Auto Insurance Company Rankings: Complaints, Claims and Fines
Fewest complaints: American Family (0.30)
Best claims satisfaction: Erie Insurance (743) · NAIC data for 2025, read October 12, 2026
Every number on this page has a date and a source: complaints to state regulators, a survey of drivers who settled a claim, and the fines regulators actually imposed.
The 12 Largest Auto Insurers, Ranked by Complaints
The NAIC complaint index for 2025: 1.00 is what a company's size would predict. Below 1.00 means fewer complaints to state regulators than its share of the market.
Short answer: American Family (0.30), Travelers (0.38), Auto-Owners (0.47) drew the fewest complaints for their size in 2025; USAA's largest company was the highest of the 12 at 1.00. Erie Insurance ranked first for claims satisfaction with J.D. Power (743 points).
- American Family0.30American Family Insurance Co. · 32 complaints
Also in the group: American Family Connect Property and Casualty Insurance Co. 1.32, American Family Mutual Insurance Co., S.I. 0.18 - Travelers0.38The Standard Fire Insurance Co. (Travelers) · 64 complaints
Also in the group: Travelers Property Casualty Insurance Co. 0.57, Travelers Personal Insurance Co. 0.56 - Auto-Owners0.47Auto-Owners Insurance Co. · 64 complaints
- Erie0.55Erie Insurance Exchange · 108 complaints
Also in the group: Erie Insurance Co. 1.17, Erie Insurance Property & Casualty Co. 1.63 - State Farm0.59State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. · 1,819 complaints
Also in the group: State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. 1.18, State Farm Indemnity Co. 0.62 - Nationwide0.72Nationwide Insurance Co. of America · 39 complaints
Also in the group: Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. 0.27, Nationwide General Insurance Co. 0.48 - Progressive0.75Progressive Direct Insurance Co. · 374 complaints
Also in the group: Progressive County Mutual Insurance Co. 0.84, Progressive Select Insurance Co. 0.48 - Allstate0.81Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Co. · 454 complaints
Also in the group: Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Co. 1.05, Allstate North American Insurance Co. 0.71 - Farmers0.85Farmers Insurance Exchange · 122 complaints
Also in the group: Farmers Texas County Mutual Insurance Co. 0.88, Farmers Property and Casualty Insurance Co. 1.28 - GEICO0.88GEICO General Insurance Co. · 536 complaints
Also in the group: GEICO Secure Insurance Co. 0.72, Government Employees Insurance Co. 0.54 - Liberty Mutual0.96Liberty Mutual Personal Insurance Co. · 79 complaints
Also in the group: Safeco Insurance Co. of America 1.62, Safeco Insurance Co. of Illinois 0.77 - USAA1.00USAA Casualty Insurance Co. · 342 complaints
Also in the group: United Services Automobile Association 0.83, USAA General Indemnity Co. 1.23
All the Numbers Side by Side
Sorted by share of the US car insurance market. On a phone, swipe the table sideways.
| Insurer | Market share | Complaint index | J.D. Power | Loss ratio | AM Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Farm | 18.6 % | 0.59 | 716 | 65.4 % | A+ |
| Progressive | 18.6 % | 0.75 | 673 | 59.1 % | A+ |
| GEICO | 11.6 % | 0.88 | 697 | 67.1 % | A++ |
| Allstate | 10.2 % | 0.81 | 693 | 55.6 % | A+ |
| USAA | 6.2 % | 1.00 | 741* | 67.3 % | A++ |
| Farmers | 3.6 % | 0.85 | 690 | 51.5 % | A |
| Liberty Mutual | 2.8 % | 0.96 | 730 | 47.2 % | A |
| Travelers | 1.9 % | 0.38 | 691 | 53.6 % | A++ |
| American Family | 1.5 % | 0.30 | 702 | 59.8 % | A |
| Erie | 1.4 % | 0.55 | 743 | 73.0 % | A |
| Auto-Owners | 1.4 % | 0.47 | 711 | 58.4 % | A+ |
| Nationwide | 1.1 % | 0.72 | 729 | 51.6 % | A |
Loss ratio is the NAIC's figure for direct losses incurred divided by premiums earned in 2025: out of every $100 in premium, how much the group booked for claims. A higher ratio does not mean an individual claim is handled more fairly — it also reflects prices, the mix of drivers and the year's accidents.
Claims Satisfaction: J.D. Power's 2025 Study
9,455 drivers who settled a claim, surveyed September 2024 – August 2025, on a 1,000-point scale. Study average: 700.
- 1. Erie Insurance743
- 2. NJM Insurance Co.731
- 3. Liberty Mutual730
- 4. Nationwide729
- 5. Automobile Club of Southern California (AAA)726
- 6. CSAA Insurance Group (AAA)720
- 7. Amica718
- 8. State Farm716
- 8. The Hartford716
- 10. Auto-Owners Insurance711
- 11. American Family702
- 12. Mercury701
- Study average700
- 13. Auto Club Group (AAA)697
- 13. GEICO697
- 15. Allstate693
- 16. Travelers691
- 17. Farmers690
- 18. Progressive673
- 19. Safeco672
- 20. National General605
What changed in 2025. Total losses made up 27 % of claims, up from 16 % in 2022, and only 58 % of those drivers said the valuation fully met their expectations. Repairs got faster: 19.3 days on average, down from 22.3 days a year earlier. 26 % of customers now carry a deductible of $1,000 or more, and 7 % said they had avoided filing a claim for fear their rates would rise.
