See if this provider has the right coverage and affordable rates.
Shopping for car insurance? In our review of the best auto insurance companies, we looked at many factors, including coverage options, premiums, discounts, and customer service ratings. Below, we review National General Insurance’s auto insurance program to help you find coverage that suits your needs and budget. Fill out the form below to see what’s available in your area and start comparing quotes.
In this article:
Overview Of Auto Coverage From National General Insurance
National General Insurance has sold car insurance policies across the U.S. since 1939. According to its website, the company prides itself on listening to its customers and providing affordable coverage and outstanding service. National General Insurance offers several money-saving discounts and rewards its policyholders for driving safely and making other smart choices off the road. It is rated as Excellent (A-) by AM Best.
National General Insurance Coverage Options
Car insurance companies typically offer several types of coverage. National General Insurance offers the standard coverages explained below, as well as roadside assistance, accidental death and dismemberment, and auto protection plans. Some forms of coverage are required, while others are optional. In many cases, rules depend on state law.
Liability coverage is required in most states. It will pay for medical bills and/or property damage suffered by others if you’re found at fault for an accident. Bodily Injury Liability will cover another person’s medical bills, and Property Damage Liability will cover damage to someone else’s property.
Medical Payments coverage will pay for medical bills if you, another covered driver, or a passenger are injured in an accident. Some states require Medical Payments coverage, while it’s optional in other locations.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) can cover your medical expenses resulting from injuries sustained in a car accident, as well as other associated costs you may incur due to your injuries, such as lost income. PIP coverage is only available in some states.
Uninsured Motorist coverage will pay for your medical bills and/or repairs to your vehicle if you are hit by another driver who doesn’t have insurance. Underinsured Motorist coverage will pay if you are hit by someone who has insurance, but whose coverage limits aren’t high enough to cover the full costs of your medical and/or repair bills.
Collision coverage will pay for damage to your vehicle if you are involved in an accident, regardless of who is at fault, after you have met your deductible. Collision coverage is particularly important if you live in an area that tends to get a lot of snow and ice in the winter, since it will cover you if you hit another vehicle, a tree, a sign, or anything else.
Comprehensive coverage is sometimes referred to as “Other Than Collision” coverage. It will pay for damage to your vehicle caused by something other than an accident, such as severe weather, fire, theft, vandalism, a falling object, or an animal.
In most cases, Collision and Comprehensive coverage are optional. If you have a vehicle loan or lease, however, you may be required to carry these types of coverage. After you have paid off your auto loan, you will be able to decide whether to keep Collision and/or Comprehensive coverage or to remove them from your policy to save money on your premiums.
How Car Insurance Companies Set Premiums
If you’re trying to figure out how much car insurance from National General Insurance will cost, understand that auto insurers consider many factors to assess risk and set rates. Since each company has its own policies and assigns a different amount of weight to each of these factors, it’s important to compare quotes from several insurers to find the best rates.
Driving record: Accidents, tickets, and previous claims can affect rates. The amount depends on the number of accidents or tickets, the seriousness of each accident or offense, and how long ago those events occurred.
Age and gender: Rates are higher for teens than for older, more experienced drivers. Premiums are usually higher for teenage males than for teenage females. Auto insurance rates tend to go down when drivers reach their mid-20s, stay low through middle age, and increase around age 70.
Marital status: Married people tend to be involved in fewer accidents than single drivers. Couples can also qualify for discounts if they purchase a multi-car policy or bundle other policies, such as homeowners insurance, with auto coverage.
Credit history: Auto insurers base their rates in part on a customer’s insurance score, which is calculated based on information included in credit reports. That information helps insurers predict which drivers are most likely to be involved in accidents and to file claims. People with lower credit scores tend to submit more accident claims and are therefore often charged higher premiums.
Vehicle safety and features: Policyholders who drive cars with high safety ratings, air bags, traction control, anti-lock brakes, and other safety features typically have lower rates than those who drive less-safe vehicles. Larger cars are usually safer than smaller vehicles, and therefore less expensive to insure. Customers who drive vehicles frequently stolen may be charged higher premiums than drivers of other vehicles. Collision rates are higher for newer vehicles since the owner of a damaged newer car would have it repaired, while the owner of a damaged older car might simply replace it.
Location: Urban areas have more congestion, higher rates of accidents and theft, and often more uninsured drivers than suburban and rural areas. Drivers in cities are therefore often charged higher insurance premiums.
