Car Insurance Company Complaint Ratings

Which car insurance companies do state regulators get the most complaints about, for their size? We compared the biggest auto insurers using the latest official data from the Texas Department of Insurance, the New York Department of Financial Services and the California Department of Insurance.

Data last updated October 24, 2026.

Does complaining work?

Often, yes. Of the 8,429 auto claim complaints the Texas Department of Insurance closed in 2025, 58% ended with the claim settled or the insurer paying more, according to TDI's own record of how each complaint was resolved.

Complaint ratings by insurer

A score of 1.00 is the average for all auto insurers in that state. Below 1 means fewer complaints than expected for the company's size; 2.00 means twice as many.

Insurer	Texas 2025	New York 2024	California 2025
State Farm	0.33 Fewer complaints than average	1.01 About average	0.50 Fewer complaints than average
Progressive	0.66 Fewer complaints than average	0.88 About average	0.50 Fewer complaints than average
GEICO	0.75 Fewer complaints than average	0.27 Fewer complaints than average	0.30 Fewer complaints than average
Allstate	0.85 About average	1.06 About average	0.42 Fewer complaints than average
USAA	1.44 More complaints than average	3.04 More complaints than average	0.46 Fewer complaints than average
Liberty Mutual	1.40 More complaints than average	2.70 More complaints than average	1.75 More complaints than average
Farmers	0.70 Fewer complaints than average	1.22 About average	0.54 Fewer complaints than average
Nationwide	Too few complaints to compare	Too few complaints to compare	Too few complaints to compare
Travelers	Too few complaints to compare	1.02 About average	Too few complaints to compare
The Hartford	0.78 Fewer complaints than average	Too few complaints to compare	Too few complaints to compare
Kemper	3.06 More complaints than average	5.27 More complaints than average	0.43 Fewer complaints than average
Mercury	Too few complaints to compare	Too few complaints to compare	0.20 Fewer complaints than average
Erie	Not sold or not listed	Too few complaints to compare	Not sold or not listed
Amica	Too few complaints to compare	Too few complaints to compare	Too few complaints to compare
Tesla Insurance	36.24 More complaints than average	Not sold or not listed	23.08 More complaints than average

What drivers complained about most (Texas, 2025)

Poor claim handling or communication: 6,381 complaints
Claim delays: 5,217 complaints
Low settlement offer: 3,231 complaints
Claim denied: 1,372 complaints
Policy service problems: 1,180 complaints

Out of 10,431 auto complaints in all. One complaint can list more than one reason.

How these ratings work

Texas: the Texas Department of Insurance's complaint index. It divides a company's share of confirmed auto complaints by its share of auto policies in force. A confirmed complaint is one where TDI has information that the insurer broke an insurance law, rule or policy term, or where the complaint and the insurer's answer together suggest the insurer made a mistake or the complaint was valid (28 Tex. Admin. Code § 1.603).
New York: the Department of Financial Services ranks insurers by upheld complaints per million dollars of premium over two years. We divided each brand's rate by the rate for all ranked insurers, so 1.00 is the New York average too.
California: the Department of Insurance lists the 50 largest auto insurers by justified complaints per 100,000 insured vehicles (earned exposures, motorcycles and motor homes included). We divided each brand's rate by the rate for all 50, so 1.00 is their average. In 2025, Tesla Insurance Company and State National Insurance Company (which issues policies for other brands) had over half of all justified complaints between them, which pulls that average up; that is why most big brands score well below 1.00 in California.
"Ended with the claim settled or the insurer paying more" counts complaints about claims (handling, delays, offers, denials, fault) where TDI recorded the result as claim settled, additional money received or additional payment expected.
Each brand combines the companies it sells through in that state (for example State Farm Mutual and State Farm County Mutual of Texas). Each insurer's page lists the companies included.
With fewer than 10 complaints, one or two complaints swing the score, so we show "Too few complaints to compare" instead of a number.
Complaints measure how often things go wrong badly enough for people to go to the regulator. They don't measure prices, and a brand's record in one state can differ from another.

If your insurer is stalling or lowballing

Frequently asked questions

Which car insurance company has the fewest complaints?

It depends on the state. In the table above, look for the lowest score with enough complaints to compare. Big national brands can score very differently in Texas, New York and California because they sell through different companies and agents in each state.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the open-data portals of the Texas Department of Insurance and the New York Department of Financial Services, and the California Department of Insurance's published auto complaint report. We don't use reviews or our own surveys for these ratings.

How do I file a complaint against my car insurance company?

Every state insurance department takes complaints online, for free. Include your claim number, a dated timeline of calls and letters, and what you want the insurer to do. The department asks the insurer to respond in writing, usually within a few weeks.

Why isn't my state shown?

Texas, New York and California publish current complaint data per company that we can compare. Many states publish only totals, an old PDF, or nothing at all. We will add more states as their data becomes available.

Sources

Already settled a claim? Share the first offer and what you finally got, anonymously, in 30 seconds. It helps us build the Lowball Index, which we publish once enough claims are in.