Farmers Car Insurance Review

About Farmers Car Insurance

Founded in 1928, Farmers has grown to become one of the largest insurers in the nation. It currently ranks 5th when it comes to homeowners insurance and 7th largest for car insurance.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Farmers offers a vast array of insurance products, holding more than 20 million policies and insuring more than 10 million households nationwide.

And with a nationwide network of approximately 50,000 agents, an easy-to-use mobile app, a 24/7 customer support team and an intuitive website, Farmers is accessible to all car insurance shoppers across the nation.

What Car Insurance Coverages Does Farmers Offer?

When it comes to auto insurance coverage, Farmers offers plenty of options to choose from, depending on your budget and needs. Its coverage options include:

Property Damage Liability Coverage

If you cause a car accident resulting in property damage, then the liability coverage of your Farmers car insurance policy will help to pay for that damage.

Your Farmers’ liability coverage will pay for damage to the other party’s car as well damage to stationary objects or structures such as houses, fences, walls, signposts, and mailboxes.

Property damage liability coverage will also cover your legal expenses, in case a suit is brought against you after you’ve caused a car accident.

Farmers will only compensate you up to your policy limit. For instance, you may cause a car accident, leading to property damage worth $20,000. If your policy limit is $15,000, then you will have to pay the excess $5,000 out of pocket.

Bodily Injury Liability Coverage

If you cause a car accident leading to injuries, then the bodily injury liability coverage on your Farmers car insurance policy will protect you from paying for those expenses. Bodily injury liability coverage will pay for the following:

• Medical expenses
• Legal fees
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of income
• Funeral expenses

Your Farmers liability coverage will not cover injuries that you sustain in the accident if you are the at-fault driver.

Collision Coverage

Farmers’ Collision coverage will help to repair or replace your vehicle if it’s damaged during an accident.

This coverage will cover collisions with other vehicles, collisions with stationary objects like trees or fences, single-car accidents involving falling or rolling over, as well as damage caused by hitting an obstruction on the road like a barrier or a pothole.

Farmers’ collision insurance will not cover damage caused to your vehicle by natural causes like hail, high winds, and storms. Also, it will not cover theft, vandalism or damage to the other party’s vehicle.

For example, your car may hit a large pothole on the road, resulting in vehicle damage worth $5,000. If your deductible is $1,000, then Farmers will pay you $4,500 as collision coverage to repair your vehicle.

Comprehensive Coverage

Farmers also offers comprehensive insurance, which covers repair or replacement costs not covered under collision insurance.

With this Farmers comprehensive car insurance, you will be covered during the following scenarios:

• Theft
• Vandalism
• Vehicle damage caused by riots and civil disturbances
• Windshield and glass damage
• Rocks or objects kicked by cars
• Hail, storms, winds, lightning and earthquakes
• Vehicle damage after hitting a wild animal

Farmers comprehensive car insurance comes with a deductible, which you must pay before you receive the payout.

For example, your car may be vandalized and ends up with damage worth $5,000. Assuming that your deductible is $1000, Farmers will pay you $4,000 under your comprehensive car insurance, to repair your vehicle.

As much as this comprehensive car insurance covers almost everything, Farmers will not cover regular mechanical issues and repairs. Also, it will not cover modifications that you have made to your car, such as a non-manufacturer stereo or custom decals.

Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage

There is always a chance where you are involved in a car accident, and the at-fault driver doesn’t have sufficient insurance or doesn’t have any car insurance at all.

Without this insurance, you may be forced to take care of the vehicle damage and medical expenses by yourself. And as you probably know, the costs may be astronomical.

This is where Farmers’ uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage comes in.

For example, you may be involved in a car accident and your car accident damages and medical expenses add up to $300,000. If the at-fault driver’s car insurance can only cover only $100,000, Farmers will cover the balance up to your coverage limit.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is required in states like New York, Connecticut, Oregon, Maryland, Massachusetts, South Carolina and Nevada, just to name a few.

So, if you live in a state where this insurance is required, you will have to add it to your Farmers car insurance policy.

