State Auto Insurance Review 2024

State Auto’s yearly average car insurance costs are higher than many large car insurance companies we analyzed.

State Auto car insurance cost comparison in Ohio

State Auto car insurance is more expensive for Ohio drivers than most large insurers we evaluated. However, State Auto is cheaper for Ohio car insurance than Farmers, Allstate and State Farm, on average.

Car insurance company	Average annual car insurance cost
USAA*	$759
Geico	$853
Travelers	$874
Nationwide	$905
Progressive	$1,016
Auto-Owners	$1,054
State Auto	$1,061
Farmers	$1,250
Allstate	$1,971
State Farm	$2,139

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Source: Quadrant Information Services. Rates are based on liability coverage of 100/300/100 ($100,000 in bodily injury liability per person, $300,000 per accident, and $100,000 in property damage liability) uninsured motorist coverage and collision and comprehensive insurance with $500 deductible.
*USAA auto insurance is available only to members of the military, veterans and their families.

State Auto car insurance cost comparison in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, State Auto is higher than the majority of companies we analyzed. However, State Auto does have lower rates than Progressive, USAA and Allstate for Pennsylvania car insurance.

Car insurance company	Average annual car insurance cost
Travelers	$1,916
Nationwide	$2,593
Auto-Owners	$2,657
Geico	$2,997
State Farm	$2,034
State Auto	$3,037
Progressive	$3,098
USAA*	$3,175
Allstate	$6,342

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*USAA auto insurance is available only to members of the military, veterans and their families.

State Auto car insurance cost comparison in Texas

State Auto has rates on the high side for Texas auto insurance.

Car insurance company	Average annual car insurance cost
USAA*	$1,853
Geico	$1,861
Nationwide	$1,897
State Auto	$2,756
Allstate	$3,173

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*USAA auto insurance is available only to members of the military, veterans and their families.

State Auto sells the following types of car insurance that comprise a standard policy:

Liability insurance

Liability car insurance covers medical bills and property from damages you cause to others in an auto accident. Liability coverage also pays your legal fees and defense costs if you’re sued because of the accident.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists

Uninsured motorist coverage for bodily injury pays for you and your passengers’ medical expenses if a driver who either doesn’t have liability car insurance or doesn’t have enough liability insurance (underinsured motorist) crashes into you. Uninsured motorist property damage pays for your car’s damages if hit by an uninsured driver.

Personal injury protection (PIP)

Personal injury protection covers you and your passenger’s medical bills if you get injured in an auto accident, no matter who caused the accident. PIP also covers lost wages and replacement services for tasks you cannot perform due to your injuries, such as child care.

Medical payments (MedPay)

Medical payments insurance pays for your and your passenger’s medical bills, regardless of who was at fault for the accident. MedPay typically comes in small amounts, such as $1,000 or $5,000.

Collision coverage

Collision car insurance pays for damage to your car from an auto accident, regardless of fault. Collision coverage also pays for damage to your vehicle if you hit an object, like a pole or fence.

Comprehensive coverage

Comprehensive car insurance pays for theft and damage to your car from events other than collisions, such as vandalism, fire, falling objects, striking an animal and storm damage.

State Auto packages its car insurance offerings into three different tiers of protection:

Standard

The standard State Auto car insurance package allows you to choose from the core types of car insurance to customize your policy and buy only what you need. You can add roadside assistance coverage.

AutoXtended Plus/Protection Plus

State Auto’s AutoXtended Plus package offers core auto insurance coverages plus expanded coverage for your vehicle and belongings, including:

• Accident forgiveness and minor violation coverage
• $250 locksmith or key replacement coverage
• $500 pet injury coverage
• $500 cell phone coverage
• $10,000 emergency ambulance coverage
• Rented vehicle coverage
• Waived deductibles for collision, comprehensive (other than collision) and uninsured motorist property damage coverage.
• Ability to add full safety glass coverage (covers replacement or repairs of glass on your vehicle without a deductible being charged)

AutoXtended Premier

State Auto’s AutoXtended Premier package offers your main car insurance coverages, all of the benefits included in AutoXtended Plus as well as expanded, higher limit coverages of:

• $500 locksmith or key replacement limit
• $750 pet injury coverage
• $1,000 cell phone coverage limit
• $25,000 emergency Ambulance coverage limit

Safe Auto also sells the following optional types of car insurance:

Auto replacement cost and total loss plus

Auto replacement cost coverage will cover the cost of a new car if you have a newer vehicle (within the last two model years) totaled in an incident covered by your coverage, such as a fire.

“Total loss plus” coverage is similar coverage but for vehicles that no longer qualify for auto replacement coverage.

AutoXtended coverage endorsement

This coverage provides additional financial protection for your car and your possessions in it. AutoXtended coverage is automatically included in Safe Auto’s AutoExtended Plus and AutoExtended Premier packages. It is unavailable for those buying a standard package.

Full safety glass coverage

Full safety glass coverage pays for replacement or repairs—without a deductible—for glass damage caused by a storm, debris, vandalism, or something other than a collision with another vehicle. Availability varies by state and is based on the insurance package you select (standard or one of the AutoXtended packages).

Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts coverage

If your vehicle is less than 10 years old, OEM parts coverage pays for repairs to your vehicle using manufacturer parts rather than aftermarket parts. You must have collision and comprehensive coverage to add this one. OEM parts coverage is unavailable if you choose a standard coverage package with State Auto.

Roadside assistance coverage

This optional coverage offers 24/7 towing services if you’re stranded on the side of a public road. State Auto’s roadside assistance coverage also provides these services:

• Tire change or inflation
• Delivery of fuel, oil or water for the vehicle
• Battery jump–start
• Lockout service (up to $100)

Rideshare coverage

If you drive for Lyft, Uber or a similar service, you may want to add ridesharing coverage, also known as transportation network coverage. State Auto’s rideshare coverage applies from when you log in and are waiting for a ride request until a rider enters your vehicle. Availability and coverage vary by state.

