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State Farm got its start in 1922 when founder G.J. Mecherle sold his first auto insurance policy. Originally devoted to selling car insurance to farmers, State Farm has grown to become an insurance juggernaut, offering everything from homeowners, life, disability, and liability insurance, to banking and investment options.
State Farm is the largest provider of private passenger auto insurance in the U.S. Focusing on good coverage and easy claims handling, State Farm offers many agents for customer service. However, it may not offer as many auto coverage options as other insurers.
- Pros and Cons
- Company Overview
More agents than many other insurers: 19,000 agents nationwide
Offers 13 different discounts, including one for cars manufactured in or after 1994
Stronger financial and consumer-complaint ratings than some insurers
Wide range of off-road and motorcycle vehicle types insured, including dune buggies and snowmobiles
Customer satisfaction ratings are generally average or slightly below average
Doesn’t offer as many optional coverages as other insurers
- Official Website www.statefarm.com
- Insurance Offered Car, homeowners, renters, life, disability, pet, small business and more
- Customer Service Available by phone (800-782-8332)
- Year Founded 1922
State Farm Car Insurance Coverage
State Farm customers have access to the following types of auto insurance coverage:
- Bodily injury liability and property damage liability.
- Collision
- Comprehensive
- Medical payments
- Uninsured and underinsured motorists
Other coverage that may be available, depending your your location:
- Car rental reimbursement and travel expenses (must have collision or comprehensive)
- Roadside assistance
- Ridesharing coverage
State Farm Car Insurance Costs
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 between U.S. states. The amount of insurance coverage you want to purchase also impacts your premium.
State Farm’s website requires potential customers to designate themselves either male or female, with no option to self-identify as non-binary.
State Farm Car Insurance Discounts
State Farm offers a number of discounts that can help to reduce the cost of premiums:
- Youth discounts: Good student (up to 25%), driver training (for drivers under 21), Steer Clear Program (for drivers under 25; up to 20%), student away from home
- Loyalty discounts: Multi-policy (up to 17%), multi-car (up to 20%)
- Safety discounts: Accident-free history, good driving, Drive Safe & Save mobile app (up to 30%), defensive driving course,
- Vehicle discounts: Vehicle made in 1994 or after (up to 40% on medical-related coverage), passive restraint (up to 40% on medical-related coverage), anti-theft
State Farm Car Insurance Availability
State Farm is available in 48 states and the District of Columbia, and you can locate one of the 19,200 agents working near you. It is not currently giving quotes to new customers in Massachusetts or Rhode Island.
How to Get a State Farm Car Insurance Quote
Potential customers can generate a quote online or get one by contacting a local agent.
You also can’t generate online quotes if you have more than four vehicles or drivers, or a car that isn’t listed in the vehicle type, such as a motorcycle or snowmobile.
How to File a Claim with State Farm
State Farm offers several options for filing a claim. You can file online, file using the State Farm mobile app, call your State Farm agent directly, or call 800-SF-CLAIM (800-732-5246), which is staffed 24/7. You can also sign up for text and email notifications for claim updates.
Once you’ve filed your claim, State Farm will review the details, assess the damage, and potentially contact you for more information and to discuss next steps. From there, you will get an estimate that will need to be approved and the repairs authorized. State Farm will either pay the repair shop directly or reimburse you with a deposit to your bank account or via a check in the mail. You can track the claim online to monitor where you are in the process.
State Farm Customer Service
| Study | How State Farm Fared |
|---|---|
| J.D. Power 2020 Auto Insurance Satisfaction Study | #1 out of 9 in New York #1 out of 14 in Mid-Atlantic #2 out of 13 in New England #3 out of 15 in California |
| J.D. Power 2020 Auto Claims Satisfaction Study | #6 out of 24 |
| J.D. Power 2020 Insurance Shopping Study | #3 out of 8 |
| NAIC Complaints Index | 1.46 (Higher than average) |
Overall satisfaction
In the 2020 J.D. Power Auto Insurance Satisfaction Study, State Farm had a strong showing nationwide with a particular emphasis on the East Coast, where it ranked highly in the New York, New England, and the Mid-Atlantic regions.
Claims
The 2020 J.D. Power Auto Claims Satisfaction Study ranked State Farm 6th out of 24 auto insurers. State Farm's score was very strong and came in above the average.
Most State Farm complaints in 2020 concerned claim handling, specifically delays and claim denials, followed by adjuster handling, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). According to NAIC’s complaint index, State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance Company earned a 1.46 complaint index score. This means it received a bit more complaints than average for a company of its size.
Digital Service
In digital service, State Farm ranked #14 out of 19 in another J.D. Power survey —not great. For digital shopping, State Farm ranked #13 out of 22. However, the overall quote-to-purchase shopping experience leaves customers somewhat satisfied, as State Farm is #3 out of 8 large insurers in the J.D. Power U.S. Insurance Shopping Survey.
Financial Stability
The financial stability of an insurer is an important consideration when choosing an auto insurance company, since you want to feel confident that your insurer will be able to pay out any claims you may make. AM Best rates insurers on financial strength, and State Farm enjoys a rating of A++, indicating that it has a superior ability to meet its ongoing insurance obligations. A++ is the highest possible rating.
Other Insurance Provided by State Farm
Though State Farm got its start as an auto insurer, it has expanded to offer 25 different types of insurance policies, including:
- Motorcycle
- Boat
- Off-road vehicles including snowmobiles, ATVs, golf carts
- Motorhome/RV
- Sports car
- Classic and antique car
- Commercial vehicle insurance
As well as:
- Homeowners, renters, and condominium insurance
- Health, disability and life insurance
- Small business insurance
- Identity restoration insurance
- Pet medical insurance
Compare Other Car Insurance Reviews
Comparison shopping for insurance is a necessary part of finding the right policy for your needs. Generating multiple quotes is the best way to find the right insurance carrier that offers you the best value for your particular auto insurance needs. If you get a State Farm quote, you might want to compare it to quotes from:
State Farm car insurance will be a good fit for people who:
- Prefer to speak with an agent about quotes and claims
- Want a well-established insurer with superior financial stability
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.
While we were unable to get a quote from State Farm for this review, we usually look at the cost of a basic policy for a Ford Explorer—one of the most popular cars in the U.S., but not so popular that it’s among the most stolen cars and therefore, more expensive to insure. Our fictional applicants live in a residential suburb of Minneapolis. Insurance premiums in suburbs generally tend to be between the higher rates in urban areas and lower premiums in rural regions. We chose Minnesota because it has about average exposure to severe weather incidents (it has snow, but no hurricanes or tornadoes) and its rates are in the middle of the pack compared to other states.
To give an idea of the range of premiums available to different risk profiles, we generally get quotes for a middle-aged woman with a clean driving record and a young male with a couple of accidents. Your situation may be quite different, but our quote is not meant to cover every kind of situation, but rather give a sample of what premiums could be with this provider. We use the same profile for every car insurance provider we review, to give the best chance of comparing providers’ costs across the board.
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