Farmers Auto Insurance Review: Should you buy in 2024?

Farmers car insurance is a great choice for drivers who want options for many different types of car insurance and excellent customer service. Farmers rates are higher than the national average in every category, but the company offers many discounts to keep drivers’ rates affordable.

Drivers with Farmers have access to add-on services like new car replacement, accident forgiveness, and roadside assistance. Customers can also take advantage of its usage-based program, Signal, to get an additional discount.

Farmers Insurance isn’t available in every state, but the company offers rideshare services to employees of Uber and Lyft.

While Farmers might be an excellent choice for you, every driver is unique, and we always recommend drivers shop around with different insurers before making a final decision.

What You Should Know About Farmers Insurance Group

Farmers Insurance is one of the oldest auto insurance companies in the United States. The company began in 1928 by selling car insurance to farmers in Los Angeles. Today, Farmers sells just about every insurance type, including life, home, and business.

Farmers offers a solid list of auto insurance coverages, discounts, and add-ons. Though Farmers car insurance rates are higher than the national average in almost every category, customers can expect a hands-on claims process with great customer service. Most Farmers customers were satisfied with their experiences and claims handling.

Over half of all customers said they were completely happy with Farmers Insurance customer service, especially when filing a claim. Customers have praised how easy it was to open a claim with Farmers, and more than 48% of policyholders were satisfied with how easy it was to get in touch with a representative.

When asked how satisfied they were with claims updates, nearly 52% of customers said they were happy with the updates received. Additionally, 56% of customers were completely satisfied with how Farmers handled their claim.

Regarding financial strength, A.M. Best rated Farmers with an A, or excellent, rating. A.M. Best provides an analysis of an insurance company’s ability to pay out claims to its policyholders.

Customers with Farmers can rest assured knowing that Farmers has the financial strength to pay out claims if the driver’s policy covers it. However, its rating from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is 1.91, meaning Farmers Insurance has received more complaints than the average insurer of its size.

Farmers Insurance Group Insurance Coverage Options

Farmers Insurance offers almost every coverage type you need for yourself and your vehicle. Drivers can also customize coverage options with the help of a Farmers’ representative to tailor their specific needs. 

The most common and standard coverage options through Farmers are as follows:

• Liability auto insurance. Pays for damages to someone else or their property in an at-fault accident.
• Collision insurance coverage. Pays for vehicle damages due to an accident, regardless of fault.
• Comprehensive insurance coverage. Pays for vehicle damages caused by fire, flood, vandalism, theft, or other incidents not involving a collision.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Covers injuries or property damage caused by another driver with no insurance or insufficient insurance.
• Personal injury protection car insurance. Pays for medical treatment, missed wages, and other accident-related expenses. 
• Medical payments coverage. Pays your medical expenses resulting from an accident.

In addition, Farmers offers several add-on coverages like new car replacement and accident forgiveness. Each optional coverage adds to your monthly expenses, so ensure you only pay for what you need.

Some of the most popular add-on coverages from Farmers Insurance include:

• New car replacement. If your car is less than 2 years old with 24,000 miles of ownership, Farmers will pay to replace it with a new model. 
• Accident forgiveness. Drivers with this add-on get one at-fault accident forgiven every three years without an accident, meaning your rates won’t increase due to an accident.
• Loss of use. Farmers will reimburse you for any rental cars, cabs, rideshares, or public transit you must use while your car is in the shop due to a covered loss. Most insurers only offer rental car coverage.
• Customized equipment coverage. This covers any custom parts you install on your vehicle if they’re stolen or damaged. You must have collision and comprehensive coverages to get this add-on.
• Original equipment manufacturer coverage. This coverage pays for replacement parts directly from your car’s manufacturer instead of aftermarket parts and applies to vehicles 10 years old and newer.
• Rideshare auto insurance. Typically, rideshare companies like Uber or Lyft only provide a limited coverage amount. Farmers extends your coverage to fill those gaps, covering you fully at all times.   

Farmers Insurance also offers towing and roadside assistance, an optional feature you must add to your policy before using it. Farmers’ 24/7 roadside assistance includes towing, battery jumps, flat tire change, locksmith assistance, and winching.

Speak directly with an agent when setting up your insurance policy and making any changes. A Farmers representative will be happy to help you decide which coverage is right for you.

What other insurance does Farmers provide?

In addition to auto insurance, Farmers offers many other insurance types. Farmers has insurance policies for boats, motorcycles, RVs, off-road vehicles, personal watercraft, and more. 

Farmers also sells the following insurance options:

• Business insurance
• Collectible auto insurance
• Flood insurance
• Landlord/rental property insurance
• Travel trailer insurance
• Umbrella insurance

Talk with a Farmers agent to see if you can bundle your policies together to save money and keep your insurance in one place.

Farmers Insurance Group Insurance Rates Breakdown

Farmers car insurance rates for the average middle-aged driver are around $1,917 per year, slightly higher than the national average of $1,539 annually.

Auto insurance rates vary widely because insurers consider many factors when determining drivers’ rates. Some of the most common factors influencing auto insurance rates include:

• Coverage selection
• Age
• Driving history 
• Vehicle make and model
• Driver’s credit score

Every insurance company measures these factors differently, so you need a personalized Farmers car insurance quote to know exactly how much you’ll pay. We recommend drivers get quotes from at least three different insurance companies.

Farmers Insurance Rates by Coverage

The minimum auto insurance required by each state varies across the country, but it is usually a certain level of liability auto insurance. This coverage is much cheaper than full coverage.

It’s important to remember that liability insurance only covers damage you cause to another vehicle or person — liability doesn’t cover your vehicle or medical expenses.

Drivers with Farmers will pay nearly 22% more for minimum car insurance. Farmers costs $700 more per year than GEICO auto insurance.

