Allstate Auto Insurance Review

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The Details

The Good

Available in all 50 states. Drivers all over the country (including Florida, Alaska and Hawaii) can insure their cars with Allstate, which isn’t true of all of its competitors. 

High claims satisfaction ratings. Allstate scored 876 out of 1000 on the 2020 J.D. Power Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, putting it above industry average and well above other major car insurance companies like GEICO, Safeco and Liberty Mutual.

Wide range of discounts available. Allstate offers a long list of discounts for drivers, including savings for paying your policy in full, going paperless, and bundling your auto with home insurance or another policy through Allstate.

Unique savings opportunities. Allstate also offers its signature Drivewise program. Participating drivers use an app that tracks their driving behavior, and can get money off their premiums for safe driving.

Will insure high-risk drivers. In certain states, Allstate offers non-standard auto insurance for drivers who are considered “high-risk” and may have trouble finding coverage from other insurers. 

The Bad 

Our sample quote was higher than average. When we ran a sample quote for an average driver through Allstate, we got rates that are higher than the national average for car insurance. You may need to dig into their discounts in order to get the best deal on your coverage.

Some middling consumer ratings. While Allstate scores well for claims satisfaction, its overall customer ratings are just about average with third-party agencies like J.D. Power and Consumer Reports. 

The Breakdown

How much you pay for car insurance is determined by a number of factors specific to you, like your address, age, credit score, driving history, and vehicle. Since each driver has a unique background and history, it’s difficult to predict what any given driver will pay for car insurance. That said, we can still look at a sample Allstate auto insurance policy to get a sense of what someone might pay for coverage.

Our sample driver is single, lives in Minnesota and drives a 2015 Toyota Camry. Allstate quoted him $219 a month for a 6-month policy, or $2,628 in total for the year. This is higher than the national average of around $99 a month, or $1,189.64 a year, cited by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

Let’s take a look at the details of the policy:

While $219 a month puts the rates for our sample driver well over the average annual cost of car insurance in Minnesota, it’s not necessarily indicative of what everyone will pay with Allstate. Some drivers may find that Allstate quotes them higher rates than competitors, but others may find that Allstate is a more affordable option, especially if they qualify for multiple discounts. 

Discounts

Like most major car insurance companies, Allstate offers a range of discounts to help drivers save. You can earn savings for paying your whole policy premiums in-full at the start of the term, or for going paperless or setting up automatic payments. There are also discounts for having certain features in your vehicle, like an anti-theft device.

Some of Allstate’s available discounts will knock more off your monthly premiums than others, but they can add up to some serious savings. 

Here are a few of Allstate’s offered discounts:

• Anti-theft device discount. Save if you have a car alarm or similar anti-theft device installed in your car.

• Multiple policy discount. Savings for bundling your Allstate car insurance with another one of their offerings, like home, renters or motorcycle insurance. 

• Early signing discount. Save if you buy your policy a week or more before the start date.

• Responsible payer discount. Savings for keeping up with your payments.

• Smart student discount. Savings for full-time students who maintain a certain GPA, or who complete Allstate’s teen driving education program.

• New car discount. Save if you’re the first owner of a new car.

• EZ pay plan discount. Savings for setting your monthly payments to automatic withdrawal. 

• Allstate eSmart discount. Save for going paperless and receiving your insurance documents electronically.

• FullPay discount. Save for paying your entire policy in-full at the start of the policy term.

• Drivewise. Earn savings for safe driving by letting Allstate track your driving habits through the Drivewise smartphone app.

• Deductible Rewards $100 off your deductible, plus $100 each year you're accident free—up to $500

Remember that a lot of these discounts can change and vary by driving record, eligibility, location, and a variety of other information.

Allstate has been around since the early 1930s, when it began as an auto insurance company that sold car insurance through direct mail and through the Sears catalog. Since it’s early days, Allstate has expanded to a host of other property insurance offerings, and now sells insurance across the country as well as internationally. 

Its storied history and recognizable image (many drivers likely recognize Allstate from its television advertising) and backed up by strong financial ratings. Allstate is well-regarded by the institutions that measure the financial stability of insurance companies — which basically means they’ll be able to pay out your claims, even in the event of a major disaster.

• Year founded: 1931

• A.M. Best: A+

• Better Business Bureau: A+ 

• Moody’s: Aa3

• Standard & Poor’s: A-

A.M. Best, a credit rating agency that focuses specifically on the insurance industry, gives Allstate an A+, which means the insurer has a “superior” ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations to customers. 

The Better Business Bureau, the organization that ranks companies based on the truth of their advertising and on complaints from customers, also grades Allstate an A+. 

Bond credit rating agency Moody’s gives Allstate a rating of Aa3, the second-highest tier that an institution can receive, meaning it’s financially strong. 

Standard & Poor’s, or S&P, gives Allstate a rating of A-, meaning the company is well-equipped to meet all its financial obligations.

While financial ratings can tell us how industry experts view an insurance company, they don’t give a good view of what it’s like to be an Allstate customer. It’s important to take customer ratings and reviews into account — a company with low customer satisfaction may be as helpful as you need when it comes time to file a claim.

