Auto-Owners Auto Insurance Review (2024)

Auto-Owners is one of America’s largest car insurers. The Michigan-headquartered company offers auto, home, business, and life insurance coverage to customers across the United States. Today, the company employs more than 5,200 people across the country while earning over $6 billion of annual revenue.

What is the history of Auto-Owners car insurance?

Auto-Owners was founded by Vern Moulton in 1916 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. In 1976, the company moved to Delta Township, Michigan, which is where the company continues to be headquartered today.

For the first 20 years of its history, the company wrote policies exclusively in Michigan. In 1935, the company expanded to Indiana.

Today, they offer policies across 26 states – but not the entire country. The insurer currently serves customers in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Auto-Owners now earns over $6 billion per year. The company is on the Fortune 500 list, listed in the #375 position as of 2018. From a corporate standpoint, Auto-Owners is comprised of one insurer that provides life, health, and annuities and five property and casualty companies.

What are the company rankings?

Auto-Owners is generally a well-regarded insurer. Customers praise the company’s customer service. Since Auto-Owners Insurance is not one of America’s largest car insurers, the company isn’t ranked by J.D. Power.

Auto-Owners is, however, ranked by A.M. Best, a financial analysis company that analyzes the financial strength of companies. A.M. Best has awarded the insurer its highest rating since 1972, giving the company an “A++” or “Superior” rating. That indicates it has solid financial stability. Few other car insurers score an A++. Most companies score an A-, A, or A+ rating – so the company’s financial security is a considerable strength.

We also appreciate that it has received far fewer complaints than competing insurers. Few other companies receive as few complaints. The company has an NAIC score of 0.58 compared to the industry average of 1.0, which means the company receives roughly half the number of complaints.

What makes Auto-Owners unique?

Auto-Owners has several policies and products that make it unique, including:

Only Available in Some States: Coverage is available in about half of all states in America. Generally, in states where it’s available, the company is one of the highest-rated options.

Strong Financial Position: Few other insurers have an A++ rating from A.M. Best. That’s the company’s highest rating, and it indicates that Auto-Owners is in a great position of financial strength. The insurer has maintained this ranking since 1972.

Must Buy From Individual Agents: Auto-Owners Insurance sells car insurance through independent agents. You cannot buy coverage directly from the company. For some, this means they enjoy a good relationship with their agent.

Local Relationships: You not only have to buy Auto-Owners products from an individual agent, but that agent is always based in your local area, giving Auto-Owners a more local experience than many other car insurers.

Competitive Rates: Auto-owners insurance quotes are competitive. It may not always appear on comparison websites, but the company offers a good combination of value and customer service.

Strong Claims Satisfaction: Auto-Owners insurance ratings for claims satisfaction are some of the best in the industry, earning great marks from Auto- Owners customers regarding how they handle claims.

Read more: Can I bundle my Auto-Owners auto insurance with other policies?

Is Auto-Owners a good insurer?

Auto-Owners Insurance is one of the better-rated auto insurance companies in the United States. Although it’s only available in roughly half the country, Auto-Owners is known for its personalized service and strong claims satisfaction. Auto-Owners insurance rates are also affordable.

There are two big indicators that Auto-Owners Insurance Company is a good insurance company. First, the company has an NAIC score of 0.58 compared to 1.0, indicating that the company received about half the number of complaints as insurance companies of a similar size. Second, Auto-Owners insurance rating from A.M. Best is an A++, which is the highest possible rating available from the company. That indicates the company should have no issue covering any of its liabilities.

Some people appreciate the fact that Auto-Owners works mostly through its agents instead of through online dashboards or overseas call centers. Many of your interactions with the company will be through this locally-based agent. Some people like that personalized service, while others appreciate a more online approach.

Overall, Auto-Owners insurance reviews from policyholders are positive. Industry powerhouses like J.D. Power do not rank it, but customer satisfaction on claims is generally strong. It’s hard to find a company that offers a similar blend of value, customer service, and claims satisfaction.

What are Auto-Owners policies and products?

Auto-Owners Insurance has several policies and products that make it unique, including:

Multiple Discounts: Auto-Owners offers numerous auto insurance discounts along with discounts for having multiple policies, early payments, safety features, paperless billing, and teen drivers who sign up for GPS monitoring, among other features.

Read more: What discounts are available for Auto-Owners auto insurance customers?

Optional Bonus Coverage: Auto-Owners lets you add a wide range of features to your car insurance policy, including coverage for lost or damaged cell phones, identity theft, personal property stolen from your car, damaged or stolen stereo equipment, legal expenses, lock rekeying, and more. Find out if Auto-Owners offers roadside assistance.

TrueRide Safe Driving App: Auto-Owners has a telematics driver tracking program called TrueRide. The safe driving app tracks your GPS driving data, then gives you a discount based on your safe driving behavior.

Change Policy Features with Agent: Any time you need to change your policy, you contact your agent. You do not make changes online. Some people like this individualized approach (and not going through an overseas call center), while others appreciate the convenience of changing a policy online.

Read more: What types of auto insurance coverage does Auto-Owners offer?

What is our final word?

Auto-Owners is a unique insurance company available in 26 states. The company has some of the highest ratings for financial stability, claims satisfaction, and customer service. Auto-Owners is also unique in that you purchase policies from individual agents in your local area – you don’t shop for Auto-Owners quote and policies online. However, despite there being a middleman, Auto-Owners doesn’t have significantly higher average cost of auto insurance than other companies. Overall, if you’re in one of the 26 states covered by Auto-Owners, then this is one of the best coverage options for you.