Medical Payments Coverage

Injuries resulting from a car accident can sometimes run into thousands of dollars. And this is where Farmers’ medical payments coverage comes in. It will cover medical costs for you and your passengers if any of you is injured in a covered accident.

Farmers’ medical payments insurance will cover doctor visits, X-rays and surgery, ambulance and EMT fees, as well as nursing care and rehabilitation.

Medical payments coverage may also cover you if you are hit as a pedestrian or injured while traveling as a passenger in another person’s vehicle.

Personal Injury Protection

A car accident may damage more than your vehicle. Medical expenses, lost wages as well as other expenses can add up fast, thus straining your savings.

Farmers’ personal injury protection insurance can help to cushion you from such expenses. It will cover you, your family as well as your passengers, regardless of whether you were at fault for the accident or not.

Farmers’ PIP insurance will cover medical costs such as ambulance care, surgical costs, X-rays, nursing care and rehabilitation, as well as diagnostics.

PIP coverage will also compensate for lost wages when you are in hospital. It will also cover extended household services and household tasks, in case you can’t perform these tasks due to injuries suffered from the accident.

Farmers’ personal injury protection coverage will also pay for funeral costs of injuries sustained during the accident that lead to death.

It may also pay a small death benefit to the bereaved family. What is covered under PIP varies from state to state.

If you live in any of the 12 no-fault states, then you will have to purchase PIP coverage as part of your Farmers car insurance policy.

Additional Coverage

Farmers also offers several additional car insurance packages, beyond its standard coverage. Some of the additional coverage that you can add to your Farmers car insurance policy includes:

New Car Replacement

If your car is totaled, Farmers car insurance, under its New Car Pledge program, will give you money for a brand new one, of the same make and model, minus depreciation.

Your car should have traveled a maximum of 24,000 miles and shouldn’t be more than 2 model years old to qualify for this program.

Customized Equipment

Similar to other insurance companies like All State, Farmers also offers special coverage if you add special features to your car.

For example, if you add custom rims, tires, or body works, then Farmers will cover those custom parts for up to $1,000.

And if the parts you’ve added to your car are worth more than $1,000, then you can opt for an additional endorsement, which can cover those parts up to $50,000, if they are damaged, stolen or vandalized.

Customized equipment coverage is only available to those who have added collision coverage and comprehensive coverage to their Farmers car insurance policy.

Accident Forgiveness

If you have been a Farmers' car insurance policyholder for 3 years, then your rates will not go up if you are involved in a car accident.

With this add-on policy, Farmers will forgive you if you cause a single accident within 3 years.

However, you can only qualify for this optional coverage after meeting certain eligibility requirements such as having no major violations for the last 3 years.

Glass Deductible Buyback

A glass deductible buyback is an optional coverage that you can add to your Farmers car insurance policy.

It reduces the deductible amount that you will pay, specifically for glass damage to your car’s windshield.

For instance, your car may be hit by a stray golf ball when you are driving on the highway, leading to windshield damage worth $500.

Assuming that your collision coverage or comprehensive coverage deductible is $800, some insurance companies will not pay you anything.

But with the Farmers’ glass deductible buyback coverage, your car’s windshield will still be repaired even if the repair costs are lower than your deductible. You just need to pay a deductible of $100.

In short, this optional coverage reduces the deductible, in a situation where your windshield’s repair costs are lower than your deductible.

Loss of Use

Loss of use is an optional Farmers car insurance coverage, designed to take care of your vehicle rental expenses or public transportation cost as your car is being repaired.

You must have either collision coverage or comprehensive coverage on your Farmers car insurance policy to buy this add-on coverage.

If the repairs take longer than your rental reimbursement coverage limits, then you will have to pay for the additional costs out of pocket.

Towing and Roadside Assistance

This add-on Farmers car insurance coverage will cover you in case your car experiences a breakdown on the road.

Some of the services that Farmers offers under this coverage include emergency towing, jump-start, tire changes, lock-out entry assistance as well as roadside winching if your car is stuck on ice, snow, or mud within 10 feet of a public paved road.

