Allstate Auto Insurance review and ratings 2024

Our take: Allstate is one of the largest insurers in the country. According to a consumer survey by research firm J.D. Power, it has a low customer complaint record. It also has a large agent network and is available in all 50 states. However, Allstate’s average rates are significantly higher than its three largest competitors. And it gets lower marks for its online customer service than those same carries, according to a separate J.D. Power survey
 

How we compared Allstate

To perform our rating of Allstate we looked at a series of industry benchmarks, including the annual J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Survey, AM Best’s ratings financial stability ratings, the CRASH Network’s annual survey of body shops, and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Complaint Index.

We then looked at what often matters most to consumers – how cheap its car insurance premiums are compared to other major competitors. Here’s how well Allstate fared, compared to its three largest peers, Geico, Progressive and State Farm.

Allstate versus other top auto insurers

Who are the biggest auto insurers?

Just four companies dominate the U.S. car insurance industry. Together, Allstate, State Farm, Progressive and Geico control about 56% of the market.

According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), Allstate ranks fourth among the top auto insurers, with approximately $33 billion in premiums written in 2023, behind market leader State Farm, which had $58 billion.

How do Allstate’s rates compare to other top insurers?

On average, Allstate has the most expensive annual rates for car insurance, based on our analysis. It is considerably more than Geico, the cheapest of the top insurers. The rates below were collected from auto insurance comparison site CarInsurance.com for single, 40-year-old male and female drivers of a 2023 Honda Accord LX with a good insurance score and no violations on their record for the following: state minimum liability insurance, standard liability with coverage limits of 50/100/500, and full coverage with liability limits of 100/300/100 and a $500 comprehensive and collision deductible.

How does Allstate do in claims satisfaction?

Allstate received a below-average score of 691 in J.D. Power’s annual Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, just one point behind Geico and 19 points behind State Farm, which received the highest score among the top four insurers we looked at. The average score was 697.

Body shop professionals don’t rate the company all that highly, either The CRASH Network performs an annual survey of national body shops to rate their experiences in working with auto insurers on claims. Specifically, it asks body shop personnel, “How well does this company’s claims handling policies, attitude and payment practices ensure quality repairs and customer service for motorists?”

In its 2024 rating, Allstate received a D+ grade, the lowest among the top insurers. It should be noted, however, that none of the largest auto insurers managed to crack the top 10 ranking (the North Carolina Farm Bureau received the highest, A+ grade). The best that any of the top four could do was Progressive, which earned a grade of C.

What is Allstate’s financial stability?

Credit rating agency AM Best provides research reports and credit ratings on some 16,000 insurance companies worldwide. It grades them on their ability to pay claims, debts and meet other financial obligations.

All the major insurers have high grades with AM Best. State Farm and Geico are highest at A++ (Superior), while Allstate and Progressive have solid A+ (Superior) ratings.

Does Allstate receive a lot of complaints?

Based on customer complaints filed with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), Allstate has a better-than-average track record.

The NAIC Complaint Index rates companies based on how many complaints are filed with the commission. A score of 1.0 represents the industry benchmark, while a score higher than 1.0 means it received an above-average number of complaints and a score below 1.0 indicates fewer-than-average complaints

Allstate’s score was 0.65, meaning it is much better than the industry benchmark. For comparison Progressive had the same score of 0.65, State Farm 0.7 and Geico 0.91, meaning all had good track records.

What is Allstate’s digital shopping experience like?

J.D. Power’s annual Insurance Digital Experience Survey rates Allstate slightly above average when it comes to online customer service via its online offerings. The insurer scored 713, which is well above the segment average of 698.

The Allstate Mobile app does get a 4.8 out of 5 stars rating on the Apple App store and allows customers to pay bills, report a claim, get roadside assistance, and find the cheapest nearby gas station with GasBuddy.

How is Allstate for shopping in general?

J.D. Power says consumers are increasingly interacting with their insurers online, but some consumers still prefer to do their shopping the old-fashioned way – by talking to people. In its separate U.S. Insurance Shopping Study. Allstate scored 664, below the average of 676.

Is Allstate good at offering usage-based insurance?

Insurers are increasingly charging lower premiums if drivers are willing to put a device in their vehicle that monitors their driving patterns. By driving safely, policyholders can get discounts as high as 30%. But the opposite can be true if you’re prone to speeding, hard and sudden braking or other forms of aggressive driving.

