Auto-Owners Car Insurance Review
Auto-Owners is the largest insurer most Americans have never been pitched to, because it writes only through independent agents in a 26-state Midwest and Southeast footprint and spends virtually nothing on direct-response advertising. Three facts anchor a 2026 decision: the October 2024 AM Best downgrade from A++ to A+ (still Superior tier, Stable outlook), the Personal Automobile Plus Package that bundles ten-plus small coverages into one modest-premium endorsement, and the TrueRide telematics program that per publisher consensus is discount-only. Modeled premiums run below the NerdWallet national benchmark and 2025 J.D. Power Claims put Auto-Owners 10th at 711.
YesWeSure Bottom Line
Auto-Owners is a 26-state independent-agent-only mutual whose A+ Superior rating sits in the top tier even after the October 2024 downgrade from A++. The real reasons to read this review are the Personal Automobile Plus Package (10+ coverages bundled) and TrueRide telematics being discount-only per publisher consensus.
Strong at
Personal Automobile Plus Package and discount-only TrueRide
The Personal Automobile Plus Package bundles identity theft ($15,000), cell phone and 2-way device ($500), trip interruption, personal property, lock re-keying, and pet into a single endorsement. TrueRide gives a participation discount plus additional savings at renewal with no rate-up surcharge per publisher consensus.
Watch for
October 2024 AM Best downgrade and narrow footprint
FSR cut from A++ to A+ and ICR from aa+ to aa on October 31, 2024, citing weakened underwriting since 2022 and claims-cost inflation; outlook revised to Stable. Still Superior tier but worth disclosing. 26-state footprint excludes California, New York, New Jersey, Texas, and New England.
Worth comparing if
Midwest and Southeast agent-first households that bundle
Worth quoting if you live in the 26-state footprint, want a named local independent agent, and plan to bundle home with auto to unlock the Common Loss Deductible waiver. Less compelling for a pure-price direct-channel shopper or a shopper outside the footprint.
Quote-dependent
Which Auto-Owners entity writes you and your state
Whether your policy is written by Auto-Owners Insurance Company, Owners Insurance Company, Home-Owners, Property-Owners, or Southern-Owners (varies by state), whether TrueRide is active in your state, and whether the Personal Automobile Plus Package is sold in your state.
At a glance
Parent
Auto-Owners Insurance Group (Michigan-domiciled mutual)
Availability
26 states across the Midwest and Southeast, plus Mid-Atlantic and selected West; not in CA, NY, NJ, TX, or New England
Distribution
Independent-agent-only (signature distribution model for personal auto)
AM Best FSR
A+ (Superior); aa ICR; affirmed October 31, 2024 after downgrade from A++/aa+; stable outlook2
Market share (2024)
1.44% group PPA DWP; #11 nationally1
Telematics program
TrueRide (discount-only per publisher consensus; no rate-up surcharge)8
Signature endorsement
Personal Automobile Plus Package (10+ coverages bundled: identity theft, cell phone, trip interruption, lock re-keying, pet)6
J.D. Power 2025 Claims
Rank 10 at score 711 (study average 700)13
Strengths & considerations
Strengths
- Still in the Superior tier after the October 2024 downgrade. A+ (Superior) with aa ICR affirmed by AM Best on October 31, 2024, outlook Stable after H1 2024 return to profitability. The downgrade from A++ to A+ is small and both the FSR and the ICR remain in the Superior tier.2
- Personal Automobile Plus Package is a distinctive bundled endorsement. Ten-plus coverages packaged for a single modest premium — identity theft expense ($15,000), cellular phone and 2-way device ($500), trip interruption, personal property, lock re-keying, pet. Few top-15 writers offer anything equivalent in a single endorsement.6
- Independent-agent distribution with meaningful group discounts. Common Loss Deductible waives the auto deductible when a single loss involves both home and auto with Auto-Owners. Collision Coverage Waiver waives the deductible when the other vehicle is also insured with Auto-Owners.5
- Modeled rates run below NerdWallet national benchmark. NerdWallet September 2026 modeled rate is $2,094 per year for full coverage versus a $2,344 national benchmark — roughly 11% below.10
Considerations
- October 2024 AM Best downgrade is material. A++ Superior is no longer accurate; the current rating is A+ (Superior) with aa ICR. AM Best cited "cumulative weakened underwriting performance since 2022" and "significant claims cost inflation." Still Superior tier, but the step down is worth disclosing openly.2
- 26-state footprint — not a national option. Not available in California, New York, New Jersey, Texas, or any of New England. If you move out of the footprint, your Auto-Owners policy may not be transferable.4
- Independent-agent-only; no direct-to-consumer channel. You will need to find a local Auto-Owners agent to quote and buy. Agents may not shop multiple carriers; the quote is only as competitive as that agent’s appointment allows.3
- J.D. Power 2025 Claims rank is mid-tier. 10th nationally at score 711 (study average 700). Still better than many top-10 competitors but below Erie, NJM, Liberty Mutual.13
Coverage options
Auto-Owners writes standard personal auto coverages and a group of distinctive endorsements that only make sense in an agent-sold channel where the agent can explain them. The signature endorsement is the Personal Automobile Plus Package.
