To help you determine whether Safeco is a good fit for your insurance needs, we’ve done our homework on the provider, which includes pouring over numerous Safeco insurance reviews. Below, we will compare Safeco to its parent company, explore Safeco car insurance coverage, and look into industry leaders and customer reviews.
Whenever you shop for car insurance, we recommend getting quotes from multiple providers so you can compare coverage and rates. In addition to the insurance company you choose, factors such as your age, vehicle make and model, and driving history can affect your premium, so what’s best for your neighbor might not be best for you.
In this article:
- Safeco Car Insurance At A Glance
- Safeco Car Insurance Coverage
- Cost of Safeco Auto Insurance
- Safeco Insurance Reviews
- Safeco Car Insurance Apps And Technology
- Our Take On Safeco Car Insurance: 4.0 Stars
- Our Top Recommendations For Car Insurance
- FAQ: Safeco Insurance Reviews
- Methodology
Safeco Car Insurance At A Glance
From its founding in 1923 to its acquisition by Liberty Mutual in 2008 to today, Safeco has held to its core value of community engagement. The car insurance provider has a history of giving that carries over into everyday business, as Safeco is known for using independent agents who care about customers.
Like any insurance company, Safeco may be more appealing to some vehicle owners than others.
| You might like Safeco car insurance if you: | Safeco may not be your first choice if you: |
|---|---|
| Value your free time and prioritize convenience | Would rather shop online than with an independent agent |
| Are a parent of a teenager | Value the lowest cost above all |
| Are an older driver | |
| Share Safeco’s community-oriented values |
Safeco Vs. Liberty Mutual: What's The Difference?
Liberty Mutual purchased Safeco in 2008, so naturally, the providers share some similarities. Yet, Safeco is its own company. In our research, we found that the primary difference between Liberty Mutual and Safeco is how people buy the companies’ policies.
Safeco has a more balanced consumer model – one that we believe is a better option, as independent agents help you with the process of shopping across insurance brands.
Many of the benefits we know from Liberty Mutual’s television commercials, such as accident forgiveness and new car replacement, carry over to Safeco car insurance.
The difference is that Liberty Mutual agents can only sell you Liberty Mutual insurance since the company’s agents are all exclusive. Safeco, on the other hand, uses independent agents who can sell multiple brands of insurance, including Safeco. Independent agents do comparison price shopping for you and can typically customize an insurance policy with more price flexibility than exclusive agents because they have more choices.
Safeco Car Insurance Coverage
Safeco is a good choice for those seeking customizable coverage options. Like most other insurance companies, Safeco offers coverages that include bodily injury liability, property damage liability, personal injury protection, medical payments, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, collision, and comprehensive.
Safeco Car Insurance Benefits
A few non-standard features make Safeco car insurance stand out in a crowded field. In particular, Safeco is known for medical reimbursement coverage included with all insurance plans and two offerings that have been heavily advertised by Liberty Mutual: accident forgiveness and a diminishing deductible.
- Reimbursement for first aid: The most unique benefit is first aid reimbursement with a $10,000 limit. In line with the brand being committed to community wellbeing, Safeco will reimburse you for any costs incurred by rendering first aid to other drivers or passengers in the case of an accident.
- Accident forgiveness: The first accident resulting in a claim for drivers in good standing won’t mean higher premiums.
- Diminishing deductible: For every year without a claim, Safeco customers’ deductibles decrease by $100, with a maximum of 5 years and $500.
Safeco Car Insurance Services
Safeco also offers industry-standard options such as roadside assistance and rental car reimbursement. Additionally, Safeco car insurance offers the following services:
| Safeco Car Insurance Service | Details |
|---|---|
| Safeco Claims Valet Service | This optional coverage includes a rental car delivered to you by a Safeco driver, no matter where you are. The driver will then take your car to a body shop and supervise any repairs your vehicle needs. When your car is repaired, the valet service brings it back to you and returns the rental car on your behalf. This option is great for those who value time. Along with the benefits Safeco offers to parents of teenagers, this might be enough to set Safeco apart in the market. |
| Rideshare Insurance | If you are a rideshare driver, Safeco car insurance has you covered with a rideshare coverage add-on. Coverage for the in-between moments of picking up, dropping off, and driving to get passengers is generally excluded from auto insurance policies. After you log into your ridesharing app to go pick up passengers, you are driving without insurance of any kind until you have a passenger in your car – unless you opt for rideshare coverage with a provider such as Safeco. |
| Custom Equipment Coverage | Protection for custom equipment such as modified engines, high-end stereo installations, or expensive overlanding equipment can be added to most Safeco car insurance policies. Custom equipment includes any part that modifies the performance or appearance of your vehicle. |
| Emergency Assistance Package | Safeco offers an Emergency Assistance Package that can give those who travel for business or pleasure peace of mind. The package grants you $500 for hotels, meals, and transportation, and $100 for on-the-road expenses if you are in an accident more than 25 miles from home. The Emergency Assistance Package also covers damage to personal belongings from an accident or theft while on a road trip. |
Cost of Safeco Auto Insurance
The cost of Safeco auto insurance can depend on a few factors. These include your vehicle type as well as your age, gender, credit score, and driving history. According to data we analyzed from Quadrant Information Services, the average annual premium rate estimate for car insurance ranged from $1,000 to $3,000 based on the profile of a 35-year-old with good credit and a clean driving record.