Original Equipment Manufacturer

As the name suggests, original equipment manufacturer coverage will pay for OEM replacement parts instead of aftermarket parts, if your car is damaged in a covered incident.

You must have comprehensive and collision coverage as part of your Farmers car insurance policy to purchase this coverage. Also, your car should not be more than 10 years older than the current model year.

Rideshare Insurance

If you drive for ridesharing companies like Uber or Lyft, then Farmers’ rideshare insurance can help to extend your car insurance coverage.

You may be probably asking yourself why you should purchase this optional coverage if you are a rideshare driver.

Well, your personal car insurance policy will not cover you when you have logged into your Uber or Lyft app as available and ready to accept a ride.

On the other hand, your rideshare company’s commercial liability coverage will only cover you when you accept a ride.

So, whenever you are logged into your rideshare app and you haven’t started a ride, you are only covered by Uber’s limited liability coverage.

The problem is, limited liability coverage will only cover property damage and medical expenses for others if you cause an accident. In short, it doesn’t cover your vehicle’s damage or repair expenses.

Farmers rideshare insurance helps to bridge this gap. It will help to cover you when you are not covered by your personal insurance or company insurance.

In short, it will fill the gap when you are logged into your rideshare company’s mobile app but you are yet to accept a ride.

You have enough options to choose from if you are looking to insure your car through Farmers.

Whether you opt to go for minimum or maximum Farmers car insurance coverage will depend on your budget, the car you drive, how you use the car, and most importantly, the coverage you need.

What is the Cost of Farmers Car Insurance?

The average cost of minimum car insurance nationwide is approximately $500 while full coverage costs approximately $1,700.

If you opt for Farmers car insurance, you will spend approximately $200 for minimum coverage and $1,100 for full coverage.

Without a doubt, insuring a car through Farmers car insurance appears to be an affordable option for most people.

What Determines the Cost of Farmers Car Insurance Rates?

Similar to other auto insurance companies, Farmers uses various factors to determine your car insurance rates.

These factors are mainly based on your likelihood of being involved in an accident or the frequency of filing for claims. Here are some of the factors that will determine your Farmers car insurance rates:

Your Location

Your location is probably one of the biggest factors that will determine your Farmers' car insurance rates. For instance, if you live in an area where cars are frequently stolen or vandalized, then there is a high chance that your premiums will be high.

Also, densely populated areas such as metros and cities, tend to have higher accident cases than rural areas. And this increases the number of car insurance claims coming from such areas.

As you may expect, if you relocate from a rural area to a city, then there it’s highly likely your premiums will go higher.

Driving Record

If you have been involved in several accidents over the last couple of years, then your Farmers car insurance premiums will be higher than an individual with a clean driving record.

Age

Farmers will also consider your age when determining your car insurance rates. Generally, younger, less experienced drivers are considered the riskiest to insure, due to their higher accident rate.

So, if you are under the age of 25, then the cost of your Farmers car insurance premiums will be higher compared to drivers over the age of 25.

In short, your premiums will go lower as you age, and then go up slightly after the age of 75.

Car Make and Model

Some car makes and models will cost more to repair or replace if they are damaged or totaled after a car accident compared to others. Therefore, such cars will be more to insure.

However, if your vehicle is equipped with in-built safety features like anti-theft devices or anti-lock brakes, then you may qualify for the Farmers’ car safety features discount.

The Coverage that You Choose

The coverages that you choose when purchasing a Farmers car insurance policy will also affect your rates.

Most states in the country will require you to have liability coverage. Some states may also require you to have collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, medical payments coverage and personal injury protection coverage.

You may also decide to add optional Farmers car insurance coverages such as rental reimbursement and roadside assistance.

The higher the number of coverages on your Farmers car insurance policy, the higher your premiums will be.

Coverage Limits

A limit is the maximum amount that your Farmers car insurance policy will pay toward a covered loss. Each coverage comes with its own limit, which you can adjust according to your needs. Choosing a high limit will definitely lead to high Farmers car insurance premiums.