Here are the ratings from several major consumer opinion trackers:  

• Consumers Advocate: 4.4 / 5

• Consumer Affairs: 3.9 / 5

• Consumer Reports: 72 / 100 

• J.D. Power: 3 / 5

• NAIC complaint index: 0.89

Consumers Advocate, which tracks company reputation, policy features, and stability, gives Allstate a high score. 

Consumer Reports, which aggregates reviews from its readers, rates Allstate in the yellow, or about average, with a score of 72. Allstate’s best scores were for claims handling, and its worst were for how satisfied readers were with the cost of their premiums. 

J.D. Power rates insurance companies based on policy offerings, price, and the clarity of billing and policy information. On its 2020 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, Allstate earned a score of 876 on a 1000-point scale, putting it above average for satisfaction with claims handling, but Allstate only earned 3/5 for overall satisfaction. 

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which tracks complaints submitted to state insurance departments, gives Allstate a score of 0.89. A score of 1 represents the baseline average, with a zero meaning there weren’t enough customer complaints to count. Based on that, Allstate has fewer complaints than the industry average. This score takes Allstate’s other property insurance offerings, including auto, condo, home, and renters, into account. 

When it comes to coverage options, Allstate offers all of the basic auto insurance that most drivers need, as well as a few non-standard options that some drivers may want to consider. 

Standard coverage options

Allstate customers can get the standard coverage that every driver should need, including:

• Liability coverage. Liability coverage protects you from financial burden if you damage someone’s property or injure someone with your car. Liability insurance is required in most states.

• Personal injury protection. Pays for your medical expenses or lost wages if you or your passengers are injured in an accident.

• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Covers the cost if you’re in an accident caused by a driver without insurance, or whose insurance doesn’t cover the full extent of the damage.

• Collision coverage. Covers the costs of damage to your car after an accident, regardless of who was at fault.

• Comprehensive coverage. Covers the costs of damage to your car that isn’t caused by a collision, including damage from animals, extreme weather, floods, fire, falling objects, theft, and vandalism.

Additional perks and features

In addition to standard coverage, Allstate offers the following options:

• Sound system insurance. Extra coverage if your fancy custom sound system is damaged or stolen from your vehicle.

• Rental reimbursement coverage. Reimburses you for the cost of a rental car or extra transportation expenses if your car is in the shop after a covered loss.

• Roadside assistance. Covers the types of issues that leave you stranded on the side of the road, like lockouts, dead batteries and fuel deliveries.

• New car replacement. Pays to fully replace your car with a new one as long as your car is  two model years old or less

• Milewise program. A pay-per-mile option with Allstate, this is a type of policy that offers big savings to people who use their cars less than average, like retirees and drivers who work from home and rarely drive. 

Other types of insurance offered Allstate may have started out as an auto insurance company, but they’ve expanded to offer property insurance coverage for everything from your boat to your smartphone. Not every insurance product is offered in every state, however, so double-check with an insurance expert before you plan your bundle. 

Some of the other insurance products Allstate offers include:

• Homeowners insurance. Coverage for a home you own.

• Renters insurance. Coverage for your belongings if you rent a house or apartment.

• Condo insurance. Coverage for everything in your condo not already covered by your HOA policy.

• Motorcycle insurance. Coverage for your bike.

• Identity protection. Alerts you to any identity theft and fraud and covers the cost of retrieving your identity.

• Boat insurance. Coverage for your watercraft.

• RV insurance. Coverage for your home on wheels.

• Off-Road insurance. Coverage for your ATV.

• Phone protection. Covers damage to your smartphone, including cracked screens, water damage and battery failure.

• Event insurance. Reimburses you for sunk costs if your expensive event is canceled last-minute.

• Umbrella insurance. Increases your liability coverage, so your better protected in the event you cause injury or damage to someone else or their property.

Allstate’s website and online tools are straightforward and easy to use. Drivers can call Allstate directly for help with policy questions, billing or claims filing, or can reach the company online or through the Allstate mobile app. 

You may not need to contact an Allstate representative with your question however, since the website offers helpful breakdowns of coverage options and a library of information about car insurance terms and options.

State availability

Unlike some of its competitors, Allstate writes auto policies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Application process

Drivers can get a quote for Allstate auto insurance through the company’s online quoting tool, which generates a quote after asking you standard questions about your car, your claims history, your driving habits and other details. You can also find a local Allstate agent through a tool on the company’s website, or you can get an Allstate quote through an independent agent, like our Policygenius experts.

Payment methods

Customers can pay their bills multiple ways, including:

• Through EFT/autopay

• With a credit card

• Over the phone

• Via check or money order

• Online through the website 

• Through the Allstate mobile app 

Digital tools

In addition to Allstate’s simple website, the company offers a mobile app for customers that makes it simple to pay bills, upload photos of a claim, access proof of insurance, contact an agent and call roadside assistance. Drivers who participate in Allstate’s Drivewise and Milewise programs can also use the Allstate mobile app to earn money back for their driving habits. 

Claims process

As mentioned above, Allstate customers can file claims directly through the Allstate mobile app, as well as online or over the phone. Once a claim is in progress, drivers can also track the status of their claim through the app. Allstate also offers a separate portal for drivers to file third-party claims.

Contact info

Website: www.allstate.com

Phone: 1-800-676-5456

Headquarters: 2775 Sanders Road Northbrook, Illinois 60062