For Safeco Insurance, the cost of auto coverage can fall between $2,500 and $4,700 a year. From the most recent National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) report in 2018, the average overall cost for a premium across all 50 states annually was $1,056, so based on our research, Safeco auto insurance can be costly.
Safeco Auto Insurance Discounts
To make sure your Safeco car insurance policy is as cheap as possible while also retaining the necessary protections, Safeco has a number of insurance discount options available:
- Combine and save: Using Safeco for your home insurance as well as your auto insurance can save up to 15 percent.
- Safety Rewards™: Safeco offers a package of discounts, including the vanishing deductible and accident forgiveness.
- Teen Safety Rewards™: A comprehensive list of discounts available to responsible teens and families can lead to significant reductions in your premium (more on this below).
- Driver safety education: Discounts are available for teenagers and drivers 55 years old and older who take driver safety courses.
- Lower mileage: A 20 percent discount is available to those with low annual mileage.
- Theft deterrence: Engine immobilization technology or an audible car alarm can reduce your car’s chances of being stolen – and reduce your Safeco car insurance premium.
- Homeownership: If you own rather than rent, you are eligible for a discount.
- Accident prevention course: Drivers within a certain age range can complete an accident prevention course to receive a three-year discount.
- Multi-policy: Multiple cars covered under Safeco receive a discount.
Family Discounts
We believe parents with teenagers will particularly enjoy Safeco car insurance. As mentioned above, the Teen Safety Rewards™ program is a great perk for families. The program includes the following discounts:
- Good student discount: This discount applies to teenagers who maintain a 3.0-grade point average or rank in the top 20 percent of their class.
- Distant student discount: If your teenager attends school 100 miles from home without a car, you will have a lower premium.
- Newly independent discount: When a young driver moves off their parents’ insurance and purchases their own plan, they receive a discount.
- New teen reward: Adding a new teenage driver to your policy can lower your rates up to 27 percent.
- Tenure reward: In some states, the new teen reward discount is not available, but adding a second teenage driver to your policy can still lower your rates.
- Safeco Righttrack®: This program tracks vehicle usage patterns, such as hard acceleration, hard braking, and nighttime driving. Avoiding aggressive driving and driving at night can reduce rates by 30 percent.
Teen Driving Discounts
Community responsibility is a theme with the Safeco brand, and another feature for parents who pay or help pay for their children’s auto expenses is the Safeco Parent-Teen Contract. Although not a discount, the contract sets out a list of responsible behaviors that teens agree to abide by while driving. The contract also includes ongoing car maintenance responsibilities and organizes costs – such as registration fees and fuel.
Safeco Insurance Reviews
J.D. Power’s 2019 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction StudySM ranked Safeco about average, which matches our research of consumer Safeco insurance reviews. Safeco is a middle-of-the-road company for satisfaction, with a solid reputation and a reliable parent company.
If customer satisfaction is your number one criteria when looking for insurance products, you may do better with USAA or Geico – which both ranked highly in the J.D. Power Study. However, for older drivers or those with teenage children, Safeco car insurance could be a good fit for its reasonable prices and coverage.
Safeco Car Insurance Apps And Technology
Safeco offers a mobile app to iPhone and Android users. The app lets policyholders quickly access any needed insurance documents or make an insurance claim. You can also review your existing coverage, get into contact with a local agent, or request roadside assistance.
Unlike many insurers' technology, the Safeco mobile app is highly rated both in the App Store and on Google Play. Some customers noted preferring the app over the company's desktop site.