Discounts Available From National General Insurance
National General Insurance offers several discounts that can lower premiums for customers, including:
- Safe driver discount: In some states, drivers who complete a defensive driving course can qualify for lower premiums.
- Teen driver discounts: This is available for teenagers who complete an approved driver’s education course, drive a safe vehicle, don’t have any accidents or get any tickets, or earn good grades.
- Low mileage discount: Drivers who use an electronic device to record the number of miles they drive may be eligible for savings.
- Paid-in-full discount: Customers who pay their entire premium at the start of a policy term receive reduced rates.
- Auto-pay discount: This offers savings to policyholders who make automatic payments.
- Paperless discount: Customers who receive their bills electronically can benefit from reduced premiums.
- Multi-vehicle discount: These savings are for customers who insure two or more vehicles.
- Multi-policy discount: This is available to customers with multiple policies, such as auto, RV, and homeowners, issued by National General Insurance.
- Motorcycle discount: These are savings for safe riders and for customers who insure multiple motorcycles.
- Anti-theft discount: This discount is available for customers who insure vehicles with anti-theft features installed by the manufacturer or by the owner after purchase.
- Affinity discount: These are offered to members of various organizations.
- General Motors discount: If you use GM/GMAC products and services or have OnStar®, you may qualify for more discounts.
How Is National General Insurance’s Customer Service?
National General Insurance allows customers to get a quote online or over the phone. If you request a quote online, you don’t have to complete the process all at once. If you don’t have all the necessary information, you can save your search and return to complete it later. National General Insurance also makes it easy for current customers to update their coverage and other policy details online or over the phone.
If you're looking for the best coverage and rates, we recommend comparing your options. Our tool below will match you with a handful of the best options in your area so you can see what works for you:
If you buy or lease a new vehicle, you can transfer your existing policy to your new vehicle online or over the phone. You can choose to transfer coverage immediately or at a future date. Your premiums for coverage on your new vehicle may be different, since rates are based in part on vehicle type and safety features.
Claims
Customers can file a claim 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, over the phone. If collision repairs are made at one of National General Insurance’s Gold Medal Repair Shops, they will be guaranteed for the vehicle’s lifetime. If you file a claim and have any concerns after your vehicle has been repaired, National General Insurance will reinspect it to make sure the repairs were performed correctly.
National General Insurance touts its ability to process claims quickly. The company pays most small claims within 48 hours after they are filed. It guarantees customer satisfaction when it comes to claims service and will waive your deductible up to $250 if you are dissatisfied with their claims service. (This is not available in Texas.)
In addition to coverage of vehicle repairs and injuries, National General Insurance provides an Emergency Expense Allowance. That can pay up to $500 to cover other related expenses, such as food, lodging, and travel, that a customer incurs after filing a covered claim.
App
Customers who download National General Insurance’s SmartDrive app earn a 5-percent reduction in their premiums. Policyholders who demonstrate safe driving habits are eligible for even greater savings.
National General Auto Insurance Customer Reviews
National General Insurance has received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and has been accredited with BBB since 1960. The company has 4.5 stars, which is much higher than most companies we’ve researched.
Several customers filed complaints with the BBB citing poor customer service related to billing and claims. Others have positive experiences with customer service and affordable rates.
Final Thoughts
National General Insurance offers a range of coverage options, as well as several discounts that can reduce customers’ premiums. Its website highlights its efficient claims service and its guarantee for repairs performed at its Gold Medal Repair Shops. Despite earning high marks from the Better Business Bureau, numerous customers and drivers involved in accidents with the company’s customers have reported poor customer service.
Our Recommendations
Before you purchase a car insurance policy, you should get in touch with several carriers to compare their rates. We’ve looked at the coverage options, claims and customer service records, premiums, and discounts offered by many of the top auto insurance companies in the U.S. These are two of our top picks:
USAA
We gave USAA 5.0 stars overall. In addition to excellent customer service ratings, USAA’s premiums are affordable in many states. The company earned AM Best’s highest rating, A++, and the top spot in J.D. Power’s 2019 Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. USAA is often the best auto insurance option for current and former members of the military and their families.
State Farm
We gave State Farm an overall rating of 5 stars. It’s the largest auto insurance company in the U.S. and is known for providing outstanding customer service. State Farm offers several apps that allow customers to easily manage their policies, file claims, and earn discounts.
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