Auto Insurance - Complaint Rankings
21 companies ranked by complaint ratio for auto insurance. Higher ratio = more complaints relative to industry average.
The auto insurance segment tracked on PlainInsurer covers 21 companies reporting NAIC Market Conduct Annual Statement data for the 2024 reporting year. Across the ranked set, 2 companies earned a reputation grade of A (very few complaints relative to size), 4 landed in the B tier, and 7 carry an F grade (significantly above-average complaints). Auto Insurance complaint ratios differ from other insurance lines because auto coverage generates the highest absolute complaint volume in the NAIC system, driven by claim frequency and rate-change disputes.
Ranking by average complaint ratio, where lower is better, lets consumers see how each insurer performs relative to its peers in the same line, rather than comparing a national auto writer against a regional life insurer. The cleanest record in this table belongs to USAA (grade A), which logs the lowest complaint ratio among ranked auto insurance writers. At the other end, Gainsco Insurance (grade F) posts the highest complaint ratio in this line, not an accusation of wrongdoing, but a signal consumers should weigh when comparing quotes. Complaint ratios are normalized by premium volume so that larger insurers are not penalized for writing more policies; the ratio compares complaints received against the share of premiums each company wrote nationally.
Practical takeaway for shoppers: the auto insurance ranking is one of several data points that should inform a purchase. It does not capture price, coverage breadth, discount eligibility, local agent quality, or financial strength (which A.M. Best and S&P rate separately). The rankings do show which insurers consistently generate more regulatory complaints per dollar of premium, a meaningful proxy for how disputes are handled when claims go wrong. For line-specific disputes, your state Department of Insurance accepts complaints directly; national context lives in the NAIC complaint database. This page is not financial, legal, or insurance advice, always verify current rates, coverage terms, and carrier availability directly before purchasing.
| # | Insurer | Grade | Avg Complaint Ratio | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gainsco Insurance Gainsco | F | 3.87 +287% vs. avg
| 7 |
| 2 | Infinity P&C (Kemper) Kemper | F | 3.01 +201% vs. avg
| 13 |
| 3 | Root Insurance Root | F | 2.97 +197% vs. avg
| 34 |
| 4 | SafeAuto (Kemper) Kemper | F | 2.87 +187% vs. avg
| 17 |
| 5 | Direct General (Allstate) Allstate | F | 2.56 +156% vs. avg
| 26 |
| 6 | Kemper Auto Kemper | F | 2.43 +143% vs. avg
| 45 |
| 7 | Dairyland Insurance (Sentry) Sentry | F | 2.34 +134% vs. avg
| 40 |
| 8 | Esurance (Allstate) Allstate | D | 1.98 +98% vs. avg
| 41 |
| 9 | Mercury Insurance Mercury General | D | 1.78 +78% vs. avg
| 11 |
| 10 | Farmers Insurance Zurich | D | 1.56 +56% vs. avg
| 42 |
| 11 | GEICO Berkshire Hathaway | D | 1.43 +43% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 12 | Liberty Mutual Liberty Mutual | C | 1.34 +34% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 13 | Allstate Insurance Allstate | C | 1.21 +21% vs. avg
| 49 |
| 14 | The Hartford Auto Hartford Financial | C | 1.05 +5% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 15 | Nationwide Insurance Nationwide | C | 0.98 -2% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 16 | Progressive Insurance Progressive | B | 0.89 -11% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 17 | Travelers Insurance Travelers | B | 0.87 -13% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 18 | American Family Insurance American Family | B | 0.76 -24% vs. avg
| 19 |
| 19 | State Farm State Farm | B | 0.67 -33% vs. avg
| 50 |
| 20 | Erie Insurance Erie Indemnity | A | 0.52 -48% vs. avg
| 12 |
| 21 | USAA USAA | A | 0.34 -66% vs. avg
| 50 |
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.