Allstate offers two forms of usage-based monitoring. Its Drivewise mobile app monitors your driving and can also detect if you’re in a collision via your smartphone’s sensors. Allstate says drivers who use the Drivewise app have been shown to have 25% fewer collisions than those who don’t.

Its Milewise program is a newer offering that allows drivers to pay based on how much or how little they drive. The company says it’s an option for people who do very little driving, such as retirees, remote workers or people who walk to work or use public transit.

Milewise is only available in 17 states, Arizona, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

In J.D. Power’s annual U.S. Auto Insurance Survey, Allstate was ranked slightly below average for its usage-based insurance offerings.

Key offerings by Allstate

Allstate offers a full slate of auto insurance policies plus a few add-on options. Standard car insurance policies include bodily injury/property damage liability car insurance, collision, comprehensive, medical payments, personal injury projection and underinsured/uninsured motorist insurance.

Allstate also offers a wide range of add-on options, including the following:

• Roadside coverage, for assistance with situations such as flat tires, dead batteries or running out of gas.
• Sound system insurance if someone steals your in-car stereo.
• Rental reimbursement, which allows you to get reimbursed when your car is in the shop for repairs and you need to rent a vehicle.
• Mexico and Canada insurance, which covers you when you cross either border.
• Accident forgiveness, where your rates will not go up following an accident.

Making the choice: Why go with Allstate?

If you’re looking for an insurance company that can service all your insurance needs, from home insurance to term life insurance, then Allstate can fill the bill. It’s rock-solid financially, has a good auto claims satisfaction record, and provides auto insurance in all 50 states, so it can move with you. Just be aware, you could probably save money by shopping around. Its average premiums are the highest among the top four car insurers, based on our data analysis.

Before you sign up: Things to consider

While Allstate’s premiums are on the higher end, the company does offer several discounts for such things as bundling policies, using its Drivewise monitoring app, installing an anti-theft device, paying your policy in full, and for maintaining a B-minus average if you are a student.

Be sure to ask an Allstate representative about what discounts you may qualify for.

Allstate car insurance – Our expert verdict

Allstate’s good claims satisfaction record and its long track record of serving customers makes it a reliable choice for drivers. It does come at a price, however, and drivers could reap substantial savings if they shop around.

Methodology

Editors collected rate information from auto insurance comparison site CarInsurance.com for single, 40-year-old male and female drivers of a 2023 Honda Accord LX with a good insurance score and no violations on their record for full coverage insurance policy with liability limits of 100/300/100 and a $500 comprehensive and collision deductible.

In addition, we also calculated rates for these hypothetical drivers, but with one or more of the following on their record: speeding ticket, at-fault accident, DUI/DWI, poor credit history, or a lapse in coverage.

We analyzed more than 53 million quotes, over 34,000 ZIP codes, and 170 insurance companies nationwide.

Note: 100/300/100 means up to $100,000 for the medical bills of those you injure, up to $300,000 per accident for bodily injury liability for all persons injured in one accident, and $100,000 to repair other drivers’ cars and property you damage.

AM Best’s Financial Strength Ratings (FSRs) are an independent assessment of an insurer’s financial strength and ability to meet its policy and contract obligations. Best’s FSRs are based on a graded scale from A++ (Superior) to D (Poor). For more information, visit AM Best’s ratings guide. For the latest AM Best credit ratings, visit www.ambest.com 

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Complaint Index analyzes consumer complaints submitted to state insurance departments. The Complaint Index is used to compare a company’s performance to others in the market. The National Complaint Index is benchmarked at 1.0. For example, a company with a score of 2 has a complaint index that is twice as high as expected in the market. A company’s complaint index score is determined by dividing the number of complaints by its share of premiums in the U.S. market. 

J.D. Power is a marketing, consumer intelligence, and data and analytics company that publishes a variety of studies on the insurance industry and carriers. The rankings included in this story originate from JD Power’s 2024 U.S. Insurance Digital Experience Study, 2024 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study and 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study.

CRASH Network’s Insurer Report Card is an annual survey of more than 1,100 collision repair professionals nationwide. Participants awarded each company a grade from A+ to F based on this question: “How well does this insurer's claims handling policies, attitude and payment practices ensure quality repairs and customer service for motorists?” Those polled also indicated whether or not they participate in that insurer's direct repair program.