Our Take On Safeco Car Insurance: 4.0 Stars
We rated Safeco car insurance 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. We like the provider's long list of discounts as well as the personalized experience customers can have with local agents. However, Safeco's average customer reviews give us some pause, despite the company's relatively affordable insurance rates. Overall, Safeco is a decent option for policyholders on a budget or with young drivers.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Independent agents who do price comparison shopping for you and customize policies | Cannot be purchased online |
| Several insurance discounts | Average customer service reviews |
Our Top Recommendations For Car Insurance
It is always best practice to shop around for the best deals on car insurance.
Safeco has very parent-friendly features, but our insurance reviews team recommends parents comparing Safeco car insurance with AAA car insurance, State Farm auto insurance, and Safeco’s parent company, Liberty Mutual auto insurance – which are our top-ranked insurance companies for teens.
Other drivers may find better coverage with USAA, which was the only provider to earn 5.0 out of 5.0 stars in our research of the industry’s best car insurance companies. Another option is Geico, which topped the charts for insurance available to all drivers.
USAA: Best For Military
USAA offers insurance to active and former military members and their families. The provider holds an A++ rating in financial stability from AM Best and is ranked highly across industry studies such as J.D. Power’s 2019 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. You are eligible for USAA car insurance, home insurance, and more if you fall into one of the following categories:
- Active-duty military
- Honorably discharged military
- Veteran
- Spouse or child of someone who has had a USAA policy
USAA serves all branches of the U.S. military, and insurance coverage eligibility stays in the family. Even if an immediate member of your family has been with USAA insurance in the past, you are eligible. And for active-duty military, USAA provides great discounts on coverage.
For more information, read our full USAA insurance review.
Geico: Best Overall
Known in households across the nation for its gecko mascot, Geico is one of our top recommended providers for a reason, and we've rated the company a 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. Our research found that Geico car insurance is among the best in terms of financial strength, customer service, and cost.
Geico offers a 25 percent multi-vehicle discount, a 15 percent military discount, and up to a 20 percent discount for taking part in its telematics program. Using its telematics program is as easy as downloading the Geico DriveEasy app from your phone's app store.
For more information, read our full Geico review.
FAQ: Safeco Insurance Reviews
Are Liberty Mutual and Safeco the same?
No, but Liberty Mutual Group and Safeco Insurance are interconnected. In 2008, Safeco became owned by Liberty Mutual Insurance, but the two have separate pricing, products, and services. The main difference between Liberty Mutual and Safeco is their policies and how they can be purchased.
Is Safeco an A-rated company?
Safeco auto insurance has lower than average scores when it comes to ratings, reviews, and customer satisfaction survey reports from sources such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Trustpilot, and J.D. Power, but it has a great industry reputation for its financial strength. This includes an "A" rating from AM Best.
Does Safeco Insurance have accident forgiveness?
Yes, Safeco's RightTrack accident forgiveness program provides insurance coverage under conditions such as having your driving monitored via driving monitoring telematics technology. To qualify for accident forgiveness, you will need to have your driving behavior tracked in order to receive a driving safety score. Based on this score, you will be rewarded for driving safe.
How do I get a quote from Safeco Car Insurance?
The online quotes process for Safeco works a little bit differently than other insurance quotes. In addition to providing an instant quote, Safeco will use your personal information to locate an independent agent near you. The agent can then price shop on your behalf and call you to customize an insurance plan based on your needs and budget. However, you can't purchase Safeco car insurance online.
Methodology
In an effort to provide accurate and unbiased information to consumers, our expert review team collects data from dozens of auto insurance providers to formulate rankings of the best insurers. Companies receive a score in each of the following categories, as well as an overall weighted score out of 5.0 stars.
- Industry Standing: Insurers with strong financial ratings and customer-first business practices receive the highest scores in this category.
- Availability: We consider availability by state as well as exclusions for specific groups of drivers.
- Coverage: This rating is based on types of insurance available, maximum coverage limits, and add-on policies.
- Cost and Discounts: Our research team reviews auto insurance rate estimates generated by Quadrant Information Services for a variety of drivers in every state. Companies with lower prices and many car insurance discount opportunities receive the best scores.
- Customer Service: We comb through customer reviews and consumer feedback studies from experts like J.D. Power.
- Technology: Auto insurers with mobile apps, advanced online services and telematics are more likely to meet consumer needs.
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- Keystone Auto Insurance Review
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