J.D. Power’s best and worst auto insurance companies for 2026

The best and worst auto insurance companies for car insurance shopping in 2026

The 2026 J.D. Power U.S. Insurance Shopping study of 12,437 people found Erie Insurance on top. Nationwide and Allstate followed in the second and third spots. The study tracks customer satisfaction with the car insurance shopping experience.

National General and Mercury are at the bottom of this year’s list. Although USAA tied with Erie Insurance, J.D. Power doesn't rank it because it doesn't meet the award criteria.

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Table

J.D. Power rankings for auto insurance shopping experience
Rank	Company	J.D. Power score
1.	Erie Insurance	719
2.	Nationwide	715
3.	Allstate	685
4.	State Farm	674
5.	Auto-Owners	672
6.	American Family	670
7.	Liberty Mutual	670
8.	Automobile Club of Southern CA (AAA)	668
9.	Study average	662
10.	Farmers	659
11.	GEICO	656
12.	CSAA Insurance Group (AAA)	660
13.	Travelers	650
14.	Dairyland	645
15.	Progressive	645
16.	The Hartford	639
17.	The General	636
18.	Safeco*	635
19.	Direct Auto	633
21.	National General	629
22.	Mercury	614
None	USAA**	719

**No longer available for purchase; Safeco has been absorbed into the Liberty Mutual brand.

**USAA is not ranked by J.D. Power because it does not meet the award criteria, but it is scored.

Other findings from the study include:

Customers get an average of 3.5 quotes before buying, the highest ever recorded by the study,
Customers aren't looking to bundle auto and home insurance unless they see a cheaper auto quote first; only 20% got a homeowners quote when shopping for auto insurance.
Digital shopping makes up nearly half of all purchases, with 48% of study respondents saying they purchased their policy digitally.
Usage-based insurance programs continue to be popular, with 20% of all customers signed up for one.

The best and worst auto insurance companies for claims in 2026

Amica earned the top spot in the 2026 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, scoring 775 out of 1,000. Nationwide took second place at 743, and the Automobile Club of Southern CA (AAA) came in third with 740. Conversely, Progressive (665) and National General (598) were the bottom two.

The average score was 700, and only five carriers ranked below that average. This year's study surveyed 8,261 auto insurance customers who had settled a claimAn insurance claim is a request you make to your insurance company for coverage after your car is damaged or you have an accident. You can file a claim online, by phone, or in writing. in the nine months prior to the survey.

See below to compare insurance companies' claims satisfaction ratings, with scores out of 1,000.

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Table

J.D. Power auto insurance claims satisfaction ranking
Rank	Company	J.D. Power score
1	Amica	775
2	Nationwide	743
3	Automobile Club of Southern CA (AAA)	740
4	American Family	736
5	Auto Club Group (AAA)	732
6	The Hartford	731
7	CSAA Insurance Group (AAA)	718
8	Farmers	716
9	State Farm	715
10	Liberty Mutual	709
11	Travelers	708
12	Erie Insurance	706
13	Study average	700
14	Allstate	698
15	GEICO	693
16	Auto-Owners	689
17	Progressive	665
18	National General	598
None	USAA*	598

*USAA is not ranked because it doesn't meet J.D. Power's award criteria, but it is scored.

Additional insights from the claims satisfaction study include:

Auto insurance customers who had total loss claims are less satisfied than those whose vehicles can be repaired; 25% of those with total losses reported receiving less than their vehicles were worth.
Claim repair times are down, with an average repair time of 15.3 days, down 10 days since the 2024 study.
A seamless experience drives higher customer satisfaction, at an average of 804 out of 1,000 when customers agree that their experience was seamless across all channels.

How to use J.D. Power ratings to choose the best carrier

J.D. Power ranks insurers based on a large-scale study that surveys thousands of insurance customers.

For the claims study, these eight areas are covered by the survey:

Communication
Digital Channels
Ease of Starting a Claim
Ease of Resolving a Claim
Fairness of Settlement
People
Time to Settle
Trust

For the shopping study, there are three main areas in the study:

Price
Distribution channel/people
Policy offerings

Consider ratings from numerous sources to find the best overall insurer for your needs. While there will probably not be one insurer on top in all the ratings, you can determine what insurers score highly in the areas that matter most to you. Our Best Car Insurance Companies rating looks at rates, financial stability, customer complaints and our own survey of customers.

Sources:

J.D. Power. “2026 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study.” Accessed January 2026.
J.D. Power. “2026 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study.” Accessed January 2026.

FAQ: J.D. Power's auto insurance ratings

Does J.D. Power offer ratings for regional carriers?

Yes. J.D. Power provides overall customer satisfaction ratings for regional insurers, but the shopping and claims studies are national.

How often are J.D. Power ratings updated?

J.D. Power publishes auto insurance ratings yearly. Claims rankings are released in the fall, and shopping rankings are available in early summer.

Can a company with lower ratings still be a good choice?

Yes. An insurer with low J.D. Power ratings can be a good fit if it meets your expectations. For example, if you only want the cheapest insurance available, rates may matter more to you than ratings. Every individual’s experience with a company differs depending on their interactions with that company. If you’re happy with your insurance company, ratings may not impact your choice.