MetLife Auto Insurance Review

While it's no longer available for purchase, MetLife auto insurance (now offered by Farmers Insurance) was a suitable choice for those wanting a diverse selection of coverage options. Drivers had access to a variety of discounts, particularly if they had not recently been in an accident, as a way to cut costs and save money.

Best for extra benefits

Before its acquisition by Farmers Insurance, MetLife Auto & Home Insurance offered customers access to a range of coverage options and prices that were on par with those offered by competitors.

When you took your vehicle to one of MetLife’s authorized service providers for repairs, the insurance company guaranteed “quality repairs,” which, in most cases, meant they would use the vehicle’s original manufacturer parts. If you're an existing MetLife Auto & Home customer, you can still receive the benefits listed below with your current car insurance plan.

MetLife Auto Insurance pros and cons

Pros explained

Great bundling options

As part of its mass-marketed insurance program, MetLife Auto & Home offered two bundled plans: Combo and GrandProtect. These policies let customers combine their auto and home coverages into a single, more manageable package. For customers who didn't purchase a MetLife Auto & Home plan before its acquisition, Farmers Insurance offers bundling options as well.

Good financial strength

AM Best, an independent rater of insurance companies, ranked MetLife’s financial strength as A+, or Superior, in the years leading up to its acquisition. AM Best noted that MetLife’s Superior rating “recognize[d] the continued trend toward reduction of liability risk” and that the company “continue[d] to generate profitable revenue growth and consistently positive operating metrics.”

When the Farmers Insurance Group acquired the MetLife Auto & Home business, this rating dipped slightly. Its financial strength rating is now A (Excellent), which is the second-highest rank available. AM Best notes that for Farmers, “the acquisition of MetLife’s property/casualty operations will be a significant contributor to underwriting profitability going forward.”

Lots of discounts

MetLife offered a few options that helped lower monthly premiums for its customers. Bear in mind, however, that these discounts changed based on the policyholder's region.

• Multi-policy discount: MetLife took up to 10% off a bundle if you purchased more than one form of insurance, such as vehicle and home insurance or health and life insurance.

• Deductible savings discount: You earned $50 for every year you didn't file a claim (up to a maximum of $250), which you could apply to your deductibles for a covered loss.

• Good student discount: MetLife offered an excellent discount to students under the age of 25, provided you were in high school, community college, full-time college or graduate school, or if you were enrolled in vocational or technical programs that met MetLife’s academic standards.

• Multi-car discount: If you covered more than two vehicles under the same policy, your monthly rates were lower.

• Superior driver discount: MetLife gave drivers a discount if everyone on the policy had a clean driving record.

• Safety and anti-theft devices discount: MetLife could offer you a discount on your automobile insurance coverage if you added a qualified safety system or anti-theft device.

Cons explained

High insurance rates

Even with its bundling options and available discounts, car insurance rates at MetLife were among the highest when compared to those of its leading competitors. Farmers Insurance, MetLife Home & Auto's acquiring company, isn't known for its cheap insurance premiums either.

Potentially high expenses

MetLife Auto & Home’s monthly premiums were significantly higher than most other providers. Thus, MetLife's auto insurance was not the best cheap car insurance in the industry.

No gap or car replacement insurance

MetLife auto insurance did not provide gap insurance coverage, a better car replacement option or the ability to modify your deductible. Farmers Insurance offers car replacement insurance but no gap insurance.

MetLife Auto Insurance plans/offerings

Before the acquisition, you were able to construct your own auto policy that included most insurers’ standard coverages, as well as some optional additions like custom parts coverage and glass deductible modification coverage. These were three of MetLife’s top insurance offerings.

Liability insurance

If you were involved in a crash with another driver, your liability insurance would pay for any injuries or personal property damage that you caused. In the event that someone filed a lawsuit against you in the aftermath of an accident, liability insurance would also cover the costs of your legal defense, as well as any judgments or settlements. Fortunately, you will still be covered for liability even if you migrate to Farmers Insurance instead.

The majority of states have passed legislation mandating that drivers carry some level of liability insurance.

Comprehensive insurance

With MetLife's comprehensive insurance, you didn’t have to worry about paying for car theft or damage caused by natural catastrophes, animal attacks, vandalism, fallen items or any of the other hazards that could occur while you’re behind the wheel. This insurance typically came bundled with a collision policy that paid to repair or replace your vehicle in the event of an accident, regardless of who was at fault.