Does Farmers Offer Auto Insurance Discounts?

Farmers offers a wide range of discounts, designed to help its policyholders save money on car insurance premiums.

They offer all the standard discounts normally offered by major large car insurance companies as well as some unique discounts such as the Signal program.

Here are some of the Farmers car insurance discounts available to its customers.

Multi-Vehicle Discount

Farmers will give you a discount if you add more than one vehicle to your Farmers car insurance policy.

For example, if you are married then you can combine your policies, instead of each person having a separate Farmers car insurance policy. The multi-vehicle discount is normally between 10% and 15%.

Multi-Policy Discount

Purchasing more than one insurance policy from Farmers will also earn you some discounts.

For instance, if you purchase both your homeowners insurance policy and car insurance policy from Farmers, then you can earn a discount of up to 15% on both policies.

You can also qualify for this discount if you combine your auto insurance policy with motorcycle or life insurance. The more policies that you combine, the higher the discount.

Good Driver Discount

If you have not been involved in a car accident or you don’t have a moving violation on your driving record for the last 3 years, then you can earn a discount.

Farmers offers a good driver discount of up to 20%. The actual discount you will earn will depend on how long you’ve driven without being involved in a car accident.

Defensive Driver Discount

Drivers who successfully complete a state-approved defensive driving course are eligible for a discount on their Farmers car insurance policy.

You must produce a certification of completion to get this discount. Senior citizens who complete such courses are eligible for additional discounts.

Academic Excellence Discount

Farmers also offers academic excellence discounts to students who score decent grades in high school or college. It is designed to help offset the high cost of premiums that young adults and most adolescents are required to pay for car insurance coverage.

If you have a high school or college student on your policy that scores a B or a GPA of at least 3.0, then you will be eligible for a discount of up to 10%.

To qualify for this discount, the student on your policy should be within the ages of 16 to 24.

Affinity Groups Discount

Being a member of certain organizations can also earn you Farmers car insurance discounts of up to 5%.

Some of the eligible groups include nurses, firefighters, police, as well as doctors. Members of fraternal organizations and alumni groups of certain universities are also eligible for this discount.

Car Safety Features Discount

Farmers also offers additional auto insurance discounts, for cars equipped with various safety features. Making your car safer for you and your passengers translates to reduced claims, thus the discount.

If your car has factory-installed safety features like passenger airbags, anti-lock brakes, as well as passive or active car alarm systems, then you can qualify for a discount of approximately 5% to 10% on your Farmers car insurance policy.

Payments Discount

If you have the funds to pay for your entire Farmers car insurance policy upfront, then you can save hundreds of dollars on your premiums.

Farmers also offers a discount to its policyholders, who opt to have payments automatically deducted from their checking accounts every month.

Advanced Quote Discount

If you switch to Farmers car insurance from another insurer when your policy is at least 7 days yet to expire, then you can earn an advanced quote discount of up to 10%.

It’s important to note that this discount will gradually fall off your policy over five years.

Paperless Discount

People who opt to process their Farmers car insurance paperwork are also eligible for a discount of up to 3%. For example, if you opt to be receiving all your paperwork through email, then you can qualify for this discount.

Signal Program Discounts

Signal is a usage-based program, which constantly monitors your driving habits. And if you exhibit good driving habits, then you can qualify for discounts on your Farmers car insurance policy.

To participate in this program, you will first need to contact your local Farmers insurance agent, who will send you a link to download the Signal mobile app.

Farmers will give you a 5% discount on your car insurance for using this app. However, you will need to complete at least 10 qualifying trips to unlock this discount.

After installing the mobile app, it will monitor your driving and then award you a score depending on your driving habits.

Similar to other usage-based programs, the Farmers’ signal app will monitor driving behaviors such as hard braking, distracted driving, speed, miles were driven and the time of day that you normally drive.

Your score will reflect after every trip. And if you consistently exhibit good driving habits, you will earn high scores, which will be converted into discounts. The discount you’ve earned will then reflect when you renew your Farmers’ car insurance policy.

