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Farmers auto insurance has a leading position in the industry. The Insurance Information Institute (III) lists it as the seventh top auto insurance provider in the country, and it serves over 19 million individual policies.
What began in 1928 as a partnership between two men going door-to-door selling insurance to farmers is now a large group of companies offering auto, business, home, and many other insurance products across the U.S.
Below, we take an in-depth look at Farmers auto insurance to help you understand if it’s the best provider for you. Our team has further reviewed other car insurance providers and come up with a list of our top recommendations. You can also fill out the form below to start comparing quotes between providers available in your area.
Farmers Auto Insurance Coverage Options
The Farmers Group is a subsidiary of Zurich Insurance Group, and is a multi-line, multi-company insurer and financial services group. It ranked number 270 in 2019’s Fortune 500, showing a total revenue of $11.6 billion and assets of $17 billion.
In addition to automobiles, Farmers offers specialized coverage for collectible cars, motorcycles, boats, ATVs, motor homes, camping trailers, and even golf carts. The group also offers insurance plans for homes, businesses, finances, renters, pets, and more.
Standard Car Insurance Coverage
These are the types of coverage common in a standard policy. While liability coverage is usually the minimum legal requirement in most states, adding the other coverage types will provide a more comprehensive protection.
- Liability covers the costs of any injury to other parties or damage to their property caused by an accident where you’re at fault. Specifically, body injury liability (BI) covers other drivers and their passengers, while property damage liability (PD) covers their vehicles.
- Medical Payments covers the cost of any injuries to you and your passengers caused by an accident where you’re at fault. The most common form of this coverage is MedPay, which primarily covers medical bills. Other states require personal injury protection (PIP), which covers lost wages and rehabilitation, as well as medical bills.
- Collision covers your vehicle from any damage caused by an accident. It includes collisions with other vehicles, objects, or animals.
- Comprehensive covers your vehicle from any damage caused by things other than a collision, including floods, fire, theft, vandalism, and the like.
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist covers the cost of any injury or damage caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver.
Optional Car Insurance Coverage
While these coverage options are not required, they are a great way to customize a plan to your personal needs:
- Towing and Roadside Service provides 24/7 roadside assistance, and covers payments for towing, tire-changing, locksmith, and jump-start services.
- Rental Car Reimbursement covers the cost of renting a car for up to 30 days, in case your vehicle is getting repaired. Farmers will even handle the rental arrangements and billing.
- Rideshare offers full coverage rideshare service drivers, such as Uber or Lyft, throughout their work hours on the app. Most car insurance companies only offer limited liability insurance while the driver is looking for passengers, and only extend full coverage once passengers are in the vehicle.
- Loss of Use coverage is helpful if your car can’t be used after an accident or during repairs. Farmers will provide a flat sum reimbursement. This can be used for your preferred mode of transportation, whether it be car rentals, cabs, or ridesharing.
- Guaranteed Value pays policyholders a set, agreed-upon value if their vehicle can no longer be repaired or replaced. This is a popular option for those with classic or collector cars.
- Customized Equipment can be beneficial because most insurance policies only provide coverage for factory parts. If you’ve made any changes to your vehicle, such as a new sound system or rims, customized equipment coverage will protect those parts. This option is only available if you have comprehensive and collision coverage.
- Personal Umbrella Coverage will provide additional protection in cases where liability coverage doesn’t seem like enough, as in the likelihood of lawsuits or loss of assets.
- Glass Deductible Buyback covers windshield and any glass repair or replacement, with a low deductible of $100.
- Full Windshield and Glass covers windshield and any glass repair or replacement, with a $0 deductible and no payment needed.
- Spare Parts covers the cost to replace any spare parts you own up to $750. It’s a popular option for those with classic or collector cars.
- Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) covers the cost of factory-original parts for any needed repairs. Some car insurance companies will only repair damages with aftermarket parts, which are cheaper. This option is only available if you have comprehensive and collision coverage, and the car is up to 10 years old.
- New Car Replacement covers a brand new car in the unfortunate case of it being totaled. Farmers will automatically replace it with a new one. This option is only available if the car is within the first two model years and has a maximum of 24,000 miles.
- Accident Forgiveness is available if you only have one accident every three years. Farmers auto insurance offers coverage to keep your insurance rates from rising afterward, which is common practice among providers.
Discount Options
Farmers offers many different discounts to save money on your auto insurance and reward you for driving safely. Some of these auto insurance discounts include:
- Drivers who own multiple vehicles.
- Owners of cars with standard safety features.
- Teens with parents who have safe driving records.
- Drivers with a state-approved defensive driving course.
- Occupational groups (doctors, dentists, teachers, police, firefighters, etc.).
- Policyholders who bundle different insurance plans (auto insurance, home insurance, life insurance).
