About National General Car Insurance
National General’s specialty is non-standard auto insurance for high-risk drivers. If you have trouble buying car insurance because of your driving record or other factors, companies like National General can be an option.
Drivers who insure their cars with National General might enjoy some of their policy perks. For example, collision repairs made at National General’s Gold Medal Repair shop have a lifetime guarantee. The company also offers an emergency expense allowance of up to $500 in food, lodging and travel expenses if you’re stranded due to a problem covered by your policy.
National General was started in 1920 and sells multiple insurance lines, such as auto, home, motorcycle and umbrella insurance. The company is headquartered in New York City and sells insurance through an independent agent network of more than 55,000 agents across the country. National General was acquired by Allstate in 2021.
National General Car Insurance
National General sells all the basic types of car insurance:
Liability Car Insurance
Liability car insurance, which is required in nearly all states, covers injuries and property damage you accidentally cause to others. It also covers the cost of a legal defense, judgments and settlements if you’re sued because of an accident.
Comprehensive Insurance
Comprehensive insurance pays to repair or replace your car if it’s damaged by problems like hail, theft, vandalism, fire, floods, falling objects and collisions with animals. Comprehensive coverage pays the actual cash value of your car if it’s totaled, minus the deductible.
Collision Insurance
Collision insurance covers to pay to repair or replace your car following an accident, regardless of fault. It also covers accidents with stationary objects, like a guardrail or tree.
Collision and comprehensive insurance are optional and typically sold together. If you finance or lease your car, the lender or leasing company will likely require you to have these coverage types. Collision insurance pays the vehicle’s actual cash value if it’s totaled, minus your deductible.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist
This pays for your medical costs and other expenses if a driver without liability insurance or without enough liability insurance crashes into you. Uninsured motorist insurance is required in some states, while it’s optional in other states.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
PIP covers you and your passengers’ medical costs, regardless of who’s at fault for the accident. Personal injury protection is required in some states, optional in others and unavailable in some.
Medical Payments Insurance
Medical payments insurance, also called “medical payments” or “MedPay,” covers medical bills for you and your passengers no matter who caused the accident. It’s generally sold in small amounts between $1,000 and $5,000 and not available in all states.
Additional Coverage Benefits
National General also offers:
- DynamicDrive, a program that tracks your driving and may offer discounts based on your driving.
- Emergency expense allowance offers up to $500 to pay for food, lodging and travel expenses following a car insurance claim that’s covered by National General.
Cost of National General Car Insurance
National General has competitive car insurance rates, but its competitiveness can vary depending on the specific driver and situation. Here’s a look at average annual car insurance costs for various types of drivers in California.
National General Car Insurance Cost for Good Drivers
National General has competitive rates for good drivers, but also check rates from Geico and Progressive.
| Company | Average annual cost for good drivers in California |
|---|---|
|
$1,721
|
|
|
$2,118
|
|
|
National General
|
$2,358
|
|
$2,369
|
|
|
$2,728
|
National General Car Insurance Cost for Drivers With a Speeding Ticket
National General offers excellent rates for drivers with a speeding ticket, based on the companies in our analysis.
| Company | Average annual cost in California for drivers with a speeding ticket |
|---|---|
|
National General
|
$2,471
|
|
$2,537
|
|
|
$3,283
|
|
|
$3,447
|
|
|
$3,978
|
National General Car Insurance Cost for Drivers Who Caused an Accident With Injury
Rates can skyrocket following a car accident that injures someone else. National General’s average rate in California jumps to nearly $3,500 a year after an at-fault accident, which is still over $2,000 a year cheaper than Allstate in the state.
| Company | Average annual cost in California for drivers who caused an accident with an injury |
|---|---|
|
$3,471
|
|
|
National General
|
$3,496
|
|
$3,933
|
|
|
$5,193
|
|
|
$5,577
|
National General Car Insurance Cost for Drivers With a DUI
A DUI on your record can result in much higher car insurance rates. National General has good rates for drivers with a DUI compared to the competitors in our analysis.
| Company | Average annual cost in California for drivers who caused an accident with an injury |
|---|---|
|
National General
|
$3,231
|
|
$4,040
|
|
|
$4,220
|
|
|
$7,831
|
|
|
$8,304
|
Auto Insurance Complaints Against National General
The level of auto insurance complaints against National General is slightly lower than the industry average, based on complaints made to state insurance departments across the country.
National General’s Grade from Collision Repair Professionals: D+
In a survey of collision repair professionals by CRASH Network, National General earned only a D+ grade.
The survey was based on the opinions of auto body professionals who see how insurance companies compare in the use of lower-quality repair parts, whether an insurer’s claims process leads to fast and satisfactory claims for customers, and whether insurer’s encourage the use of repair procedures by recommended car makers.
What Does National General Car Insurance Cover?
National General offers new car replacement, SR-22s and a diminished deductible if you stay accident-free, but it doesn’t provide accident forgiveness, gap insurance or pay-per-mile insurance.
Does National General offer Accident Forgiveness?
No, National General doesn’t offer accident forgiveness as an optional coverage. Accident forgiveness insurance “forgives” one accident and your premium won’t increase when the accident was your fault.
Does National General Offer New Car Replacement?
Yes, National General offers new car replacement insurance. This optional coverage will replace your car with a current model year or new car if it is totaled due to an accident covered by your policy.
For cars up to three years old, auto replacement insurance from National General will replace your car with a new car. If your car is four to 15 years old, auto replacement insurance will replace your car with one model newer with 20,000 fewer miles.
Does National General Offer Gap Insurance?
No, National General doesn’t sell gap insurance. This is an optional coverage that covers the “gap” between what you owe on your loan or lease and the depreciated value of your car if it is totaled due to a problem covered by your policy (such as a car accident).
Does National General Offer a Diminishing Deductible?
Yes, National General offers a diminishing deductible. You’ll get a $100 credit toward your deductible for every 12-month policy period you don’t have a claim, up to $500.
For example, if you have a $500 deductible and do not file a car insurance claim during a 12-month policy period, your deductible will be $400 if you need to file a collision or comprehensive insurance claim.
Does National General Offer SR-22s?
Yes, National General will provide an SR-22 insurance form to your state. This is a document that proves to the state that you have car insurance. The reasons for needing an SR-22 can var, but common reasons include a DUI conviction, having a high number of traffic offenses or causing an accident while driving without insurance.
Does National General Offer Usage-Based Insurance?
Yes, National General offers usage-based car insurance. Its DynamicDrive program uses the Routely app to track your driving habits, such as speeding, hard and extreme braking, distracted driving due to phone use and the time of day you drive. You will immediately qualify for a discount up to 10% for participating in DynamicDrive.
Does National General Offer Pay-Per-Mile Insurance?
No, National General doesn’t sell pay-per-mile car insurance. With pay-per-mile insurance, you’ll typically pay a monthly or daily base rate and a per-mile rate. It can be a good option for low-mileage drivers.
Does National General Offer Rideshare Insurance?
Yes, National General offers rideshare insurance. If you drive for a service like Lyft or Uber, rideshare insurance helps cover the gap between your rideshare company’s insurance and your personal car insurance policy.
National General’s Auto Insurance Discounts
Discounts you can find at National General include:
- Bundling your car insurance with National General home insurance
- Low-mileage discount
- Multi-vehicle discount
- Paperless discount
- Pay in-full discount
- Safe driver discount
- Security device discount
More Insurance from National General
In addition to selling auto insurance policies, National General sells:
- Commercial auto insurance
- Condo insurance
- Dental insurance
- Flood insurance
- Homeowners insurance
- Motorcycle insurance
- Renters insurance
- RV insurance
- Short-term medical insurance
- Supplemental health insurance
- Umbrella insurance
Methodology
Rates are based on a 40-year-old female driver with a clean record insuring a new Toyota RAV4 with $100,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person, $300,000 per accident and $100,000 in property damage liability (known as 100/300/100), uninsured motorist coverage, collision and comprehensive insurance with a $500 deductible, and any other coverage required in the state.