According to Farmers, you can earn a discount of up to 15% on your renewal depending on your driving habits.

Specialty Discounts

Apart from the above standard discounts, Farmers also offers specialty discounts in some select states.

For instance, in California, Farmers offers a loyalty discount for being a policyholder of at least 3 years. And in Arizona, policyholders who are 55 years or older qualify for a discount if they are living in a retirement community.

There is also the alternative fuel discount, available to California drivers only. If you are a California policyholder and you drive an eco-friendly car that is hybrid or powered by natural gas, propane, or electric, then you can qualify for a discount of up to 10%.

As you can see, Farmers offers a comprehensive range of discounts, which can help to lower your car insurance premiums.

The discount percentages, eligibility and availability vary by driver and from state to state. So, you need to contact your local Farmers insurance agent to see if you are eligible.

Farmers Car Insurance Availability

Farmers car insurance is available in all 50 states. However, its rideshare insurance is only available in 23 states.

Farmers Insurance also works under various subsidiaries such as 21st Century Insurance, Foremost Insurance, and Bristol West Insurance.

And while it may own these companies, each one operates independently. For example, if your policy is with Foremost Insurance, then you will deal with Foremost Insurance directly when it comes to the various services and not with Farmers.

Farmers Car Insurance Customer Service

Farmers’ customer service is arguably its strongest feature. It has a network of approximately 48,000 agents across the country, which translates to around 1,000 agents per state.

As noted above, its claims center is open 24/7, meaning you can report a claim anytime, regardless of the day or time.

Farmers also has a mobile app, which you can use to pay your bills, view your insurance ID cards, report a claim, view policy documents, get a quote, request roadside assistance, or get in touch with your agent.

Also, you can open an account on Farmers website, which you can use to manage your policies using either your mobile device or computer.

Simply put, Farmers offers numerous communication channels, which you can use to get in touch with them or manage your policies.

How to Make a Car Insurance Claim with Farmers

You can file a claim directly with your agent, doing it online or calling the claims center. Farmers’ claims center is available 24/7.

When filing the claim, you will be asked to provide details such as the time, date and location of the incident. You may also be required to file supporting documentation.

Once you’ve provided the required details and documentation, your claims representative will then get in touch with you and send you the claim assessment report and an estimate.

Your claims representative will also provide the next steps pertaining to how your vehicle will be repaired or replaced.

If it’s to be repaired, you can choose your preferred auto repair shop or have it repaired at one of the company’s Guaranteed Repair Program facilities.

If your vehicle is repaired at one of the facilities in its Guaranteed Repair Program, then the repairs will be guaranteed for the life of the car, as long as you remain the owner.

How Does Farmers Car Insurance Compare?

Farmers offers numerous insurance coverage options and an extensive selection of discounts. But how does it compare with other car insurers? Let’s take a closer look.

Customer Satisfaction Rating

According to J.D. Power, the average customer satisfaction score for car insurance companies was 835 out of a possible 1000 points. Farmers earned an average score of 820 across different regions, which is below the average.

Customer Complaint Ratio

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners or NAIC collects and assesses the number of complaints that insurance companies receive every year. The national average is always 1.0.

In 2020, Farmers earned a score of 1.60 for customer complaints, which means it received a higher number of complaints than the national average.

Financial Strength

An insurer’s financial strength determines its ability to meet its ongoing financial obligations. And AM Best rates insurance companies on this factor.

Farmers earned an A rating, which means it’s a financially stable insurance company, capable of paying out large legitimate claims.

Pros

• A vast network of agents for personalized help
• A wide range of discounts
• Plenty of coverage options
•  Rideshare insurance available

Cons

•  Below average customer satisfaction rating
• No gap insurance coverage

Our Take

Farmers is a reputable car insurer with decades of experience in the auto insurance industry. It offers a vast selection of basic coverage options as well as several add-ons. It also offers plenty of discounts, designed to help its policyholders save money on car insurance. On the flip side, its lower-than-average customer satisfaction rates and lack of gap insurance coverage may prove to be a dealbreaker for some people.