- Vehicles using alternative fuel (electric, electric/gasoline hybrid, ethanol, methanol, compressed natural gas, or propane).
Discounts vary by state, so make sure to check what discounts you’re eligible for or contact your local Farmers agent for more details.
Signal® Safe Driving App
A popular trend among auto insurance providers is encouraging customers to download safe driving apps. These apps track your driving habits, then reward safe driving with discounts. Farmers’ Signal® app provides the opportunity to earn up to a 15 percent discount each time your policy renews.
Farmers Auto Insurance Claims Process
Farmers readily accommodates insurance claims through its 24/7 claims contact center or online portal.
To file a claim online, go to the Claims menu and click “Report a Claim.” You can then either log in, continue as a guest, or look up your policy number. Filing a claim requires you to submit your policy information, incident details, and other relevant information.
Farmers offers guidelines to file every type of claim online. For example, you can select a guaranteed facility for auto repairs or call their response team after major catastrophes.
Filing insurance claims, viewing policy documents, and requesting roadside assistance can also be done on Farmers mobile app.
If you have a Farmers account, you can monitor your claim status. If not, a Farmers agent will get in touch with you in the next few weeks. The time it takes to resolve a claim varies, depending on how serious the injuries or damages are, and how long it takes to agree with the other parties.
Farmers Auto Insurance Customer Service
We like how even if you’re not filing a claim, you can easily contact Farmers through almost any method – online portal, phone, email, or their Farmers mobile app. You can quickly get a quote through their online form. You can also call 800-974-6755 or get in touch with the nearest Farmers agent at 888-327-6335.
You can also chat with the Farmers Claims Virtual Assistant to find the best way to get your questions answered.
Farmers Auto Insurance Reviews
Farmers auto insurance ranked fourth in J.D. Power’s 2018 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, which is based on feedback from 10,896 auto insurance customers who settled a claim within six months prior to the survey. Farmers scored 874 points, positioning it above other popular providers, such as Allstate, GEICO, Progressive, and State Farm. Farmers didn’t perform as well in the 2019 version of the survey, but did manage to outpace many other industry leaders.
Farmers also has a Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) from AM Best, and an A+ as an accredited business from the Better Business Bureau.
However, when it comes to actual customer reviews, Farmers auto insurance doesn’t manage to rank as highly. U.S. News & World Report found that with an average auto insurance rate of $1,538.21, Farmers falls toward the more expensive end of the spectrum. The cheapest rates come from USAA, with an average of $894.95 per policy.
And true enough, the majority of complaints are concerned with the cost of coverage. According to the same 2019 study by U.S. News & World Report, more than 18 percent of Farmers’ customers revealed they were unlikely to renew their policy.
Other complaints include poor customer service and unsatisfactory claims process. Recent Farmers auto insurance reviews from the BBB include:
“Horrible service. I canceled my policy and they continued charging me for months after submitting documents to cancel.” – Melissa K.
“Pro tip: AAA has much better rates and service! Farmers has the WORST service! We cancelled our policies in July 2019. Farmers sent a refund check for overages paid. However, they continued to charge our debit card for the policies for the following three months. I had to report it as fraud to block future charges. Then in January of 2020 we received a bill for coverage in August 2019. We spent probably four to five hours trying to cancel the original policies, and an additional two hours fighting over this new bill. Our Farmers agent even lied about the documentation needed to cancel one of our policies. My husband called the city to confirm.” – Lauren H.
“Person insured by this agency rear-ended me at a stop light. File claim, presented statement, police report, and photos to prove claim. Agency is utilizing deny/delay tactics. No follow-up on evidence provided, left voicemail claiming I left out information, fails to say what that information is, when I call back, no answer straight to voicemail. Very unethical business regardless of what side of the table the consumer is on.” – James C.
A similarly large insurance group owned by its policyholders is State Farm. U.S. News & World Report also found that, compared to Farmers, the average auto insurance policy offered by State Farm is $1,259.74 – almost $275 less than Farmers.
However, if you have bad credit, Farmers auto insurance may be a better option – its average policy for drivers with low credit scores is $2,659.81, which is $155.55 less than State Farm’s.
Conclusion: Good But Maybe Not Great
Farmers auto insurance boasts high industry rankings and is one of the major nationwide providers. As part of a larger group of companies, it also offers non-standard coverage options not available everywhere and the benefit of bundling policies for a cheaper overall rate.
However, Farmers’ standalone policies tend to be more expensive than other providers and may not be the best option if you’re looking for a budget-friendly policy. The company has also received a number of customer complaints, which is common in the insurance industry.
If you’re interested in Farmers auto insurance, it’s best to start by checking its different coverage options and discounts, and then get a quote for your specific needs.
You can also compare Farmers auto insurance rates with other providers available in your area by filling out the form.
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Original article: Farmers Auto Insurance Review: Is It Affordable?
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