As readers of my blog know, some auto insurance companies charge more than twice as much as other companies for the same coverage. No single car insurance company has the lowest rates for all drivers. The only way to find the company with the best auto insurance rates for you, is to shop with all the leading car insurance companies. However, the average customer is usually not aware of all the major auto insurance companies in their state.
This review will show you the 12 largest auto insurance companies in New Jersey, if they have an above-average, average, or below-average customer complaint record over the last two years (2011 & 2010), their JD Power claim & customer satisfaction ratings over the last three years (2013, 2012, & 2011), and whether each company’s growth or loss of NJ auto insurance market share might be an indication of low rates or high rates for a broad base of customers. In addition, I’ll show you some other auto insurance companies, outside the top 12, with consistent much better-than-average customer complaint records since 2008, as well as the auto insurance companies with consistently poor complaint histories. I’ll also point out a few other companies, outside the 12 largest auto insurance companies in NJ, with rapidly gaining market share, which can be a sign the companies offer low auto insurance rates.
Reading this blog post can help you shop & identify the NJ auto insurance companies most likely to save you a lot of money, or if you may be paying too much for your auto insurance, if your company is losing market share. As of the date of this article, the 2012 auto insurance complaint data has not been published by the State of New Jersey. Bookmark this page, because I will update it or write a new review, as new data becomes available in the future. If you are a New Jersey auto insurance consumer, there is no better source on the Web than this blog review to help you shop for a good auto insurance company, get the coverage you need at a competitive price, and really save $100s per year.
The top 12 largest auto insurance companies in New Jersey, ranked from best to worst by their 2010-2011 NJ complaint indices
These largest NJ auto insurance companies are determined by the number of vehicles insured by each company under a NJ personal auto insurance policy in 2011, the most recent year where data is provided by the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance(NJDOBI). The NJDOBI is also the source of information for the New Jersey auto insurance complaint statistics used in this review. I indicate the 2011 & the 2010 New Jersey auto insurance complaint index numbers for each company. The lower the number, the better the complaint record: 1 is average. Below 1 is better than average. More than 1 is worse than average. The sources of the rest of the information used in this review, such as JD Power ratings, can be found on my website here.
The importance of market share change
In this review, an auto insurance company’s market share change is measured by the change in the number of vehicles insured by each company from 2010 to 2011. A big reduction in the number of vehicles insured can be an indication an auto insurance company’s rates are too high, and customers are leaving to insure with other companies. A big increase in the number of vehicles insured can mean sales growth due to competitive rates. It seems all auto insurance companies tell you about the hundreds of dollars of savings some customers get when they call for a price quote, and the savings advertised are based on actual data. But what companies don’t tell you is how many of the prospective customers requesting an auto insurance price quote did not see any savings. Just about all companies save some people a lot of money, but an auto insurance company rapidly increasing its market share, may be a sign its saving a lot of people a lot of money, by competing with lower rates for most types of drivers, in more areas of the state.
For an auto insurance company to increase market share through sales, it generally needs to do two things: 1. lots of marketing, through advertising or agent efforts, and 2. have competitive rates. In my experience, I have found car insurance companies with great rates for me, that did little advertising or marketing. It’s very possible the auto insurance company with the best rates for you is not growing its market share, or the company might have a very small market share. This is why I never pass up the opportunity to check the rates of any auto insurance company. However, if you only have time to check with a few car insurance companies, start with the ones significantly increasing their market share. For each of the companies listed below, I’ll comment about their change in market share, and let you know if I think it may be an indicator of low or high rates. At the end of this review, I’ll mention a few rapidly growing auto insurance companies, not in the top 12 largest companies, to help you find the car insurance company saving you the most money.
You can get price quotes or find local agents by going to each insurance company’s website, which for many of the auto insurance companies on this list, can be reached through the ads in this review. For those companies not likely to advertise, I’ll give you their web address.