Yes, State Auto offers minor violations and accident forgiveness insurance. If you’re free of accidents and violations for 35 consecutive months, rate hikes for your first accident and first minor violation may be waived.

Accident and minor violation forgiveness are only available for customers with new Auto Xtended Plus or AutoXtended Premier policy packages. Accident forgiveness may not be available in all states and is not available in State Auto’s standard car insurance package.

Yes, State Auto offers optional new car replacement insurance that pays to replace your vehicle with a similar make and model if it has been totaled due to a problem covered by collision or comprehensive coverage, such as an accident or fire. This coverage— which State Auto calls Auto Replacement Cost— applies when the age of your vehicle is less than two years. After two years, the coverage can convert into “Total Loss Plus” coverage, which will pay 120% of the actual cash value of your vehicle or replace your totaled vehicle with the same model but one model year newer.

Yes, State Auto offers gap insurance, which covers the difference between what you owe on your car loan and what the vehicle was worth in the event of an accident that totals your car. Gap insurance is also called auto loan/lease coverage.

No, State Auto doesn’t offer a diminishing deductible option. This type of feature is available with some insurance companies. It reduces your collision and comprehensive deductibles over time if you have no accidents for tickets for a certain period of time.

State Auto will file SR-22s for customers.

An SR-22 is a form that car insurance companies file with the state as proof that you hold at least the minimum amount of state-required car insurance. States typically require a driver to have SR-22 insurance if they have a DUI conviction, multiple driving offenses or have been caught driving without insurance.

State Auto offers usage-based auto insurance called State Auto Safety 360.

State Auto Safety 360 uses a mobile app and tracker tag (that you install on your windshield) to track your driving habits. There is an initial discount for signing up and drivers who earn a good driving score from the system can earn higher discounts.

Factors monitored for the driving score include:

• Distance. Lower mileage is better.
• Smoothness. Measures speed, rapid acceleration, hard braking and driving behavior that suggests tailgating.
• Time of day. Higher score for avoiding trips during rush hour during the week and 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. on weekends.
• Roads. Highway driving is rewarded, as is driving on low-congestion roads and during good weather.

State Auto doesn’t offer pay-per-mile car insurance. Some other auto insurance companies have pay-per-mile programs that charge you according to a monthly base amount plus a per-mile rate. Pay-per-mile insurance policies are meant for drivers who don’t drive a lot of miles.

Yes, State Auto offers rideshare insurance called State Auto Connect. Rideshare drivers may need rideshare insurance to fill gaps in coverage between their personal auto insurance policies and the insurance provided by the rideshare company, such as Uber or Lyft.

State Auto Connect provides coverage from the time when a driver logs into the rideshare app until a rider enters the car. This ridesharing insurance does not apply to delivery service drivers, like those driving for Uber Eats.

State Auto offers the following car insurance discounts:

• Accident prevention course. To qualify you must be at least 21 and hold a certificate of attendance for an accident prevention course within the last 36 months.
• Anti-theft device. You may be eligible for this discount if your vehicle is equipped with certain anti-theft equipment.
• Distant student. For customers who have a child away at school at least 100 miles away without regular access to a car.
• Driver training. If you’re under 21, you can get a discount for completing a driver training course. (This is available up to age 25 in South Carolina).
• Good student. This discount applies to full-time students with a B (3.0) average or better.
• Multi-car. For customers who insure multiple vehicles with State Auto.
• Multi-policy. You can qualify for a discount by buying other types of insurance from State Auto, such as homeowners or umbrella insurance.
• Paid in full. Get savings if you pay for your entire policy in one payment upfront.
• State Auto start-up. This is for new customers based on the number of days between getting a quote and starting a State Auto policy. You must have been with your prior insurer for at least six months to get this discount.

State Auto has a higher level of auto insurance complaints than many large insurers, based on complaints made to state insurance departments across the country. State Auto complaints are above the industry average. State Auto’s top complaints are about unsatisfactory claim settlements, claim delays and surcharges (rate increases).

In a survey of collision repair professionals by CRASH Network, State Auto earned only a C+ grade.

The survey is based on the opinions of auto body professionals, who see how insurers compare in the use of lower-quality repair parts, whether insurers encourage the use of repair procedures recommended by car makers, and whether an insurer’s claims processes lead to fast and satisfactory claims for customers.

In addition to car insurance, State Auto offers the following insurance types.

Coverage for individuals:

• Condo
• Dwelling fire
• Homeowners
• Renters
• Umbrella

Insurance for businesses:

• Business auto
• Business liability
• Business owners policy
• Commercial umbrella
• Cyber
• Data breaches
• Employment practices liability
• Property
• Workers compensation

Insurance for farms and ranches:

• Farm auto
• Farm and ranch
• Farm umbrella

State Auto offers a mobile app that customers can use to:

• View car insurance ID cards
• Review policy documents
• File and track an accident claim
• Update personal information
• Pay a car insurance bill
• View billing history and future payment schedule
• Chat with State Auto, contact your agent or find your claims adjuster
• Contact roadside assistance or file a glass claim (if you have these as part of your policy)

State Auto has been in business for over 100 years, starting out in 1921 as State Automobile Mutual Insurance Co. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, State Auto offers a variety of insurance types, including auto, home, business, farm and ranch insurance in 33 states.

State Auto is now part of Liberty Mutual after being acquired in 2022. State Auto is continuing for now with the same coverage options and customer service.

We used data from Quadrant Information Services, a provider of insurance data and analytics. 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 and collision and comprehensive coverage with a $500 deductible.