- Bodily injury and property damage liability5
- Collision5
- Comprehensive (other than collision)5
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist5
- Personal injury protection: Where state requires.5
- Medical payments5
- Personal Automobile Plus Package: Signature bundled endorsement — includes identity theft expense (up to $15,000), cellular phone and 2-way communication device coverage (up to $500), trip interruption, personal property, lock re-keying, and pet coverage.6
- Common Loss Deductible: If home and auto are both insured with Auto-Owners and a single loss involves both policies, the auto deductible is reduced by the home personal-property deductible (or waived entirely if smaller).5
- Collision Coverage Waiver: Auto deductible waived when the other vehicle is also insured by Auto-Owners.5
- Diminished Value coverage: Compensates for post-accident resale-value loss.5
- Loan or lease gap5
- Rental reimbursement5
- Roadside assistance5
- Classic Car5
Discounts
Auto-Owners publishes a discount menu but rarely publishes per-discount maximum percentages (typical for a filed-rate carrier). Expect the agent-sourced quote itself to be the authoritative amount.
- Multi-Policy (bundle): Auto plus home with Auto-Owners.7
- Multi-Car: More than one vehicle on policy.7
- Payment History: Three years of on-time payments.7
- Paid-in-Full: Pay premium up front.7
- Advance Quote: Quote obtained before current policy expires.7
- Life Insurance bundle: Credit when carrying Auto-Owners Life.7
- Good Student: B average or equivalent for students.7
- Teen Driver Monitoring: GPS unit or app for teen driver.7
- Student Away at School: Student 100+ miles from home without a car.7
- TrueRide telematics: Participation discount at enrollment plus additional discount at renewal; discount-only program per publisher consensus.9
TrueRide by Auto-Owners (telematics)
TrueRide by Auto-Owners is Auto-Owners's smartphone-based telematics program. The app tracks hard braking, hard acceleration, speed, time of day driven, phone use while driving Publisher consensus classifies TrueRide as a discount-only program that will not surcharge based on risky driving behaviors. Primary-source confirmation on auto-owners.com was not directly readable in this research pass; readers should confirm per-state rules at enrollment.8
- Enrollment discount: participation discount at enrollment (exact percentage not published)8
- Max renewal discount: additional discount at renewal based on driving score (average ~15% reported)8
- Can it raise your rate? TrueRide by Auto-Owners is reported as a discount-only program; the headline savings are the only published outcome. Confirm your state's rules at enrollment.8
TrueRide is sold in "select states" with no public list; confirm availability with your Auto-Owners independent agent at enrollment. Publisher consensus is that TrueRide is a discount-only program.
Pricing
Every Auto-Owners quote is personal. What follows are modeled premiums for defined driver profiles from reputable publisher analyses — not personalized quotes. Use them to calibrate what to expect, not to replace a real quote in your state.
NerdWallet (September 2026): NerdWallet composite driver profile; standard full-coverage limits.10
- Full-coverage average: $2,094 per year
Publisher national benchmark: $2,344/yr
How to read these numbers. Different publishers model different profiles and may use different underlying data (Quadrant Information Services is the most common dataset). Your quote depends on your driving record, credit-based insurance score where allowed, vehicle, garaging ZIP, mileage, prior insurance history, age, household composition, telematics participation, and the coverages and deductibles you select.
