insurer. This put it above Nationwide, State Farm, GEICO, Allstate, Progressive, and well above the study's average of 697. It also received the highest grade possible from the BBB, indicating that the bureau has found the company to have exceptionally high standards for ethics and trust with regard to complaints.
Erie also has a below-average NAIC Company Complaint Index. This index measures how many complaints a given company receives in proportion to its market share, and 1.00 is considered the baseline. For Erie to have an index below this means that customers are filing complaints with their state departments about this company less often than they are for other companies. For insurance, this is an important measure of customer satisfaction.
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Discounts
Erie has a respectable number of discounts that is somewhat above average. This is not the most discounts I've seen, but it's far from the least.
It's worth noting that Erie provides a few unique discounts, including a Youthful Driver discount for single drivers under 21 who live at home with their parents, First Accident Forgiveness, and an optional diminishing deductible (meaning you can save on your deductible costs each year you go without filing a claim).
Here's how Erie's discounts compare to those offered by two of the company's competitors.
| Discount | Does Erie have it? | Progressive | Auto-Owners |
| Loyalty | No | No | No |
| Multi-policy/bundling | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple vehicle | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Airbag | Yes | No | Yes |
| Anti-lock brakes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Anti-theft | Yes | Yes (select states) | Yes |
| Safe driver | No | Yes | No |
| Good student | No | Yes | Yes |
| Away-from-home student | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| New car | No | No | No |
| Pay in full | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic payments | No | Yes | Yes |
| GAP insurance | No | No | No |
| Senior | No | No | No |
| Military | No | No | No |
| Defensive driving course | No | Yes (select states) | Yes |
YourTurn
YourTurn by Erie Insurance is a telematics program that monitors your driving via an app with the goal of helping you drive more safely. It calculates a driving score for you over a two-week testing period. If your score is good enough, you might be eligible to receive "monetary rewards" that can be redeemed for gift cards and charitable donations.
But unlike other telematics programs that may help you save money on car insurance, YourTurn is mainly designed to give you feedback on your driving and won't lead directly to discounts on your policy. For instance, it'll assess how often you use your phone when driving and factor this into your score, but it won't automatically shave a percentage off of your rate if you get a great score. Instead, you might earn rewards.
Average rate:
Coverage
For a somewhat smaller insurer, Erie's coverage options are pretty extensive. Not only can you purchase standard auto insurance policies like the liability and PIP coverage required by many states, but you can also choose from less common types of coverage add-ons like new car replacement and rental car reimbursement.
Erie offers about as many or more coverage options compared to companies larger than itself, such as State Farm, but not quite as many as some, like Allstate. I would like to see an option for medical payments coverage from Erie.
Erie offers the following types of coverage:
- Liability protection for bodily injury
- Liability protection for property damage
- Personal injury protection (PIP)
- Uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance
- Collision insurance
- Comprehensive insurance
- Roadside assistance
- New car replacement
- Rental car reimbursement
- Motorcycle insurance
- Boat insurance
- Recreational vehicle insurance
- Classic car insurance
Learn more: How Much Car Insurance Do I Need?
Erie vs. competitors
As mentioned, Erie beats a lot of its competitors on prices. This is somewhat unusual for a regional company, and I'm impressed with how transparent Erie is about its policies and premiums. Some companies that operate with this many independent agents and in so few states will require you to visit an office or at least call an agent to learn more about insurance options and pricing, but Erie is more like the biggest insurers in the way it discloses information.
It isn't featured in the table below, but Erie is generally closest in price to Allstate and State Farm for liability-only insurance.
| 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 | ||
However, I'm going to compare the company to Progressive to give you an alternative from a national carrier that performs very similarly in customer satisfaction, and to Auto-Owners because this company is slightly larger by market share but operates in more states.
Erie vs. Progressive
Progressive differs from Erie not only for being nationally available but also for being the second-largest insurer in the U.S. by market share. But its breadth doesn't translate to lower average rates in Progressive's case, and you can probably expect to pay more if you choose this insurer.
That said, Progressive does well with customer satisfaction, too, for the most part. It's ranked similarly to Erie by AM Best and the BBB, and its NAIC index is comparable. However, its claim satisfaction score with J.D. Power is much lower, so Erie has the edge here.
Compared to Erie, Progressive offers more convenience because you can file claims through the company's well-rated mobile app.
Erie vs. Auto-Owners
Auto-Owners is similar to Erie in size by market share, and the two provide comparable coverage options, too. But Auto-Owners provides even lower average rates than Erie and operates in 26 states to Erie's 12, so it could potentially be a better option for some people. However, you can't get a quote online with Auto-Owners and will need to find an agent, which can take a little more time and make comparing your options more difficult.
The one I'd recommend for you between Erie and Auto-Owners depends on where you live and what coverage you need. For instance, Erie provides car insurance policies in New York, while Auto-Owners does not; and Auto-Owners provides policies in Michigan, while Erie does not.
FAQs
How do I contact Erie?
You can get in touch with Erie by calling (800) 458-0811 or visiting a local agent at an office near you. Visit this page to find Erie office locations.
Is Erie good for high-risk drivers?
Because it offers lower rates on policies for drivers with negative marks in their driving records, like speeding tickets and DUIs, it could be a good choice for high-risk individuals. That said, I always suggest comparing quotes from a few insurance carriers before settling on an option, because exactly the rate you're offered depends on more factors than just your driving history.
Which is cheaper, GEICO or Erie?
GEICO and Erie's average car insurance rates are comparable, but your rates with one company might be higher or lower depending on your coverage needs and driver profile. Get personalized quotes from both to see which one might save you more money.
Bottom line
Erie car insurance, available in 12 states and Washington, D.C., provides a good amount of coverage with below-average rates. The company is rated exceptionally well for customer satisfaction by many agencies, and I appreciate that you can get support from independent agents. I wish policies were offered in more states, but this is a good company to consider if you're looking for low rates on the coverage you need, as long as you see the type of policy you're after.
Average rate:
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