- Guarantees repairs made within the insurer’s network.
- Typically below-average rates.
- Relatively high financial strength rating.
- Higher-than-expected consumer complaints.
- Poor J.D. Power ratings.
- Discounts and optional coverages may be limited.
Safeco car insurance review
Jerry rates Safeco 4.3 stars out of 5. This score accounts for the insurer’s pricing, industry ratings, customer ratings, financial strength and national complaint data.
Safeco is owned by Liberty Mutual and provides auto insurance in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The insurer receives high marks from Jerry customers and has a solid financial strength rating. Premium costs are below average compared to other insurers, according to Jerry’s quote data.
Claims appear to be an area where Safeco struggles to perform well. The company received a D+ from the CRASH Network’s insurer report card, which asks repair shops to assess insurers’ claims handling procedures. Safeco is also ranked below average in J.D. Power’s insurance shopping study. However, for those who do file a claim, the insurer guarantees repairs made at shops within its network.
Who is Safeco best for?
Safeco is best for drivers looking for affordable, no-frills coverage with few customization options. It’s worth getting a quote from Safeco if you’ve let coverage lapse or have recent claims or violations because you may get a lower rate than you would with another insurer.
How much does Safeco car insurance cost?
The average cost for the state-mandated minimum car insurance with Safeco is typically cheaper than the national average, according to our analysis of over 400,000 policies quoted to real Jerry customers from 24 unique insurers.
Your premium is determined by a number of factors, including your age, location, vehicle, driving record, other drivers on your policy and the amount of coverage you choose.
Safeco car insurance rates
Here’s a look at Safeco’s car insurance rates quoted for real Jerry customers.
|
Avg Monthly Quote
|
Car Make Model Trim
|
Has Full Coverage
|
Date of Policy
|
|---|---|---|---|
| $152 | Nissan Xterra Se | No | March 22, 2025 |
| $157 | Toyota Sequoia Limited | No | March 22, 2025 |
| $97 | Infiniti M35 Base | No | March 22, 2025 |
| $120 | Nissan Murano S | No | March 22, 2025 |
| $207 | Chevrolet Camaro Ls | No | March 22, 2025 |
| $55 | Toyota Corolla L | No | March 22, 2025 |
| $263 | Chevrolet Malibu Lt | No | March 22, 2025 |
| $281 | Hyundai Santa Fe Gls | No | March 22, 2025 |
| $110 | Chevrolet Traverse Lt | No | March 22, 2025 |
| $57 | Volkswagen Cc Sport | No | March 22, 2025 |
Safeco car insurance discounts
Safeco advertises far fewer discounts than some competitors, and some may not be available depending on your state. Here’s how drivers can save:
- Claims-free discount: Safeco refunds 2.5% of the total premium cost if you don’t file a claim during your most recent six-month review period, up to 5% per year.
- Diminishing deductible: Your deductible, if your policy has one, will decrease at each renewal if you remain claim-free. The reduction is $50 on six-month policies and $100 on annual policies, with a maximum reduction of $500.
Safeco also offers accident forgiveness, meaning the company will waive your first accident after a certain number of years without an at-fault accident or violation.
Does Safeco offer insurance based on driving behavior?
Yes, in most states. Safeco’s Right Track app allows the insurer to track drivers’ behavior behind the wheel and adjusts policy costs accordingly. The provider says drivers receive an automatic 10% discount at sign-up and can reduce their premium up to 30% by participating.
Unlike some other telematics programs, which may monitor driving behavior for the full policy term, Right Track only tracks behavior for 90 days. During that time, the app takes in the following factors to help adjust the rate:
- Total miles driven.
- Trips between midnight and 4 a.m.
- Braking and accelerating.
At the end of the 90-day review period, Safeco provides a final driving score and finalizes the discount, which may be less than the initial 10%. In that case, you must pay the difference.
Safeco car insurance coverage options
Safeco offers standard coverage types including collision, comprehensive, bodily injury liability, property damage liability, medical payments, personal injury protection and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
-
Coverage definitions
Safeco also provides the following additional coverage options:
- New vehicle replacement kicks in if you’re the original owner of a car that’s stolen or totaled before the one-year mark. If that happens, Safeco will pay the value of a comparable new car.
- Rental car reimbursement pays for a rental car while yours is being repaired after a covered accident.
- Roadside assistance covers the cost of towing, gas and oil delivery, a locksmith, and other types of on-the-road help.
Industry ratings of Safeco car insurance
Safeco performs poorly across industry reports, with a higher-than-expected number of consumer complaints and a low rating from J.D. Power and the CRASH Network. AM Best gives the insurer high marks for financial strength, though.
| Rating | Safeco’s score |
|---|---|
| NAIC consumer complaint index | Moderately high (poor). |
| CRASH Network report card | D+. |
| J.D. Power auto insurance shopping study | No. 15 of 17. |
| J.D. Power auto insurance claims study | No. 16 of 21. |
| AM Best | A. |
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NAIC
-
CRASH Network
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J.D. Power
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AM Best
Safeco auto insurance customer reviews
Hundreds of Jerry customers have used and reviewed Safeco’s auto insurance and have given the company a good overall score.
How to contact Safeco
The insurer encourages existing policyholders to manage their policies online and contact their local agent for policy questions. Prospective customers can find an agent on the insurer’s website (https://www.safeco.com/find-an-agent).
Safeco’s customer service and claims number is 800-332-3226.
Methodology
We looked at over 400,000 actual policies quotes from real Jerry customers during 2024 across 24 different insurance companies. The pricing data included both those with clean driving records as well as those with a violation.
How we rate car insurance companies
Jerry’s team of car insurance expert writers and editors analyze real customer ratings and industry reports to get a holistic view of an insurer’s performance. Our rubric emphasizes the shopping and claims experiences, customer complaints and reviews, repair shops’ evaluations of insurers, policy and quote pricing, and state availability.
We regularly reassess insurers’ star ratings and fact-check these reviews to ensure they’re accurate and up-to-date.
These individual factors roll up into one weighting system as follows:
20% Financial strength.
20% Complaints.
20% Industry ratings.
20% Customer ratings.
20% Cost and discounts.
Annie is a writer and editor at Jerry and has more than a decade of experience writing and editing digital content. Before joining Jerry, she was an assistant assigning editor at NerdWallet, where she covered loans. Previously, she worked at USAA and newspapers in Minnesota, North Dakota, California, and Texas. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota.
Ben Moore is a writer and editor at Jerry and an auto insurance expert. He previously worked as a writer, editor and content strategist on NerdWallet’s auto insurance team for five years. His work has been published in The Associated Press, Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times, MarketWatch, Nasdaq and Yahoo News. He also served as a NerdWallet spokesperson, with appearances on local broadcast television and quotes in Martha Stewart and Real Simple magazine.
Ben has an extensive background in digital marketing, working on affiliate and programmatic advertising campaigns for brands like Cabela’s, H&R Block and Sears. He holds a bachelors degree in marketing from Olivet Nazarene University.