Collision insurance

In the event that you were involved in a collision with another vehicle or with an object such as a guardrail or fence, your collision coverage would pay to repair or replace your vehicle. Drivers who leased their vehicles or who were still making payments on their cars were required to have collision insurance.

MetLife Auto Insurance pricing

Because MetLife Auto & Home was acquired, the average annual costs of its car insurance plans are no longer listed on its website, and third-party reviews have outdated information.

MetLife Auto Insurance financial stability

Before its auto insurance business was acquired, MetLife’s financial strength was A+, or Superior, according to AM Best. Its financial strength rating is now A (Excellent) with Farmers. MetLife's high AM Best rating was a positive reflection of the company’s capacity to pay valid claims without any problems. Although this did not constitute a guarantee for policyholders, it indicated a high level of financial stability.

MetLife was present in over 40 countries around the world and established itself as one of the most renowned brands in the insurance sector. With the acquisition by Farmers Insurance, the company is now part of the seventh-largest auto insurance company in the U.S.

MetLife Auto Insurance accessibility

MetLife auto insurance was quite accessible. If you needed to make a claim on your insurance, you could contact MetLife at their toll-free number, which was answered around the clock.

Now, with Farmers Insurance, there are approximately 19,000 employees and 45,000 independent agents who service MetLife’s existing customers. Additionally, Farmers brought on approximately 3,500 employees from MetLife Auto & Home in the transition.

Before the acquisition, auto claims were submitted with the necessary information through the use of MetLife’s website and mobile app. When filing a claim for relatively little damage, you would receive an estimate and reimbursement within a few hours of submitting the paperwork. Customers can still file claims 24/7, but now you must do so through Farmers.

Availability

MetLife Auto & Home was available for customers in 44 states. Farmers Insurance, on the other hand, is offered in all 50 states. Its customer service is available seven days a week: Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. CST, and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Contact information

If you need help with your MetLife coverage, you can contact an employee benefits administrator from Farmers Insurance directly. Its customer service hours give you a lot of options, and if you want to know how to switch car insurance or get answers about your other concerns, you can reach the company at one of the following phone numbers:

• Customer service: 888-327-6335
• To get an auto insurance quote: 800-665-5108
• If you have questions about claims: 800-435-7764

User experience

When it came to overall customer satisfaction, MetLife auto insurance ranked fifth (out of 24) in J.D. Power's 2020 Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, though in the Mid-Atlantic region, it received a score that was significantly below average.

Nevertheless, users broadly commended the company’s rapid responses, the ease of application, and its customer service and communication standards. Farmers Insurance customers seem to be satisfied as well.

MetLife Auto Insurance customer satisfaction

MetLife Auto & Home customers rated the company poorly on both Trustpilot (1.5/5) and Yelp (1.5/5). Reviewers mentioned difficulty resolving administrative issues, long hold times and service that didn't match the high prices customers were paying.

On the other hand, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners awarded MetLife with a lower-than-average complaint index score (specifically, a 0.82 complaint index score). This indicates that MetLife received fewer complaints about its service than its competitors, and that, presumably, MetLife's auto insurance team generally provided customers with adequate support.

Here are some frequently asked questions about MetLife auto insurance to tell you a little bit more about the company.

How we evaluated MetLife Auto Insurance

MetLife was reviewed based on the following factors:

• Insurance plans and offers
• Monthly premiums
• Financial stability
• Availability of its customer service
• Customer satisfaction

Summary of Money’s MetLife Auto Insurance review

While it's no longer available for purchase, MetLife auto insurance was a suitable choice for those wanting a diverse selection of coverage options. Drivers had access to a variety of discounts, particularly if they had not recently been in an accident, as a way to cut costs and save money. You would have needed, however, to give some thought to MetLife’s considerably high premiums.

MetLife, and now Farmers, has an impressive financial strength rating, meaning it had the ability to pay out valid claims. And, although MetLife had low customer satisfaction ratings online, its low complaint index score indicated that those negative customer reviews may have been outliers. Meanwhile, the acquisition by Farmers Insurance Group has certainly impacted MetLife’s services, but it shouldn’t change anything for the current policyholders.

MetLife Auto & Home insurance was geared toward personal car insurance. If you're interested in coverage for your business fleet, check out our list of the best commercial auto insurance companies.