Claims experience
Auto-Owners takes claims through its independent agents, through auto-owners.com, and by phone. The 2025 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study ranked Auto-Owners 10 at score 711 — study top-three were Erie (743), NJM (731), and Liberty Mutual (730)13.
Customer experience
In the 2025 J.D. Power U.S. Auto Insurance Study (regional overall satisfaction), Auto-Owners scored 636 in Central, 619 in Florida, 630 in North Central, 612 in Southeast, and 616 in Southwest12. Auto-Owners has a long history of ranking at or near the top of multiple regions.
Complaints and regulatory record
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners publishes a complaint index that normalizes complaint counts against a company's share of premium written. A value of 1.0 represents the baseline expected complaint volume for a company of that size; lower is generally better.
Complaint indices should be looked up per-entity, per-state on NAIC CIS. Historically Auto-Owners entities run below the 1.0 national baseline, but verify current values before signing. In 2024-2025 the Group settled multistate homeowners (not auto) nonmaterial-depreciation class actions in Arizona, Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin.14
To look up the current complaint index for the specific Auto-Owners underwriting entity that writes policies in your state, use the NAIC Consumer Information Source or your state Department of Insurance. The entities most commonly rated for Auto-Owners are:
- Auto-Owners Insurance Company
- Owners Insurance Company
- Home-Owners Insurance Company
- Property-Owners Insurance Company
- Southern-Owners Insurance Company
Complaint index measures regulator-filed complaints, not overall service quality; treat it as one input among several. Index values vary by underwriting entity and by state and can shift year over year, so pull the current number for your state before signing.
Financial strength
AM Best affirmed Auto-Owners at Financial Strength Rating A+ (Superior) and Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating aa (Superior) on October 31, 2024 with a stable outlook2. AM Best downgraded Auto-Owners Insurance Group FSR from A++ (Superior) to A+ (Superior) and ICR from aa+ to aa on October 31, 2024, citing "cumulative weakened underwriting performance since 2022 driven by significant claims cost inflation affecting both property and liability claims." Outlook was revised to Stable from Negative in the same action, reflecting H1 2024 return to profitability. The company remains in the Superior tier.
The downgrade is small (one tier within the Superior tier) and the Stable outlook signals balance-sheet continuity. A++ was shared with only a handful of U.S. personal-auto writers; A+ remains well above the industry median.
What these ratings mean and do not mean. A high financial-strength rating indicates the insurer has the resources to pay claims under a wide range of adverse scenarios. It is not a guarantee of any specific claim outcome, service quality, or price competitiveness in your quote. Ratings can change; check the affirmation date.
Material news (last 24 months)
- AM Best downgraded FSR to A+ from A++ and ICR to aa from aa+ (October 2024): The single most important consumer-trust signal in the file. AM Best cited cumulative weakened underwriting performance since 2022 and significant claims cost inflation. Outlook revised to Stable from Negative; H1 2024 return to profitability supported the Stable outlook.2
- Multistate homeowners nonmaterial-depreciation class-action settlements (April 2025): Settled claims in Arizona, Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin that Auto-Owners withheld depreciation of labor and other nonmaterial items from homeowners property-loss payments. This is a homeowners matter, not auto, but shapes brand and regulatory profile.11
YesWeSure Fit Check
Is Auto-Owners a fit worth quoting?
Auto-Owners tends to fit if you
- You live in one of the 26 Auto-Owners states and want a named local independent agent as your primary servicing relationship.
- The Personal Automobile Plus Package (identity theft, cell phone, trip interruption, lock re-keying, pet) appeals as a single bundled endorsement.
- You plan to bundle home and auto to unlock the Common Loss Deductible waiver.
- TrueRide discount-only mechanics appeal more than Progressive Snapshot or Allstate Drivewise two-way programs.
Look carefully if you
- You live in California, New York, New Jersey, Texas, or any New England state — Auto-Owners does not write personal auto there.
- You value top-of-tier A++ financial strength specifically; the October 2024 downgrade dropped Auto-Owners to A+ Superior (still Superior but one tier lower).
- You want a direct-first digital-only purchase — Auto-Owners is independent-agent-only.
