Farmers Auto Review: Personalized Coverage Comes at a Cost

This auto insurer is a good fit for: Drivers looking to customize their coverage with the help of a local agent.

Farmers auto insurance at a glance

Monthly premium costs:

• 35-year-old female with clean driving record: $169.67
• 35-year-old male with clean driving record: $168.50
• 35-year-old female with one accident: $230.08
• 18-year-old-male with clean driving record: $495.42

Coverage options:

• Liability
• Collision
• Comprehensive
• Uninsured/underinsured
• Medical payments
• Personal injury protection
• Towing and roadside service
• Rental car reimbursement
• Rideshare
• Loss of use
• Guaranteed Value
• Customized equipment
• Personal umbrella
• Glass deductible buyback
• Spare parts coverage
• Original equipment manufacturer
• New car replacement
• Accident forgiveness

Top perks

Unique coverage options

Farmers provides a fully customizable insurance policy with coverage options many insurers don't offer. This includes several options especially attractive to owners of classic cars, including:

• Guaranteed Value coverage: This pays a predetermined value for the covered car in the event it's declared a total loss
• Spare parts coverage: This pays to replace up to $750 in parts kept on hand in the event of damage.

Large agent network

Farmers has a network of more than 48,000 exclusive and independent insurance agents. This is one of the largest agent networks of any insurer, with even close competitors such as State Farm offering just 19,200 agents.

Above-average claims handling

It's important to pay attention to an insurer's reputation for handling claims when looking for the best auto insurance. Farmers received above-average scores on claims handling from the J.D. Power 2020 Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. Claims handling is often one of the most important features for policyholders because prompt and reliable service can alleviate stress after an accident.

What could be improved

Shopping experience

Farmers Auto scored below average on J.D. Power's 2021 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study. The company's website is difficult to navigate and its online quotes feature isn't available in many parts of the country. For drivers interested in quickly comparing quotes online, this can be a major hassle.

Premium prices

Farmers charges higher premiums than many competitors for all types of drivers, but especially for younger motorists.

When looking for an auto insurer who offers affordable premiums: Geico and Progressive both provide more affordable coverage for most drivers than Farmers, and it's easy to get a quote online from either company. But keep in mind that Geico and Progressive both have far fewer agents to offer in person support.

Farmers makes it difficult for motorists to get premium quotes online, which complicates the process of shopping for car insurance coverage. Farmers' premiums also tend to be higher for most driver profiles than what many of the best auto insurance companies charge. These high premiums help to explain why the insurer scores poorly on J.D. Power's survey on shopping experience, as consumers weigh price heavily when searching for policies.

The table below shows what drivers can expect in terms of monthly premiums with Farmers.

Farmers offers many of the standard insurance discounts that most companies have. However, it also stands apart with some opportunities to save.

For example, Farmers' app Signal tracks driving behavior. Motorists can earn a 5% initial discount when signing up for coverage if they download and use Signal. Motorists can also save an additional 15% based on driving habits recorded by the app.

Other discounts from Farmers include:

• Bundled coverage
• Affinity discounts for military members and people who work for certain employers or who are part of qualifying groups
• Paperless statements
• On-time payments for 12 months
• Safe drivers with no license points
• Distant students
• Good students
• Mature or senior driver with safe driver training
• Vehicle safety equipment
• Full payment
• Farmers-approved homing devices to track stolen vehicles

Policy types

• Car
• Motorcycle
• Boat and watercraft
• Collectible auto
• RV
• ATV and off-road vehicles
• RV and motor home
• Fifth wheel
• Travel trailer

Farmers offers a full array of policy options to protect most vehicles on the road. Multi-line policies come at a discount for drivers who insure multiple types of vehicles. Other coverages such as home, life, business, renters, and condo insurance are also available, and bundling coverage also provides savings.

Coverage types

• Liability
• Collision
• Comprehensive
• Uninsured/underinsured
• Medical payments
• Personal injury protection
• Towing and roadside service
• Rental car reimbursement
• Rideshare
• Loss of use
• Customized equipment
• Personal umbrella
• Spare parts coverage
• Original equipment manufacturer
• New car replacement
• Accident forgiveness

Farmers shines when it comes to the ability to customize coverage. Motorists have a huge array of choices beyond the basics, including Guaranteed Value coverage that provides a minimum payout when a car is totaled and a glass deductible buyback that comes with just a $100 deductible for windshield and glass repair or replacement.

Farmers' new car replacement coverage isn't as generous as some insurers, though. It's available only if the car is totaled within the first two model years, while some companies extend this coverage for the first three model years.

Close to 4 in 10 Americans have a positive opinion of Farmers Insurance, according to YouGov Polls. Better Business Bureau gives the company an A- rating -- although customer reviews on the BBB website were somewhat less favorable, with the insurer receiving an average of just over 1 out of 5 stars out of more than 130 reviews.

The insurer also received above-average marks by J.D. Power & Associates for claims handling, although the insurer's purchasing experience was below average.

Farmers is a great choice for drivers who:

• Own classic vehicles and want to cover spare parts or receive a guaranteed amount of money in the event of a total loss
• Need help purchasing or customizing insurance and want to work with a local agent
• Prioritize efficient claims handling over an easy purchasing experience

Other insurance companies to consider include State Farm for motorists who want to work with an agent but also have a better online shopping experience. Geico may be a great choice for those looking for a lower-priced policy.