One of the most popular choices for coverage, Progressive is famous for its comprehensive car insurance plans and price-comparison tool that allows you to compare providers side-by-side. To find out whether this insurer is right for you, we’ll take a look at Progressive insurance reviews, coverage options and pricing compared to other industry leaders.
We’ve researched the best auto insurance companies in the country, and Progressive emerged as one of the top four. Keep reading to see what makes Progressive stand out.
Our Progressive Insurance Review
Based in Ohio, Progressive entered the car insurance market as a mutual insurance company in 1937 with a vision to provide affordable protection to vehicle owners. As one of the largest auto insurance companies in the U.S., it wrote more than $27 billion in private passenger auto premiums in 2018 with a market share of 11%, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Progressive holds the title for having many “firsts” in the business, including the first drive-in claims location, the first auto insurance to allow customers to buy car insurance on the phone and online, and the first provider to offer pet injury coverage.
In addition to car insurance, this Fortune 500 company also offers more than 30 other insurance products across the vehicle, property, finance, personal and commercial categories. Progressive sells its policies online, over the phone and through independent agents. But although the company scores highly for the quotes process, Progressive insurance reviews for customer service are mixed.
Progressive Auto Insurance Coverage Options
Like most top insurers, Progressive has standard car insurance coverage plus a few extras that can help tip the balance in its favor for some customers. The limits and availability of these coverages vary by state.
- Liability auto insurance: Liability coverage is the most basic coverage you need on the road. It’s required by law in almost every state and provides protection if you are at fault in an accident. Bodily injury liability pays for medical expenses, lost income and legal fees if you injure someone in an accident. Property damage liability covers damages to another person’s car or property.
- Collision insurance: Collision coverage offers protection for damages to your car in an accident, regardless of fault.
- Comprehensive car insurance: Comprehensive coverage offers protection for your car after it is damaged by events such as fire, theft, vandalism and inclement weather.
- Medical payments: This coverage will pay for your medical bills and the medical bills of your passengers.
- Personal injury protection: If you are in an accident, this coverage will pay for medical (and funeral) expenses for you and your passengers, regardless of fault.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: If you or your passengers are injured in an accident with an at-fault motorist with no or very little insurance, this coverage will cover your medical bills and property damage.
Just remember that knowing how much auto insurance you need is typically dictated by the vehicle. Newer cars that are still being financed tend to require full coverage auto insurance, which means adding collision coverage and comprehensive insurance. Older cars with a lower value usually need liability insurance.
Add-ons for Your Progressive Car Insurance Policy
Along with standard auto insurance, you can get extra types of coverage like roadside assistance. This is an area where Progressive really shines according to Progressive insurance reviews.
- Roadside assistance: This provides emergency roadside services like towing, battery jump-starts, flat tire changes and gas delivery.
- Loan/lease payoff: Similar to gap insurance, this coverage helps pay the difference between your car’s actual cash value and the remaining amount owed on your car loan.
- Rental car reimbursement: This Progressive car insurance coverage pays $30 to $50 for a rental car while your car is being repaired because of a covered accident.
- Custom parts and equipment value: This provides coverage up to $5,000 for custom car parts or equipment (custom tires, navigation systems, etc.).
- Rideshare coverage: If you drive for Uber, Lyft or another service, Progressive will cover you while you’re logged into the app and waiting for a customer.
- Deductible savings bank: If you add this feature to your Progressive car insurance, it will lower your collision and comprehensive deductibles by $50 every six months you don’t file a claim.
Progressive Car Insurance Costs and Discounts
Our research shows that the average car insurance estimate for Progressive customers is $1,397 annually. Our research shows that the average car insurance estimate for Progressive customers is $1,397 annually. That’s higher than the national average of $1,057 per year, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
Below are various rates for married drivers that drive 12,000 miles annually:
| Progressive Policyholder Profile | Annual Cost Estimate |
|---|---|
| 35-year-old with good credit and driving history | $1,397 |
| 24-year-old with good credit and driving history | $2,029 |
| 35-year-old with recent car accident | $2,471 |
| 35-year-old with poor credit | $2,514 |
| 35-year-old with recent DUI | $2,106 |
Car insurance rates depend on a number of factors, including your location, driving record, insurance history, age and vehicle. According to Progressive, customers in low-cost states like Idaho or Iowa pay $137 per month on average. The rate goes up to $167 per month in medium-cost states like Illinois or Arizona and up to $232 in high-cost states like Pennsylvania or New York.