Farmers average annual rates for liability coverage are around $1,782. Look at the table below to compare Farmers rates to other top insurers in the country.

Average Minimum Coverage Monthly Rates for the Top Auto Insurance Companies

Full coverage auto insurance rates are much higher, but you’ll have better protection after an accident. Farmers rates for full coverage insurance are around $2,059 annually for a driver with a clean driving record — that’s almost 27% more than the national average. 

GEICO full coverage rates are over $800 less than Farmers. Compare other full coverage average rates in the table below.

Average Full Coverage Annual Rates for the Top Auto Insurance Companies

As you can see, Allstate has higher rates than Farmers. So Farmers isn’t the most expensive and might even be the best option for you.

Farmers Insurance Rates by Age

Age is one of the most influential factors that insurance companies look at when setting rates. Rates on auto insurance for teen drivers are expensive due to their lack of experience and little to no driving history.

Farmers Insurance has the second-highest rates for teenage drivers. The average 17-year-old female pays $7,561 per year on auto insurance with Farmers. The national average is $4,962. 

The chart below compares Farmers teen driving rates to other top insurers in the industry so you can understand how much young drivers may pay for coverage.

Average Monthly Full Coverage Teenage Auto Insurance Rates for the Top Insurance Companies

Once you turn 25, your rates will decrease if you keep a clean driving record. Drivers have several more years of experience by their mid-20s and are less likely to cause accidents.

A female 25-year-old driver with Farmers can expect to pay around $2,141 per year, while males will pay around $2,259, which is only 6% higher than the national average.

Once drivers reach their 30s, their rates will be the lowest. However, this is all dependent on keeping a clean driving record.

Farmers rates for the average adult are some of the most expensive in our research, averaging around $1,842 annually. You can compare these rates to those of other top insurance companies and the national average in the chart below.

Annual Full Coverage Adult Auto Insurance Rates for the Top Insurance Companies

Auto insurance for older adults can also have higher-than-average rates with Farmers Insurance. Female senior drivers pay around 6% higher than the national average, while males pay almost 9% higher.

The table below breaks down what some of the most popular auto insurers charge for senior rates.

Average Monthly Full Coverage Auto Insurance Rates for Senior Drivers

As you can see, Farmers rates are more than $600 above GEICO, which has the lowest rates in our study.

Farmers Insurance Rates by Driving History

Besides age, driving history is probably the most significant factor in setting auto insurance rates. Drivers who cause an accident, receive a speeding ticket, or drive under the influence are considered high risk to insurance companies.

Farmers Insurance continues its trend as one of the most expensive insurers when looking at rates for high-risk auto insurance. Drivers with a single traffic violation can expect their premiums to increase to $2,407 annually. Let’s compare this with other top insurers.

Average Monthly Auto Insurance Rates for the Top Insurance Companies for Drivers with a Traffic Ticket

State Farm auto insurance, one of the lowest rates in our study, is nearly $1,000 cheaper than Farmers, and Farmers is also around $500 more than the national average.

You’ll see even higher rates for auto insurance after an accident. Rates with Farmers are nearly 28% higher than the national average for drivers with an accident on their record, at $2,784 per year.

The chart below compares Farmers rates for these high-risk drivers to other top insurance companies.

Average Monthly Rates for the Top Insurance Companies for Drivers with an Accident

State Farm is more than $1,000 cheaper for a driver with an accident on their record than Farmers. According to our data, Allstate is the only insurer with higher rates after an accident than Farmers.

Drivers with a DUI on their record see the largest rate increase. Driving under the influence is a serious offense, and some companies won’t even offer auto insurance after a DUI.

Farmers offers auto insurance to these high-risk drivers, costing only 2% above the national average. Drivers with a DUI can expect to pay around $2,652 annually for car insurance with Farmers.

The chart below shows more rates from companies offering insurance to DUI drivers.

Average Monthly Rates for the Top Insurance Companies for Drivers with a DUI

Again, State Farm is cheaper than Farmers by around $900. However, Nationwide, GEICO, and Allstate all have higher rates for these DUI drivers than Farmers Insurance.

Farmers Insurance Rates by Credit Score

Another factor insurance companies consider is a driver’s credit score. Not every state allows insurers to use a person’s credit score to set rates, but most states do.

Farmers’ rates are 7% higher than the national average for auto insurance for drivers with poor credit. Look at the table below comparing other top insurance companies by credit score.

Full Coverage Auto Insurance Monthly Rates by Credit Score

GEICO offers the least expensive insurance in this category, costing over $1,000 less than Farmers. However, Farmers isn’t the most expensive. Allstate and State Farm have higher rates for drivers with poor credit histories than Farmers.

Farmers Insurance Group Discounts Available

Farmers Insurance offers various car insurance discounts to help drivers keep costs down. Some of the most popular discounts include a safe driver discount, multi-vehicle discount, and multi-policy discount.

Farmers’ policyholders can even get a discount for paying their policy in full at the beginning of the term and enrolling in paperless billing.

A few other discounts offered by Farmers Insurance include:

• Homeowners discount
• Good student discount
• Discount for being part of a professional group
• Discount for driving an alternative fuel vehicle
• Anti-theft features discount

Some drivers may also qualify for a discount if they complete a driver safety course. Speak with a Farmers representative to ensure you take advantage of all available discounts.

What is Farmers’ usage-based program, Signal?

Many insurance companies offer usage-based insurance programs to drivers. Farmers Signal is a program that uses an app on your smartphone to monitor driving behaviors.

Drivers receive a 5% discount upon sign-up and installation of the app. If the app shows you have safe driving behaviors by your next policy renewal, you could get a 15% discount off your premium.

You may even be able to earn an additional 10% discount if you enroll a driver under 25 years old who lives in your household.