Is Safeco or Erie better for car insurance?
Safeco is a good choice for customers looking for various policy offerings, discounts on their premiums and the opportunity to bundle their insurance policies. Safeco’s parent company is Liberty Mutual, which does not publish its premiums, so Safeco was not ranked in Insure.com’s overall top auto insurance companies in 2023 because its premiums are not published.
Erie insurance, on the other hand, ranked sixth on the list of the top 10 insurers included in Insure.com’s list of top auto insurance providers for 2023. Erie scored 3.2 stars out of five stars and received high customer satisfaction ratings and superior renewal rates. It also had an A+ rating through AM Best for financial strength, just below AM Best’s highest A++ rating.
Continue reading to see how Safeco and Erie compare in several areas of Insure.com’s top auto insurance companies survey.
Pros – Safeco and ErieSafeco Pros
- Many customers plan to renew with Safeco
- Wide variety of policy offerings
- Available in most states
Erie Pros
- Excellent score from J.D. Power
- Highly-ranked for customer renewals
- Highly varied policy offerings
How Safeco and Erie score on customer satisfaction
Erie customers reported a high level of customer satisfaction with the auto insurance provider. A total of 96% of respondents indicated they experienced satisfaction with the level of service they received from Erie. Erie’s score was 18 percentage points higher than Safeco’s.
By comparison, only 78% of customers with Safeco indicated they experienced customer satisfaction with the company, showing the company is not doing as well as Erie in this category.
| Insurance company | Percent of customers that are satisfied with the company overall |
|---|---|
| Safeco | 78% |
| Erie | 96% |
Do Safeco and Erie customers plan to renew?
The data show that more Erie customers plan to renew their policies than Safeco customers. That said, both providers have high customer ratings for renewed plans.
| Insurance company | Percent of customers who plan to renew with the company |
|---|---|
| Safeco | 94% |
| Erie | 100% |
How Safeco and Erie score on policy offerings
The survey shows that both Safeco and Erie scored high for their variety of policy offerings. Although Erie has a slightly higher rating than Safeco, both providers have great policy offerings.
| Insurance company | Percent of customers satisfied with the company’s policy offerings |
|---|---|
| Safeco | 91% |
| Erie | 89% |
Safeco vs. Erie: AM Best credit rating
AM Best rates insurance companies on their financial strength. AM Best did not rank Safeco, but Erie received a superior A+ rating.
Safeco vs. Erie: J.D. Power auto claims satisfaction score
According to a 2022 U.S. J.D. Power auto claims satisfaction study, Safeco received a score of 865, which is lower than the industry average of 873. In comparison, Erie Insurance ranked well above the industry average and Safeco in the study with a score of 893.
FAQ: Safeco vs. Erie
Can I buy Safeco car insurance online?
You can get a quote online with Safeco or call 1-800-332-3226 to talk to a representative. You can also get an online quote for your home, small business or motorcycle.
Can I buy Erie car insurance online?
You can provide details about yourself, your vehicles and the drivers in your household to get a free insurance quote online from Erie or call 800-458-0811.
Who should get Safeco car insurance?
Safeco’s customers highly recommend the company to family and friends, so it’s a good company for anyone who wants a variety of policy offerings and opportunities to bundle policies.
Who should get Erie car insurance?
Erie is best for customers prioritizing a high auto claims satisfaction score, high customer satisfaction rankings and competitive rates. But, it’s not available in every state.
What other types of insurance does Safeco offer?
Safeco also offers:
- Homeowners
- Renters
- Condo
- Landlord
- Home warranty
- Umbrella
- Pet
- Identity recovery
- Commercial insurance
- Boat and watercraft
What other types of insurance does Erie offer?
Erie also offers:
- Home
- Renters
- Condo
- Mobile home
- Personal valuables
- Flood
- Life
- Business
Resources & Methodology
Sources
J.D. Power. “Insurers Struggle to Manage Expectations in Auto Claims Process as Repair Times Increase, J.D. Power Finds.” Accessed March 2023.
Methodology
Insure.com, which is CarInsurance.com’s sister site, surveyed more than 1,500 insurance consumers (1,080 people with auto insurance). Online market research company Slice MR conducted the survey.
Respondents were asked to name their auto insurer and grade it in the following categories – customer satisfaction, ease of service and policy offerings. The percentage of respondents who said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their insurer is presented in the results.
Respondents ranked their insurer’s top three attributes out of more than a dozen presented – including claims satisfaction, digital experience, discounts, military discounts, best for young drivers and teens, best for college students, best for senior drivers, best for drivers with a ticket, best for high-risk drivers and best for auto/home bundling.
For a number one choice, five points were given; for a second choice, three points; and for a third choice, a single point. The total points for each choice – first, second and third – were then divided by the number of each company’s customers who responded to that survey question to create a percentage. Those percentages are presented in the results as survey scores.
Respondents were then asked if they would recommend their auto insurer to someone else and whether they would renew with their company. The percentage who said yes is presented in the results.
Finally, respondents were given the statement “I trust my insurance company” and asked if they strongly agreed, agreed, disagreed or strongly disagreed with it. The percentage of those who said they agreed or strongly agreed is presented in the results.
The editors compiled the survey results and then selected – based on the number of survey responses – the top companies for further evaluation.
They then collected National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ complaint data, which ranks a company by the number of customer complaints it receives, and A.M. Best data, which measures financial strength.
They also collected insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services.
With the help of Prof. David Marlett, Ph.D., Managing Director of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center at Appalachian State University, the editors created a rating system to determine which insurance companies were best in each sector.
For auto insurers, we took the following and gave each a weight.
- Survey: 40% of the total score (10% customer satisfaction, 10% recommended, 10% renewal rate and 10% claims handling)
- Annual premium: 20% of total score
- AM Best: 25% of total score
- NAIC: 15% of total score
Each insurer was awarded from 1 to 5 stars. No insurer in our star ranking received less than 1 star and 5 stars was the most any insurer could receive.
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Laura Longero
Executive Editor
Laura Longero is an insurance expert and Executive Editor at CarInsurance.com, where she specializes in helping consumers navigate the complexities of the financial and insurance industries. She has 15 years of experience educating people about finance and car insurance. Prior to joining CarInsurance.com, she worked as a reporter and editor at the USA Today Network. Her expertise provides readers with practical guidance, helping them make informed choices about their financial and insurance needs.
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John McCormick
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John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.
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Leslie Kasperowicz
Executive Editor
Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.
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Nupur Gambhir
Managing Editor
Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.