Based on Progressive insurance reviews, we can determine that most customers are pleased with the price of auto insurance, however there may be cheaper insurers out there like USAA and GEICO.
Will Progressive Raise My Rate?
There is a common misconception that Progressive increases its rates after six months, but this is not necessarily true. However, Progressive does recalculate its policies every six months. You can expect your rate to go up if you:
- Got a speeding ticket
- Were in an accident
- Convicted of a DUI
- Let coverage lapse between renewing auto insurance policies
- Moved to a new home in a highly populated area
- Purchased a new vehicle and added it to your policy
- Had a significant drop in your credit score
- Added a new driver during this period
Sometimes, insurance premiums can also increase if your area is seeing a high rate of claims due to theft, weather or accidents.
Progressive Car Insurance Discounts
According to the company, drivers who switch to Progressive car insurance pay $796 less on average in the first year. We believe that the huge number of discounts that it offers may have something to do with it. 99% of Progressive customers qualify for at least one discount.
Discount limits and the availability of discounts vary by state. Many discounts are currently not available in California or New York.
| Type of Discount | Average Discount | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Bundling | Varies | Applies if you have a combination of at least two insurance policies with Progressive like renters insurance or homeowners insurance |
| Multi-policy | 12% | Applies if you have two or more Progressive insurance policies like rideshare insurance |
| Multi-car | 5% | Applies if you have more than one car on your Progressive auto insurance |
| Continuous insurance | 12% | Applies if your insurance history doesn’t have any gaps or cancellations. Not available in California or New York |
| Snapshot | $145 | A usage-based insurance program that tailors your rate to your actual driving and allows you to save more if you drive safely |
| Teen driver | Varies | Applies if a driver on your policy is 18 years or younger |
| Good student | Varies | Applies if you have a student on your policy with a B grade average or better |
| Distant student | Varies | Applies if you have a full-time student who is 100 miles away from home on your policy, and they don’t have a car at school |
| Homeowners | Varies | Applies if you own a home, even if it’s not insured with Progressive |
| Online quote | Up to 10% | Applies if you get a quote online and finalized it over the phone with a Progressive representative |
| Sign online | 8.5% | Applies if you sign your documents online |
| Paperless | Varies | Applies if you decide to receive documents by email |
| Pay in full | Varies | Applies if you pay upfront for your six-month policy |
| Automatic payment | Varies | Applies if you set up automatic payments from a checking account |
In addition to these discounts, there are a few other ways to save money with Progressive car insurance.
- Accident forgiveness: This perk is available as soon as you sign up with Progressive. Small incidents with claims less than $500 will not raise your premiums. Also, if you have been with Progressive for at least five years with no accidents in the past three years, one accident will not increase your rate. Progressive’s accident forgiveness policy can vary by state.
- Name Your Price® tool: Strictly speaking, this tool won’t help you save money, but what it will do is quickly find you the best coverage that falls within your budget. When you quote online and specify your desired insurance payment, the Name Your Price tool will come up with different coverage options to fit your price range. You can adjust the coverages as needed to ensure you have the protection you want. Progressive insurance reviews very well in shopping studies because of this tool.
- Safe driving: If you are a safe driver, you can save money with Progressive auto insurance. For instance, drivers with no tickets or accidents in the past three years may have 31% lower premiums than others with tickets or accidents.
How to Get a Quote for Progressive Auto Insurance
There are two ways to get an insurance quote from Progressive: online or by phone. You’ll be asked for information such as your name, birthdate, phone number, email address, vehicle information, driving record, insurance history, the number of people you wish to include on your policy and so on. The quote will give you three levels of coverage and associated costs, ranging from the most basic, affordable coverage to the more expensive, comprehensive coverage.