When People Complained: Connecticut's Records
Our own analysis of 6,814 complaints filed with Connecticut's insurance regulator against car insurance policies and closed between 2022 and 2026: how often a complaint ended with the insurer paying money. Across all insurers: 14 %.
- USAA23.1 %56 of 242 complaints · median payment $2,277
- Farmers17.4 %27 of 155 complaints · median payment $1,579
- Allstate15.7 %97 of 618 complaints · median payment $1,452
- GEICO14.7 %87 of 591 complaints · median payment $1,000
- State Farm12.9 %113 of 873 complaints · median payment $1,793
- Liberty Mutual12.6 %36 of 286 complaints · median payment $1,832
- Nationwide10.0 %7 of 70 complaints · median payment $2,375
- Progressive8.2 %104 of 1,270 complaints · median payment $1,000
What Regulators Found
Fines and findings about how these insurers handled car insurance claims, newest first, each linked to the regulator's own document.
- September 30, 2026 · USAA — Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner: fined USAA Casualty Insurance Co. $140,000 for unfair or deceptive acts or practices in how it handled auto claims; of 125 complaints reviewed, USAA confirmed 19 violations, including not acting timely and refusing to pay claims without a reasonable investigation; it paid $88,241 on 158 total-loss claims that had left out taxes and fees. Source
- September 30, 2026 · Allstate — Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner: fined Allstate Vehicle and Property Insurance Co. $90,000 for claim handling violations and for not following the state's premium change transparency rule. Source
- February 8, 2024 · Travelers — New York Department of Financial Services: consent order with a $225,000 fine against a group of Travelers companies for claim handling in 2017, including failing to pay or deny no-fault claims within 30 days of proof of claim and failing to explain how fault was split where comparative negligence was involved. Source
- February 6, 2024 · State Farm — Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance: a two-year examination found State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. had underpaid some drivers who were in accidents with State Farm's insureds (November 2018 to April 2022); $2 million fine plus a $2 million suspended fine, and a re-evaluation of all affected claims — by then State Farm reported 2,436 claims reviewed and $1,182,927.43 paid in addition; the commissioner: 'Montana will not tolerate unsupported fault being placed on victims of auto accidents'. Source
- November 3, 2020 · State Farm, Allstate — New York Department of Financial Services: restitution of $9,799,000 (State Farm) and $784,168 (Allstate) for systemic noncompliance in no-fault claims handling, plus fines of $644,700 and $671,200; violations included failing to pay or deny no-fault claims in a timely manner and to pay statutory interest on overdue payments. Source
- September 7, 2010 · Allstate — Multistate market conduct examination (lead regulators Florida, Illinois, Iowa, New York): Allstate used the Colossus software on about half of all auto bodily injury claims; the regulators 'did not identify institutional issues involving underpayment of claims' but required enhanced oversight, notice to claimants that Colossus may be used, and no policy or incentive to settle at the Colossus value; Allstate paid $10 million into a fund to train regulators in monitoring such software. Source
About “delay, deny, defend” and Colossus. “Delay, Deny, Defend” is the title of a 2010 book by Rutgers law professor Jay M. Feinman. Claim-valuation software such as Colossus is real and widely used. When regulators from Florida, Illinois, Iowa and New York examined Allstate's use of it, they “did not identify institutional issues involving underpayment of claims” but required closer oversight. We found no regulator or court that measured a fixed percentage by which such software cuts payouts.
What These Numbers Can and Cannot Tell You
NAIC complaint index
Closed, confirmed complaints to state insurance departments, divided by the company's share of premiums. It counts complaints about everything — billing, cancellations and claims — and says nothing about any single claim.
J.D. Power claims score
How satisfied an insurer's own customers were with a claim they settled. It does not survey people claiming against another driver's insurer.
Loss ratio
How much of each premium dollar the group booked for claims in 2025. It describes the whole book of business, not how a single claim is treated.
AM Best rating
Financial strength: whether the insurer can pay large claims years from now. Every group here is rated A (Excellent) or better; State Farm, Auto-Owners and Erie were each downgraded by one notch in 2024 or 2025.
Connecticut complaint outcomes
Our own count from one state's regulator: how often a complaint ended with money for the person who complained.
What to Watch for in Any Claim
These apply to every insurer on the list, whichever one you are dealing with.
An early offer
An offer can arrive within days, before you know what your injuries will cost. Once you sign a release, the claim is closed for good — including treatment you have not had yet.
A recorded statement
The other driver's insurer may ask to record your account of the crash. In most situations you have no duty to give one to the other side's insurer; your own policy usually does require you to cooperate with your own.
A blanket medical authorization
A broad release opens your whole medical history, including older conditions. You can limit an authorization to the providers and dates connected to the crash.