1. Plymouth Rock Assurance — Palisades Auto Insurance
Palisades Insurance is the subsidiary of Plymouth Rock Assurance (Not to be confused with the other Plymouth Rock subsidiary, High Point Auto Insurance Company) sold through NJ independent insurance agents appointed by the company to sell their auto insurance.
B = Better than Average C = Average W = Worse than Average
2011 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = B (No complaints in 2011)
2010 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = B (No complaints in 2010)
Market share change: Palisades decreased the number of vehicles it insures significantly, from 229,366 in 2010 to 179,662 in 2011. This may be a sign of uncompetitive auto insurance rates.
Customer Satisfaction: 2013 was the first year Palisades was included in the JD Power US Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Survey, and its survey results are lumped together with the opinions of High Point Auto Insurance customers, under their parent company, Plymouth Rock Assurance. Palisades/ High Point scored 757 out of a possible 1,000 points, which is 45 points (4.5%) below the mid-Atlantic region study average of 802 points, earning JD Power’s lowest rating of 2 power circles. Although there are no customers filing complaints with the state of New Jersey in 2010 or 2011, it seems Palisades customers are not very satisfied with the service they receive from the company, based on this 2013 JD Power study.
Claims Satisfaction: Palisades is not rated by JD Power in their US auto claims satisfaction study, but received the lowest rating of 2 power circles, as a part of Plymouth Rock Assurance, in the claims category of the JD Power 2013 US auto insurance customer satisfaction study – Mid-Atlantic region.
2. New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company (NJM).
New Jersey Manufacturers sells direct from its company, and is open only to New Jersey Business & Industry Association members, State of New Jersey employees, NJM’s previously insured drivers, and/or previous/current auto/homeowner policyholders. Second & third place results on this list are a tie score, since High Point & NJ Manufacturers had the same two year complaint record. I gave NJ Manufacturers the higher position, because it scored much higher than High Point in the 2013 JD Power auto insurance customer satisfaction survey. Here’s the NJM website: New Jersey Manufacturers Auto Insurance.
B = Better than Average C = Average W = Worse than Average
2011 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = B (.105)
2010 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = B (No complaints in 2010)
Market share change: NJ Manufacturers increased the number of vehicles it insures from 804,801 in 2010, to 819,858 in 2011. However, this is only about a 2% increase.
Customer Satisfaction: For the JD Power 2013 US Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Study (Mid-Atlantic region), NJ Manufacturers received the top rating of 5 power circles (among the best) and really proved its superiority, by scoring 865 points on the 1,000 point scale, which is 29 points (2.9%) higher than the next highest scoring auto insurance company included in the mid-Atlantic region survey (USAA scored higher, at 896 points, but is not included because of its limited membership). In 2012, NJM scored 840 out of 1,000 points (the regional average was 807 points), and in 2011, NJM scored 843 out of 1,000 points (the study average was 790 points), earning the company a 5 power circle rating (among the best) over the last 3 years.
Claims Satisfaction: For the annual JD Power US Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, NJM scored 896 out of 1,000 points (the study average was 852 points) for 2012, and 885 out of 1,000 points (the study average was 846 points) for 2011, awarding it the highest rating of 5 power circles (among the best) for 2011 & 2012. When it comes to auto claims satisfaction, NJM scores even higher than it does for overall customer satisfaction.
3. Plymouth Rock Assurance — High Point Auto Insurance
High Point Insurance is the subsidiary of Plymouth Rock Assurance (Not to be confused with the other Plymouth Rock subsidiary, Palisades Insurance Company) usually sold direct from the company by phone & through their website at plymouthrocknj.com. As explained above, second & third place results on this list are a tie score, since High Point & NJ Manufacturers had the same two year complaint record. I gave NJ Manufacturers the higher position, because it scored much higher than High Point in the 2013 JD Power auto insurance customer satisfaction survey.
B = Better than Average C = Average W = Worse than Average
2011 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = B (No complaints in 2011)
2010 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = B (.105)
Market share change: High Point decreased the number of vehicles it insures significantly, from 358,147 in 2010 to 327,442 in 2011. This may be a sign of uncompetitive auto insurance rates.