- You move frequently across state lines; a 26-state footprint means your policy may not transfer with you.
This is decision-support reasoning, not personalized advice. Your real decision depends on your quote in your state, current regulator data, and how much of your total budget an incident could disrupt.
Ready to compare Auto-Owners against alternatives?
Compare car insurance quotesCommon questions
Did Auto-Owners get downgraded?
Yes. On October 31, 2024, AM Best downgraded Auto-Owners Insurance Group FSR from A++ (Superior) to A+ (Superior) and ICR from aa+ to aa. Outlook was revised to Stable from Negative in the same action. The company remains in the Superior tier and showed a return to profitability in H1 2024, which supported the Stable outlook.
Where does Auto-Owners write personal auto?
In 26 states across the Midwest and Southeast with pockets in the Mid-Atlantic and West: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Not available in California, New York, New Jersey, Texas, or any New England state.
Can TrueRide raise my premium?
No, per publisher consensus. TrueRide is classified across insurance-comparison sites as a discount-only program; participation gives a discount at enrollment plus additional savings at renewal based on your driving score. Primary-source confirmation on auto-owners.com should be reviewed at enrollment for your specific state.
What is the Personal Automobile Plus Package?
A bundled Auto-Owners endorsement that packages 10+ small coverages for a single modest premium: identity theft expense (up to $15,000), cellular phone and 2-way communication device (up to $500), trip interruption, personal property, lock re-keying, and pet coverage, among others. Few top-15 writers offer anything equivalent in a single endorsement.
How does the Common Loss Deductible work?
If your home and auto are both insured with Auto-Owners and a single loss involves both policies (for example, a hailstorm that damages your home and your parked car), the auto deductible is reduced by the home personal-property deductible — or waived entirely if the home deductible is smaller.
Can I buy Auto-Owners online?
No. Auto-Owners sells only through independent agents and does not have a direct-to-consumer online purchase channel. You will need to find a local Auto-Owners agent to quote and bind coverage.
How does Auto-Owners compare on price?
NerdWallet September 2026 modeled rates put the Auto-Owners full-coverage figure at $2,094 per year versus a $2,344 national benchmark — roughly 11% below. Treat as modeled; your quote depends on profile and state.
Sources & methodology
- [TIER 1] AM Best Downgrades Credit Ratings of Members of Auto-Owners Insurance Group (October 31, 2024) (AM Best (BusinessWire mirror))
- [TIER 1] Auto-Owners: Who We Are (distribution model and corporate overview) (Auto-Owners Insurance)
- [TIER 1] Auto-Owners: History (26-state footprint reference) (Auto-Owners Insurance)
- [TIER 1] Auto-Owners: Auto Insurance Coverages (overview) (Auto-Owners Insurance)
- [TIER 1] Auto-Owners Personal Automobile Plus endorsement (form 12335 reference text) (Burch-Lambert / Auto-Owners filing)
- [TIER 1] Auto-Owners: Auto Insurance Discounts page (Auto-Owners Insurance)
- [TIER 1] USPTO TRUERIDE BY AUTO-OWNERS trademark registration (Reg. 5,588,092; Ser. 87/744,990) (USPTO (via Justia))
- [TIER 3] WalletHub: Auto-Owners Discounts (names and descriptions) (WalletHub)
- [TIER 3] NerdWallet: Auto-Owners Insurance Review (September 2026 rate analysis) (NerdWallet)
- [TIER 3] Auto-Owners Mutual Insurance Co. multistate nonmaterial-depreciation class-action settlement (homeowners) (Top Class Actions)
- [TIER 2] J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Auto Insurance Study (regional segment reporting) (J.D. Power)
- [TIER 2] J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study (J.D. Power)
- [TIER 1] NAIC Consumer Information Source (per-entity complaint and financial lookup) (National Association of Insurance Commissioners)
Evidence hierarchy on this page: Tier 1 (regulators, insurer documentation, rating agencies), Tier 2 (independent authoritative research including J.D. Power and industry datasets), Tier 3 (reputable publishers with transparent methodology). Every material claim traces to a source in this list, with the tier shown next to each source. Modeled rate figures are premiums produced from Quadrant Information Services or publisher proprietary data for defined driver profiles; they are not personalized quotes. Last reviewed .