Claim-valuation software
Many insurers score injury claims with software that reads the medical codes and treatment in the file. What it cannot see — how the injury changed your daily life — has to be in your demand letter, in your own words.
An independent medical examination
The insurer chooses and pays the doctor. Ask for a copy of the report and compare it with the records of the doctors who treated you.
Social media
Public posts and photos can be read as proof that you are not really hurt. Set accounts to private and avoid posting about the crash or your activities while the claim is open.
Delay
Repeated requests for documents and slow replies push a claim toward the deadline to sue. Put requests in writing, keep copies, and note your state's deadline — negotiating does not stop the clock.
When the Insurer Will Not Pay: Bad Faith
When an insurer unreasonably denies, delays or underpays a valid claim, most states let its own policyholder sue for bad faith on top of the policy benefits. What can be recovered depends on the state:
- The amount the policy owed, with interest.
- In claims by other drivers, a judgment above the policy limits, where the insurer unreasonably turned down an offer to settle within them.
- Attorney's fees, where a state statute provides for them.
- In some states, damages for financial losses or distress caused by the handling.
- In some states, punitive damages where the conduct was malicious or fraudulent.
If you are claiming against another driver's insurer, the duty of good faith in most states runs to that insurer's own customer, not to you — your route is the claim against the driver, a complaint to the state insurance department, and in some states a statute on unfair claim practices.
How to File a Complaint
Every state insurance department takes complaints about claim handling, and most accept them from anyone with a claim against a policy, including people claiming against another driver's insurer. The NAIC keeps a directory of every state's insurance department, and its Consumer Insurance Search shows the complaint record of any licensed company. Confirmed complaints are what the complaint index on this page is built from.
Questions People Ask
Which car insurance company has the fewest complaints?
Among the 12 largest auto insurers, American Family (0.30), Travelers (0.38), Auto-Owners (0.47) drew the fewest complaints for their size in 2025, measured by the NAIC complaint index of each brand's largest company. 11 of the 12 were below the national average of 1.00. Look at the next two companies of the same group as well: within a group, the index ranged from well below to well above 1.00.
Which insurer ranks best for claims satisfaction?
Erie Insurance ranked first in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study with 743 points on a 1,000-point scale; the study average was 700. USAA scored 741 but was not eligible for a rank. National General came last with 605.
What is the NAIC complaint index?
It compares a company's share of the confirmed complaints filed with state insurance departments to its share of premiums in that line of insurance. 1.00 is the national average; 0.50 means half as many complaints as the company's size would predict, 2.00 twice as many. The NAIC publishes it per company and per year.
Is there a claims approval rate for each insurer?
We know of no regulator that publishes a national approval or denial rate for car insurance claims by company. The closest public measures are the complaint index and, for Connecticut, how often a complaint ended with a payment — both on this page.
Does a low complaint index mean I will get a better settlement?
No. It describes complaints across all of a company's customers, not your claim. What a claim is worth depends on the injuries, the evidence, the policy limits and your state's law.
Can I complain about the other driver's insurance company?
Yes. Most state insurance departments accept complaints from people claiming against another driver's policy, not only from that insurer's customers. In 2024, Montana's regulator fined State Farm after finding it had underpaid drivers who were in accidents with State Farm's customers.
Are these insurers financially safe?
All 12 groups are rated A (Excellent) or better by AM Best. The rating measures the ability to pay claims, not how claims are handled.
Sources and Method
Complaint index: NAIC Consumer Insurance Search, policy type private passenger, 2025, read on the date shown below — the NAIC updates it daily, so later figures can differ slightly. Market share and loss ratio: NAIC Market Share Report for 2025 (filings received by March 18, 2026); GEICO is part of the Berkshire Hathaway group. Claims satisfaction: J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. Financial strength: AM Best's latest rating action for each group. Connecticut: our analysis of the Connecticut Insurance Department's complaint records. Regulator findings: each regulator's own press release or order.
NAIC complaint data read October 12, 2026; NAIC market share report dated March 18, 2026; Connecticut records retrieved October 15, 2026. NAIC market share report (PDF).
This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Settlement Insight is not affiliated with any insurer, J.D. Power, AM Best or the NAIC, and receives nothing for listing a company.
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology. Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor.
More Car Insurance Claims Help
What each insurer's own complaint records show, and the next steps in a claim.
Car accident claims by insurer
- State Farm Car Accident Settlements873 Connecticut complaints, 12.9 % ended with a payment
- Nationwide Car Accident Settlements70 Connecticut complaints, 10.0 % ended with a payment
- Progressive Car Accident Settlements1,270 Connecticut complaints, 8.2 % ended with a payment
- Allstate Car Accident Settlements618 Connecticut complaints, 15.7 % ended with a payment
- Farmers Car Accident Settlements155 Connecticut complaints, 17.4 % ended with a payment
- GEICO Car Accident Settlements591 Connecticut complaints, 14.7 % ended with a payment
- Liberty Mutual Car Accident Settlements286 Connecticut complaints, 12.6 % ended with a payment
- USAA Car Accident Settlements242 Connecticut complaints, 23.1 % ended with a payment