Customer Satisfaction: 2013 was the second year High Point was included in the JD Power US Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Survey, and its survey results are lumped together with the opinions of Palisades Insurance customers, under their parent company, Plymouth Rock Assurance. High Point / Palisades scored 757 out of a possible 1,000 points, which is 45 points (4.5%) below the mid-Atlantic region study average of 802 points, earning the lowest JD Power rating of two power circles. In 2012, High Point scored 748 out of 1,000 points (the regional average was 807 points), receiving the lowest JD Power rating of two power circles. High Point was the lowest scoring company in the Mid-Atlantic region. Although there are few customers filing complaints with the state of New Jersey in 2010 or 2011, it seems High Point customers are not very satisfied with the service they receive from the company, based on the 2012 & 2013 JD Power studies.
Claims Satisfaction: High Point is not rated by JD Power in their US auto claims satisfaction study, but received the lowest rating of 2 power circles, as a part of Plymouth Rock Assurance in 2013, and as High Point Insurance in 2012, for the claims category in the JD Power 2012 & 2013 US auto insurance customer satisfaction studies for the Mid-Atlantic region.
4. State Farm Auto Insurance
B = Better than Average C = Average W = Worse than Average
2011 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = B (.585)
2010 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = B (.768)
Market share change: State Farm decreased the number of vehicles it insures from 536,400 in 2010 to 514,387 in 2011. This may be a sign of uncompetitive auto insurance rates.
Customer Satisfaction: For the JD Power 2013 US Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Study (Mid-Atlantic region), State Farm received the top rating of 5 power circles (among the best), and it scored 836 points on the 1,000 point scale, which is 34 points (3.4%) above the regional study average of 802 points. In 2012, State Farm scored 813 out of 1,000 points (the regional average was 807 points), earning it the “about average” rating of three power circles. In 2011, State Farm scored 804 out of 1,000 points (the national study average was 790 points), earning the company a four power circle rating (better than most). The 2011 JD Power study had national results for State Farm, instead of the regional study results (California, Southwest, Mid-Atlantic, etc.) JD Power uses now for its auto insurance customer satisfaction study, but it still illustrates the unreliability of the power circle ratings. In 2011, State Farm scored 804 points and received 4 power circles in 2011, but scored slightly higher in 2012, at 813 points on the same 1,000 point scale, but received only 3 power circles. The good news is, based on the number scores, auto insurance customer satisfaction with State Farm is trending higher over the last three years, and it is above average and better than most. However, when you look at the scores of other 5 power circle rated companies, like NJ Manufacturers or USAA, its hard to say State Farm is in the same class.
Claims Satisfaction: For the annual JD Power US Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, State Farm scored 868 out of 1,000 points (the national study average was 852 points) for 2012, and 878 out of 1,000 points (the study average was 846 points) for 2011, awarding it the rating of four power circles (better than most) for 2011 & 2012. When it comes to auto claims satisfaction, State Farm scores higher than it does for overall auto insurance customer satisfaction, and should be considered better than average.
5. AAA Mid-Atlantic Auto Insurance
AAA Mid-Atlantic insurance is sold through independent insurance agents, & AAA offices with independent insurance agencies, which you can locate at the AAA Mid-Atlantic Website.
B = Better than Average C = Average W = Worse than Average
2011 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = B (.929)
2010 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = B (.436)
Market share change: AAA Mid-Atlantic increased the number of vehicles it insures significantly, from 85,800 in 2010 to 92,551 in 2011. This may be a sign of competitive auto insurance rates.
Customer Satisfaction: AAA Mid-Atlantic Insurance Company is not rated by JD Power for auto insurance customer satisfaction.
Claims Satisfaction: AAA Mid-Atlantic Insurance Company is not rated by JD Power for auto insurance customer satisfaction.