Progressive also has an online feature that allows you to compare your Progressive insurance quote against quotes from other auto insurance providers.
How to File a Claim with Progressive Car Insurance
Progressive’s claims process is simple and painless. You can file a claim online, on the mobile app or over the phone. Then, you will be put in touch with a Progressive claims representative who will guide you through the process and an estimator to inspect your car and provide a repair estimate. Unfortunately, Progressive insurance reviews for the claims process are average compared to its quotes process ratings.
You can decide whether you want to get the car repaired or receive compensation. If you decide not to get the repairs, Progressive will pay you what it would have cost to fix the car. If you want to get the car repaired, you can ask the Progressive representative to schedule the repair at a network shop or any facility of your choice.
Progressive Insurance Reviews and Ratings
Progressive customer service has a comparatively decent reputation with the J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Auto Claims Study, which ranks the company 16th out of 23 companies. It has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and has closed around 1,200 complaints in the past 12 months. While this number may seem large, it is not significant, considering the company has more than 18 million customers and thousands of positive Progressive insurance reviews.
Progressive insurance reviews on BBB are mixed. While one customer gave the company a five-star rating for “Outstanding service so far in regards to a situation that would have left me and my family heartbroken otherwise,” another complained that the Snapshot tool led to an 11% increase in his premiums. He believes that the increase was because he hit his brakes hard four to five times a week over a two-month period to avoid running through yellow lights.
One customer service area where Progressive really shines is convenience, especially if you are tech-savvy. Potential and existing customers have multiple ways to reach out to Progressive – chat, email, phone and social media. Progressive policyholders can also use the Progressive mobile app to manage their policies, pay bills, view a digital copy of their insurance ID, report claims, request roadside assistance and submit documents.
Progressive Insurance Complaints
Progressive has seen more than its fair share of complaints, according to figures from the NAIC. The body collects nationwide data on the number of complaints insurance companies see in a given year. 2020 data from the NAIC shows that Progressive saw more than one-and-a-half times the industry average number of complaints.
When looking at data from 2019 and 2018 as well, our research team found Progressive saw a similar number of complaints.
In Summary: Progressive Car Insurance
Progressive has excellent financial stability and wins an A+ (Superior) rating from AM Best. If you want to go with a trustworthy provider with affordable coverage and online policy management, we think it’s worth considering Progressive. We especially like how the company has a long list of discounts and ways you can keep your auto insurance costs down, and Progressive insurance reviews from customers support this.
To see if Progressive is available in your area, fill out this form:
FAQ: Progressive Insurance
How to cancel a Progressive car insurance policy?
Canceling a Progressive policy is similar to ending most auto insurance coverage. Notify your insurer that you are looking to cancel the contract and Progressive will send you a prorated refund for the rest of the policy period, minus any cancellation fees.
How long does a Progressive claim take?
Progressive says it aims to resolve most property damage claims within a week to 14 days, but adds repair times for vehicles are dependent on the model and severity of the damage.
Does Progressive pay well on claims?
Progressive ranked second-to-last in the J.D. Power Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, which suggests many Progressive customers were unhappy with how their claims were handled.
Is Progressive high-risk insurance?
Our research found that Progressive offers above-average rates for drivers with clean driving records, but that consumers with a record of poor driving habits or bad credit can obtain acceptable auto insurance rates. We also like the savings young drivers can find with the good student discount.
How is Progressive rated?
Progressive has a mixed bag of ratings. The BBB gives it an A+, but also less than stellar ratings from the J.D. Power. The NAIC also says that Progressive experiences more complaints than what is average for the industry. That said, we found it still offers strong insurance options for customers with spotty insurance claims history.
Methodology
The Detroit Bureau collects data from every major car insurance provider to formulate rankings of the best insurers. Our in-depth rating system takes into account market share, coverage, pricing, data from Quadrant Information Systems, customer satisfaction and ratings from industry experts. Each insurer is given a weighted score in four categories, as well as an overall score out of 10.0.
We recommend auto insurance companies based on these rankings, but we also encourage you to perform your own research and compare quotes to find the best coverage.
