Safeco Auto Insurance Review

With the financial backing of a leading provider, several ways to customize your insurance, and decades of experience in the industry, Safeco is a great provider if you live in a state where it’s available. The provider is also a good option if you’re looking to bundle or consolidate insurance plans for your car, motorcycle, RV, boat, ATV, golf cart, and more.

Who It’s Best For

• Low-mileage drivers
• People who want to bundle their insurance
• Motorcycle riders
• Safe drivers

Who It’s Not Best For

• Young drivers
• People who live in Delaware, Hawaii, or Washington, D.C.

Pros and Cons of Safeco Auto Insurance

• Bodily injury liability: Bodily injury liability covers any injuries or deaths that you cause with your vehicle. Every state requires bodily injury liability except Florida, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Virginia.
• Property damage liability: Like bodily injury liability, most states require property damage liability, which provides you with coverage for damages that you cause to someone else’s car or their property (such as their house, fence, or garage).
• Collision: Collision insurance helps cover payments for if you hit an object/vehicle or if someone hits your car while its parked. Although no state requires collision coverage, we recommend adding it, since liability coverage only covers the other party.
• Comprehensive: Comprehensive coverage reimburses you for thefts and damages that don’t result from collisions, such as falling trees, fires, rocks, potholes, and natural disasters.
• Medical payments: Medical payments coverage covers any medical bills that you or your passengers incur in an accident. Medical payments coverage is only required in 15 states, but we recommend it for the added protection it provides you and your passengers.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: If you get into a collision with someone who is uninsured or underinsured, this coverage reimburses you if they’re at fault. This is a good option for hit-and-run situations.
• New vehicle replacement: Safeco will pay for the value of a comparable car if your car is totaled or stolen. However, you must be the original owner of the car, and it must be less than one year old and have fewer than 15,000 miles.
• Rental car reimbursement: If your car needs repairs after a covered loss, Safeco will help you pay for a rental until your car is ready to drive again.
• Rideshare coverage: If you drive for a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft, rideshare coverage fills the insurance gap that neither your personal insurance nor your personal insurance will cover.
  
  Rideshare companies provide insurance only after you’ve accepted a ride or while you’re transporting a passenger. At the same time, your personal insurance may not cover you during the window in between rides (also known as period one) because you’re technically working as a contractor. If you get into an accident while your rideshare app is on and you’re waiting for a request, you might be liable to pay for the damages/injuries without any help from a provider. That’s where rideshare coverage comes in.

The average annual cost of Safeco is $1,373, which is significantly lower than the national annual average of approximately $2,000. Factors like your location, marital status, gender, driving history, and age play a role in your auto insurance rates, so reach out to a local agent and ask for a quote.

Safeco has a range of discounts that can help you save on car insurance. Talk to an agent to see if you’re eligible for any of the following savings opportunities.

• Bundling discount: Save up to 15 percent off your policies when you bundle home and auto insurance.
• Insurance claims-free cashback: If you go claims-free over a six-month review period, Safeco will mail you a check for 2.5 percent of your policy premium.
• Safe driver discount: If you sign up for and complete Safeco’s RightTrack safe driver program, you can save up to 30 percent on your car insurance. The RightTrack app will track your driving habits (such as braking, acceleration, and nighttime driving) to calculate your total savings. Keep in mind that poor driving habits can increase your premiums, so sign up with discretion.
• Low-mileage discount: If you drive less than 8,000 miles per year, you’ll qualify for Safeco’s low-mileage discount. Discount earnings vary depending on where you live, so speak to an agent to find out how much you can save.
• Accident-prevention course discount: Save on your premium by signing up for and completing a safe driver course. Speak with an agent to see how much you can save and to make sure you’re eligible for the discount.
• Safety equipment discount: You might be eligible for a safety equipment discount if you install an approved safety device, such as anti-lock brakes or an anti-theft device.
• Multivehicle discount: If you own more than one vehicle, you can earn a discount by insuring both of them with Safeco.

You can manage your Safeco customer service needs through a phone call, online portal, mobile app, email, or in person at a local agency.

Safeco’s J.D. Power Index score (845 out of 1,000) is right around the average (855) for its size and is considered high for most industries. According to data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Safeco also receives fewer complaints than most of its competitors. We’ll take a closer look at those numbers below.

The Safeco app is easy to use, sleek, and comprehensive in its features and capabilities. With the mobile app and online portal, you’ll be able to take the following actions:

• Pay your bills.
• Enroll in automatic payments.
• Look into why your premiums increase (if they ever do).
• Receive policy documents.
• File a car insurance claim.
• Get roadside assistance.
• Update an address.
• Add or delete drivers to your policy.
• Update your deductible.
• Connect with a customer service representative.

The app has a 4.2 out of five rating from the Google Play Store and a 4.8 rating from the Apple Store. You can also manage your Safeco RightTrack account through your mobile device. It’s as simple as downloading the RightTrack app, updating your settings, and allowing it to track your driving automatically.

Safeco has respectable scores from third-party ratings and providers.

• J.D. Power Index: The 2022 J.D. Power U.S. Insurance Shopping Study looked at customer satisfaction ratings with auto insurance companies across two categories: large and mid-sized insurers. J.D. Power gave Safeco a score of 845 out of 1,000, which is about two percent below the average.¹ Although Safeco received a below-average score, an 845 is still high on the 1,000-point scale.
• Better Business Bureau rating: Safeco has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which is the highest possible BBB rating. The BBB rating is meant to represent how a business is likely to interact with its customers, which is great news for Safeco and its customers.²
• A.M. Best financial strength rating: As recently as July 2022, A.M. Best gave Safeco an excellent (A) rating for its financial strength and stability.³ A robust financial rating means a provider is in a good position to pay for claims, provide benefits, and cover you while you’re on the road.
• National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC): In 2021, the NAIC recorded 160 Safeco customer complaints, giving it a Complaint Index score of 1.69.⁴ The index mean is always at 1.0, so Safeco received 1.69 times more complaints than is expected for its market size. While Safeco’s score might be higher than the NAIC mean, it still scored lower than comparable insurance companies, with Mercury scoring 2.51 and the National General scoring 6.03.

Safeco began in 1923 when insurance executive Hawthorne K. Dent started the company. At the time, Safeco was known as “The General;” it didn’t have its current name until 1953 when The General established Safeco as a fire and life insurance subsidiary. In 2004, Safeco sold its life insurance and investment division to focus on property and casualty insurance. Finally, in 2008, Safeco became a part of its current parent company Liberty Mutual and has offered auto, home, and small business insurance since the merger.

• Additional auto insurance: Motorcycle, boat and watercraft, classic car, RV, ATV, off-road vehicle, and golf cart
• Property insurance: Homeowners, renters, condo, landlord, and home warranty
• Business insurance (through Liberty Mutual): Business owners policy (BOP), commercial auto, and workers compensation
• Miscellaneous: Umbrella, pet, and identity recovery

Safeco does not have any cancellation fees. To cancel your Safeco insurance, contact your local agent or call the customer service team at 1-800-332-3226.