6. Travelers Auto Insurance
B = Better than Average C = Average W = Worse than Average
2011 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = C (1.033)
2010 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = B (.907)
Market share change: Travelers increased the number of vehicles it insures only slightly, from 206,242 in 2010 to 208,070 in 2011.
Customer Satisfaction: For the JD Power 2013 US Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Study (Mid-Atlantic region), Travelers received the rating of three power circles (about the average), and it scored 795 points on the 1,000 point scale, which is 7 points below the regional study average of 802 points. In 2012, Travelers scored 800 out of 1,000 points (the regional average was 807 points), once again earning it the “about average” rating of three power circles. In 2011, Travelers scored 762 out of 1,000 points (the national study average was 790 points), earning the company the lowest JD Power rating of two power circles. The 2011 JD Power study had national results for Travelers, instead of the regional study results format (California, Southwest, Mid-Atlantic, etc.) JD Power uses now for its auto insurance customer satisfaction study. Because the scores for the most recent two years, 2013 & 2012, are higher, at 795 & 800 points respectively, I think it is fair to say Travelers auto insurance customer satisfaction is about average at this time, based on these JD Power study results.
Claims Satisfaction: For the annual JD Power US Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, Travelers scored 857 out of 1,000 points (the national study average was 852 points) for 2012, and 848 out of 1,000 points (the study average was 846 points) for 2011, earning it the rating of three power circles (about average) for 2011 & 2012. Based on the study results, I would consider Travelers auto claims satisfaction as about average.
7. GEICO Auto Insurance
B = Better than Average C = Average W = Worse than Average
2011 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = C (1.07)
2010 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = B (.968)
Market share change: GEICO increased the number of vehicles it insures from 734,466 in 2010 to 763,470 in 2011. This may be a sign of competitive auto insurance rates.
Customer Satisfaction: For the JD Power 2013 US Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Study (Mid-Atlantic region), GEICO received the rating of four power circles (better than most), but it scored 811 points out of 1,000, which is 9 points (on a 1,000 point scale!) above the regional study average of 802 points. In 2012, GEICO scored 791 out of 1,000 points (the regional average was 807 points), earning it the “about average” rating of three power circles. In 2011, GEICO scored 797 out of 1,000 points (the national study average was 790 points), once again earning the company the “about average” JD Power rating of three power circles. Although GEICO was awarded four power circles (better than most) this year, it only has a slightly higher point score of 9 points above average. Last year, GEICO scored 16 points below average, but still received a three power circle rating of “about average.” I’d consider, based on its point scores in these annual studies, the auto insurance customer satisfaction for GEICO to be about average.
Claims Satisfaction: For the annual JD Power US Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, GEICO scored 842 out of 1,000 points (the national study average was 852 points) for 2012, and 840 out of 1,000 points (the study average was 846 points) for 2011, earning it the rating of three power circles (about average) for 2011 & 2012. Based on these scores, I think the GEICO auto claims satisfaction is about average.
8. USAA Auto Insurance
USAA Insurance has restricted membership, limited to current US military members their immediate family members, and honorably discharged veterans. Here’s the USAA Website.
B = Better than Average C = Average W = Worse than Average
2011 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = B (.420)
2010 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = W (1.567)
Market share change: USAA increased the number of vehicles it insures significantly, from 191,033 in 2010 to 204,898 in 2011. This may be a sign of competitive auto insurance rates.
Customer Satisfaction: For the JD Power 2013 US Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Study (Mid-Atlantic region), USAA received the top rating of 5 power circles (among the best) and really knocked it out of the park, by scoring 896 points on the 1,000 point scale, which is 31 points (3.1%) higher than the second highest scoring 5 power circle rated company, New Jersey Manufacturers, with 865 points out of 1,000 points. In 2012, USAA scored 913 out of 1,000 points (the regional average was 807 points), and in 2011, USAA scored 898 out of 1,000 points (the national study average was 790 points), winning the company a 5 power circle rating (among the best) each year, and the highest JD Power study scores for any auto insurance company, over the last 3 years.
