Farmers Car Insurance Review 2021

COVID-19 Assistance

Farmers encourages customers looking for payment assistance due to COVID-19-related financial hardship to contact the company directly at 888-327-6335 to discuss their payment options. Farmers is also waiving the 10-trip minimum requirement to qualify for discounts using its driving behavior–tracking app, Signal. Customers who are using the app to save money on their car insurance simply need to keep it activated, even if they’re not driving much.

Farmers Car Insurance Coverage

You’ll find all the standard car insurance coverages with Farmers:

Liability (bodily injury and physical damage you cause to others, required in most states)
Personal injury protection
Collision
Comprehensive (aka, “other-than-collision”)
Medical payments
Uninsured and underinsured motorist

But you may also get to choose from numerous common additional coverages, called endorsements, depending on your location and policy:

Towing and roadside service
Rental car reimbursement or flat sum for transportation costs
Rideshare
Accident forgiveness
Customized equipment coverage up to $50,000
Glass coverage: $0 or $100 deductible plans available
New car replacement coverage
Original equipment manufacturer (for vehicles up to 10 years old)
Guaranteed value
Spare parts coverage

Some Farmers coverage options may be popular with owners of classic or collector cars, including spare parts coverage, which covers up to $750 of spare parts, and Guaranteed Value, which pays you an agreed-upon value if your car is totaled—without depreciation.

If your quote comes from one of Farmers’ affiliates, it may include a different list of endorsements. For example, while Farmers offers rideshare coverage, its affiliate 21st Century does not.

Factors That Affect Your Cost

Insurers offer unique rates depending upon individual factors, including your driving record, location, age, your vehicle and how you use it (business, personal only), typical mileage, credit-based insurance score, and other factors that can vary among U.S. states. The amount of insurance coverage you want to purchase also impacts your premium.

Farmers Car Insurance Discounts

Farmers provides a wide variety of car insurance discounts, depending on your state:

Youth discounts: Good student, distant student, young driver, under-29-year-old moving out of a Farmers home
Loyalty discounts: Multi-policy, multi-car
Safety discounts: Anti-theft, anti-lock brakes, daytime running lights, passive restraint, homing device (car tracker), safe driver, senior defensive driver, Signal (telematic app)
Policy-based discounts: Automatic payments, paperless policy, paid in full
Other discounts: Alternative fuel vehicle (up to 5%), business/professional group discount, homeownership, VIN etching, shared family car, military

In most states, drivers can save an initial 5%, and then up to 15% at renewal, by using Signal, Farmers’ usage-based discount app that tracks your driving behavior. You can save an additional 10% by also enrolling a driver under 25 who lives in your household. If you keep your focused driving score at or above 80%, you’ll automatically be entered into a monthly sweepstakes to win up to $100 in gift cards for a variety of merchants.

If your quote is from one of Farmers’ affiliates, you may be offered different or additional discounts.

Farmers Car Insurance Availability

The Farmers Insurance Group of Companies offer insurance underwriting in all 50 states. These companies include Farmers as well as:

Bristol West
21st Century Insurance
Foremost Insurance

Farmers may own these companies, but each one functions independently. If your policy is with Bristol West, for example, you would deal with Bristol West directly for claims, customer service, and policy management—not with Farmers.

How to Get a Farmers Car Insurance Quote

Getting a quote online or from your local agent is a straightforward process. You’ll be asked for your basic personal information and car details. You may have to provide your VIN for a more accurate quote if your car’s model isn’t available from the drop-down menu. Moving forward without the VIN directs you to complete your quote with an agent. An agent can also work with you to review the coverages and discounts available from Farmers and several of its affiliates, and find the best fit for your needs.

During the quote process, Farmers only offers male and female gender options. There is no option to self-identify as non-binary.

How to File a Claim with Farmers

You can file a claim online, with your agent, or by calling claim services at 800-435-7764. You’ll be asked about the incident and you’ll need to upload supporting documentation. After you file, your claims representative will contact you if any additional information is needed. If you get your car repaired at one of Farmers’ Guaranteed Repair Program facilities, the repairs are guaranteed for the life of the vehicle.

Farmers Customer Service

Study	How Farmers Fared
J.D. Power Auto Claims Satisfaction Study	#10 out of 24 insurers
J.D. Power Auto Insurance Satisfaction Study	#8 out of 9 in the Texas region #9 out of 11 in the Northwest region #11 out of 15 in the California region #10 out of 14 in the Central region #11 out of 14 in the Mid-Atlantic region Middle of the pack in other regions
J.D. Power Insurance Shopping Study	#6 out of 8 insurers
J.D. Power Digital Experience Study	#17 out 19 for service #14 out of 22 for shopping

Overall Satisfaction

J.D. Power ranked Farmers in eight out of 11 regions in its Auto Insurance Satisfaction Study. Farmers placed near the bottom in five regions and about average in the other three. Its average score was 820 out of 1,000, which is 13 points below the average of all areas surveyed. It seems that Farmers auto insurance customers are dissatisfied with their insurance at worst and indifferent toward the company at best.

Auto Claims

Farmers’ overall customer satisfaction score in J.D. Power’s Auto Claims Satisfaction Study is decidedly average—its 872 score out of 1,000 is the same as the industry average.

Digital Service and Shopping Experience

Farmers had below-average scores in J.D. Power’s Insurance Shopping Study and Digital Experience Study. It placed near the bottom for overall customer satisfaction when it comes to purchasing insurance policies online and for its digital range of services for existing customers. As for obtaining online quotes, customer satisfaction was slightly below average. These rankings reveal that Farmers isn’t as strong as many of its competitors in providing a satisfying customer experience when you’re buying and servicing policies online.

Financial Stability

The Farmers Insurance Group’s “A” rating with AM Best demonstrates that it’s a financially stable company with an excellent ability to meet financial obligations, like paying out large claims. AM Best is a rating agency specializing in insurance that reports on the financial strength of insurers.

Other Insurance Provided by Farmers

If you’re in the market for more than auto insurance, it’s helpful to know that Farmers—either through its own brand or through an insurance partner—also provides coverage for:

Motorcycles
Boats and personal watercraft
Travel trailers and 5th wheels
Off-road vehicles including snowmobiles, dirt bikes, dune buggies, golf carts, and ATVs
Motor homes / RVs
Golf carts and other low-speed vehicles
Classic and collectable cars

The company also offers:

Homeowners, renters, and landlord insurance
Business insurance
Personal umbrella insurance

Compare Other Car Insurance Reviews

A Farmers auto policy won’t be the right fit for everyone. It’s important to compare providers and quotes to find one that offers the best overall value for your needs. Some of Farmers’ competitors include:

Final Verdict

Farmers is a great choice if you want:

A-la-carte coverage for the what matters most to you, whether that’s new car coverage or a $0 glass deductible
The chance to work with a local agent over the phone or in person
Lots of discount options

It may not be a good fit if top-ranked customer service is important to you.

Methodology

The Balance strives to give consumers unbiased, comprehensive reviews of auto insurance providers. To ensure that our content helps you make the right insurance decision for your needs, we review each insurance provider’s coverage options, discounts, customer service and satisfaction, and financial stability.

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Article Sources

The Balance requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy .