Elephant Car Insurance Review 2024

Elephant Insurance came onto the car insurance scene in 2009 as a subsidiary of Admiral Group plc. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Elephant insures more than 200,000 vehicles.

Elephant Insurance is available in eight states:

• Georgia
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Maryland
• Ohio
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Virginia

The company sells insurance for cars, motorcycles and off-road vehicles. YourMechanic is available to all Elephant customers and connects customers to more than 600 diagnostic, maintenance and repair services at a discounted rate.

You can also set up contactless payments and contact-free car repairs.

Elephant sells the standard types of auto insurance you will find at other car insurance companies:

Liability Car Insurance

This pays for injuries and property damage you accidentally cause to someone else. Liability car insurance also covers your legal costs, settlements and judgments if you are sued because of an accident. You are required to carry liability car insurance in most states.

Comprehensive Insurance

Comprehensive insurance pays to repair or replace your vehicle if it’s stolen or damaged by problems such as fire, vandalism, floods, hail and other severe weather, falling objects or striking an animal.

Collision Insurance

Collision insurance pays to fix or replace your car if it’s damaged in a car accident or a collision with another object, such as a fence or tree. Collision insurance pays regardless of fault.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Insurance

In some states, uninsured motorist insurance is required, and it’s optional in other states. If you get hit by a driver without liability insurance or does not have enough liability insurance to cover your losses in full, uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance provides coverage for you and your passengers’ injuries. In some states you can also buy coverage for damage to your vehicle caused by an uninsured driver.

Personal Injury Protection

PIP pays for you and your passengers’ medical bills if you get hurt in a car accident, no matter who is at fault. Personal injury protection also pays other expenses, such as lost wages and funeral services. PIP is required in no-fault insurance states, optional in other states and unavailable in some.

Medical Payments Coverage

Medical payments (MedPay) coverage covers you and your passengers’ medical bills no matter who is at fault for an accident. It’s not available in all states and is typically sold in small amounts between $1,000 and $5,000.

Other Coverages From Elephant Car Insurance

Elephant sells additional coverage types, including:

• Custom parts and equipment. This covers aftermarket parts, such as rims, electronic equipment or a custom paint job.
• Legal services. This add-on gives you access to legal assistance after a traffic violation or accident.
• Non-owner car insurance. This is a liability policy for people who don’t own a car but need car insurance. Non-owner car insurance is a good option for those who often borrow or rent cars, or for someone without a car who needs to show proof of car insurance (such as an SR-22).
• Pet injury coverage. This covers up to $1,000 if your pet is hurt due to a problem covered by your policy, such as a car accident.
• Rental reimbursement. If your car is in the shop due to a problem covered by your policy (such as a car accident), rental reimbursement insurance helps pay for a rental car or substitute transportation, like bus fare.
• Roadside assistance. If you are stranded on the road due to a problem like a flat tire or dead battery, roadside assistance insurance can help get you back on your way.

Elephant has a higher-than-average level of complaints compared to many other car insurance companies, based on complaints made to state insurance departments. Its complaint level is 1.65 times the industry average.

Elephant car insurance offers coverage beyond standard car insurance, such as accident forgiveness, a diminishing deductible and SR-22s. But you’ll have to get coverage elsewhere if you want new car replacement, pay-per-mile or usage-based insurance.

Does Elephant Insurance offer Accident Forgiveness?

Yes, Elephant offers accident forgiveness. To qualify, all drivers on your policy must be accident-free for three years. After this three-year period, you’re eligible to have your next at-fault accident waived, meaning your premium won’t increase because of the accident.

Elephant also offers an upgraded accident forgiveness, which eliminates the three-year waiting period, meaning your accident forgiveness will kick in right away. To qualify for the upgrade, none of the drivers on your policy can have an at-fault accident on their records from the past three years.

Does Elephant Insurance Offer New Car Replacement?

No, Elephant does not offer new car replacement insurance. This type of coverage typically reimburses you for a brand-new vehicle of a similar make and model instead of only the depreciated value of your car if it is totaled due to a problem covered by your policy (like a fire or accident).

Does Elephant Offer Gap Insurance?

Elephant sells “loan/lease coverage” which is similar to gap insurance. Generally, gap insurance pays the “gap” between what you owe on your car loan or lease and the depreciated value of your car if it is totaled due to a problem covered by your policy (like a car accident).

With Elephant’s loan/lease coverage, you’ll get up to 25% of your vehicle’s depreciated value if you are “upside down” on your car loan.

For example, if you owe $20,000 on your totaled car and its depreciated value is $17,000, you have a $3,000 gap. With Elephant’s loan/lease coverage, you are covered up to 25% of $17,000 ($4,250). In this scenario, loan/lease coverage would be sufficient to pay the remaining balance of your loan.

Does Elephant Insurance Offer a Diminishing Deductible?

Yes, Elephant offers a diminishing deductible as an optional policy add-on. If you have collision insurance with at least a $500 deductible, you’ll see your deductible reduced by $100 for annual policies and $50 for six-month policies for each term you remain accident-free, up to $500.

Does Elephant Insurance Offer SR-22s?

Yes, Elephant offers SR-22 insurance forms in Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

An SR-22 is a court-order document that auto insurance companies file with the state as evidence that you meet the minimum liability coverage requirements. The state typically requires drivers with DUI convictions or multiple driving offenses to file an SR-22.

Does Elephant Offer Usage-Based Insurance?

No, Elephant currently does not offer usage-based insurance (UBI). UBI uses telematics to track driving behaviors such as speeding, harsh braking, acceleration and phone use. Drivers who practice safe driving habits typically earn discounts.

Elephant does plan to launch its own telematics app, according to the company’s website.

Does Elephant Offer Pay-Per-Mile Insurance?

No, Elephant does not offer pay-per-mile insurance. With pay-per-mile insurance, you’ll typically pay a daily or monthly base rate and a per-mile rate. It can be a good fit for low-mileage drivers.

Does Elephant Offer Rideshare Insurance?

Yes, Elephant sells rideshare insurance as an auto policy add-on. If you drive for a company like Lyft or Uber, you might have a coverage gap between your personal auto insurance and the rideshare company’s insurance.

Elephant’s rideshare insurance covers you while your rideshare app is on and you are waiting for rider requests. It does not cover you when you accept a ride, pick up and drop off your passenger (that’s typically covered by your rideshare company). Elephant’s rideshare insurance resumes when your app is on and you’re waiting for the next ride.

Elephant offers various car insurance discounts to help you cut your bill, such as:

• Automatic payment discount. You could qualify for a discount if you sign up for automatic payments.
• Claims free discount. You may be eligible for savings if you avoid an at-fault accident for at least five years.
• E-signature discount. You could save an average of 18% if you authorize your e-signature for policy-related documents such as a waiver.
• Early bird discount. If you switch to Elephant from another insurance company five days or more before your policy expiration date, you could save up to 10%.
• Homeowner discount. If you own a home or condo, you’ll qualify for this discount, even if you don’t have a home or condo insurance policy with Elephant.
• Multi-car discount. You can get a discount if you insure more than one car with Elephant.
• Multi-policy discount. You’ll be able to save if you bundle your auto policy with another insurance type from Elephant, such as condo, home, motorcycle or renters insurance.
• Online discount. You can save an average of 3% if you start an online quote from Elephant and buy a policy.
• Paperless discount. You can save an average of 3% if you go paperless.
• Pay in full discount. You can save between 8% to 15% if you pay your policy term up front.
• Student discounts. If you have a student who maintains good grades, you could qualify for savings. You can also earn a student discount if your student is without a car and lives more than 100 miles away from home.

Other types of insurance policies offered by Elephant include:

• Condo insurance
• Homeowners insurance
• Life insurance
• Motorcycle insurance
• Off-road vehicle insurance
• Renters insurance
• Umbrella insurance