Claims Satisfaction: For the annual JD Power US Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, USAA scored 889 out of 1,000 points (the study average was 852 points) for 2012, and 889 out of 1,000 points again (the study average was 846 points) for 2011, awarding it the highest rating of 5 power circles (among the best) for 2011 & 2012. USAA auto claims satisfaction, based on these scores, really is among the best.
9. Liberty Mutual Auto Insurance
B = Better than Average C = Average W = Worse than Average
2011 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = B (.902)
2010 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = W (1.145)
Market share change: Liberty Mutual increased the number of vehicles it insures only slightly, from 373,553 in 2010 to 375,328 in 2011.
Customer Satisfaction: For the JD Power 2013 US Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Study (Mid-Atlantic region), Liberty Mutual received the lowest rating of two power circles, and it scored 769 points out of 1,000, which is 33 points (3.3%) below the regional study average of 802 points. In 2012, Liberty Mutual scored 779 out of 1,000 points (the regional average was 807 points), once again receiving the lowest rating of two power circles. In 2011, Liberty Mutual scored 771 out of 1,000 points (the national study average was 790 points), earning the company the “about average” JD Power rating of three power circles. Liberty Mutual received the “about average” rating of three power circles in 2011, but its score was actually below the average score by 19 points (1.9%). These study results show a consistent trend for the customer satisfaction of Liberty Mutual auto insurance customers to be below average.
Claims Satisfaction: For the annual JD Power US Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, Liberty Mutual scored 843 out of 1,000 points (the national study average was 852 points) for 2012, and 830 out of 1,000 points (the study average was 846 points) for 2011, earning it the rating of three power circles (about average) for 2011 & 2012. Although the actual scores for both years are more than a few points lower than the average scores, I’d still consider Liberty Mutual auto claims satisfaction to be about average.
10. Progressive Auto Insurance
B = Better than Average C = Average W = Worse than Average
2011 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = W (2.4)
2010 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = B (.695)
Market share change: Progressive increased the number of vehicles it insures very significantly, from 215,490 in 2010 to 304,488 in 2011. This may be a sign of competitive auto insurance rates.
Customer Satisfaction: For the JD Power 2013 US Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Study (Mid-Atlantic region), Progressive received the rating of three power circles (about average), and it scored 796 points out of 1,000, which is 6 points below the regional study average of 802 points. In 2012, Progressive scored 799 out of 1,000 points (the regional average was 807 points), earning it the “about average” rating of three power circles as well. In 2011, Progressive scored 785 out of 1,000 points (the national study average was 790 points), again earning the company the “about average” JD Power rating of three power circles. I’d consider, based on its point scores in these annual studies, the auto insurance customer satisfaction for Progressive to be about average.
Claims Satisfaction: For the annual JD Power US Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, Progressive scored 842 out of 1,000 points (the national study average was 852 points) for 2012, and 836 out of 1,000 points (the study average was 846 points) for 2011, earning it the rating of three power circles (about average) for 2011 & 2012. Although the actual Progressive scores each year are 10 points (1%) below the average score, I’d still consider Progressive about average for auto claims satisfaction.
11. 21st Century / Farmers Auto Insurance
B = Better than Average C = Average W = Worse than Average
2011 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = W (1.544)
2010 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = W (1.895)
Market share change: Farmers / 21st Century increased the number of vehicles it insures significantly, from 157,984 in 2010 to 167,026 in 2011. This may be a sign of competitive auto insurance rates.
Customer Satisfaction: For the JD Power 2013 US Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Study (Mid-Atlantic region), 21st Century received the lowest rating of two power circles, and it scored 747 points out of 1,000, the lowest score in the Mid-Atlantic region study, which is 55 points (5.5%) below the regional study average of 802 points. In 2012, 21st Century scored 763 out of 1,000 points (the regional average was 807 points), earning it the lowest rating of two power circles as well. In 2011, 21st Century scored 741 out of 1,000 points (the national study average was 790 points), again earning the company the lowest JD Power rating of two power circles. I’d consider, based on its point scores in these annual studies, the auto insurance customer satisfaction for 21st Century to be consistently below average.
Claims Satisfaction: For the annual JD Power US Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, 21st Century scored 821 out of 1,000 points (the national study average was 852 points) for 2012, and 771 out of 1,000 points (the study average was 846 points) for 2011, earning it the lowest rating of two power circles for 2011 & 2012. Based on these scores, I consider 21st Century below average for auto claims satisfaction.
12. Allstate Auto Insurance
B = Better than Average C = Average W = Worse than Average
2011 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = W (2.184)
2010 NJ Auto Insurance Complaint Index = W (2.433)
Market share change: Allstate decreased the number of vehicles it insures only slightly, from 676,903 in 2010 to 669,334 in 2011.
Customer Satisfaction: For the JD Power 2013 US Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Study (Mid-Atlantic region), Allstate received the rating of three power circles (about average), and it scored 799 points out of 1,000, which is only 3 points below the regional study average of 802 points. In 2012, Allstate scored 785 out of 1,000 points (the regional average was 807 points), earning it the lowest rating of two power circles. In 2011, Allstate scored 781 out of 1,000 points (the national study average was 790 points), earning the company the “about average” JD Power rating of three power circles. In spite of the two power circle rating in 2012, possibly due to the regional study average being a lot higher than the other two years, Allstate has shown a small, but steady improvement in customer satisfaction over the last three years. I consider the auto insurance customer satisfaction for Allstate to be about average, based on these scores.
Claims Satisfaction: For the annual JD Power US Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, Allstate scored 863 out of 1,000 points (the national study average was 852 points), earning 4 power circles (better than most) in 2012, and 834 out of 1,000 points (the study average was 846 points) for 2011, earning it the rating of three power circles (about average) for 2011. Although Allstate was awarded 4 power circles in 2012, it scored only 11 points higher than average. In 2011, it was rated about average, but scored 12 points below the study’s average score. I don’t think 11 points above the average on a 1,000 point scale makes a company better than most for auto claims satisfaction. I consider Allstate about average for auto claims satisfaction.
The Fastest Growing Auto Insurance Companies in New Jersey
As I mention previously in this review, an auto insurance company’s large growth in market share is usually because of competitive rates for most consumers. All the companies below have increased the number of vehicles they insured from 2010 to 2011 by 10% or more. If saving money is important to you, be sure to consider these companies for auto insurance price quotes. However, one of these companies is on my consistently poor complaint history list, so consider quality of service, too, before you buy.
Metropolitan Group (Metlife)
American Commerce Insurance Company
NJ Skylands Insurance Association
Citzens United Reciprocal Exchange
Founders Insurance Company
Esurance Insurance Company of NJ
The NJ Auto Insurance Companies with a Consistently Poor Complaint Record (2008-2011)
Personal Service Insurance Company: ranked #1 worst in 2011, ranked #1 worst in 2010, ranked #4 worst in 2009, & ranked #3 worst in 2008.
21st Century Group: ranked #8 worst in 2011, ranked #7 worst in 2010, & ranked #6 worst in 2009.
Mercury Indemnity Company of America: ranked #9 worst in 2011, ranked #4 worst in 2010, ranked #2 worst in 2009, & ranked #3 worst in 2008.
Metropolitan Group: ranked #10 worst in 2011, ranked #5 worst in 2010, ranked #7 worst in 2009, & ranked #8 worst in 2008.
The NJ Auto Insurance Companies with a Consistently Superior Complaint Record (2008-2011)
Plymouth Rock Assurance / High Point Auto Insurance
Plymouth Rock Assurance / Palisades Auto Insurance
Farm Family Casualty Insurance company
Chubb Insurance Company of NJ
Founders Insurance Company
Bankers Standard Insurance Company (2011 & 2010 only: prior to 2010, the company was not available in NJ)
New Jersey Manufacturers
IDS Property Casualty Insurance Company (Ameriprise) often available through Costco.
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