Oregon’s auto insurance currently falls a little below national average. But rates have been rising — especially in the Portland metro area, where drivers are paying 43 percent more for insurance than they were in 2011. Part of this rate hike is due to an increase in smartphone-related distracted driving (don’t text and drive!) but rates are also going up because people are buying newer cars that come with higher repair costs and larger insurance claims. With rates on the rise, it’s important to shop around for car insurance to make sure you’re getting the best possible offer.
Finding the best auto insurance in Oregon isn’t just about getting the lowest rates, though. It’s also about getting the right coverage for you, your family, and your car: Adding comprehensive coverage, for example, could save you from paying out-of-pocket for unexpected damages like flooding. Adding rental reimbursement coverage could help you cover the cost of renting a car while yours is being repaired. Use our review to get a better understanding of what car insurance options are out there so you can make an informed choice about the insurance package that’s best for you.
When insurers reference these numbers, they’re often shortened to 25/50/20.
Oregon also requires drivers to carry personal injury protection, or PIP coverage, as well as uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage. PIP coverage helps pay for medical expenses in a no-fault accident; UMBI and UIM coverages help protect you if you are in an accident where the other driver is at fault but they don’t have enough insurance to cover your expenses.
Most drivers will benefit from increasing their coverage beyond the state minimums. Adding collision coverage to your package pays for damage to your car if you rolled it into a ditch, for example; adding comprehensive coverage would protect you in case of theft. Even increasing your 25/50/20 coverage would help protect you against having to pay for major expenses out of pocket — if, for example, you hit a luxury car and cause more than $20,000 in property damage.
When you’re comparing quotes from insurance providers, don’t just look for the lowest rate. Consider how much coverage each provider offers, how high a deductible you’ll have to pay out of pocket before your coverage kicks in, and whether you’re purchasing enough coverage to protect you from a variety of potential scenarios, from collisions and severe weather to theft and injury. Use our review of the top auto insurance companies in Oregon to learn more about what major providers offer, and then shop around to see what types of quotes each can offer you.
The Consumer Guide to Oregon Insurance Complaints reports that State Farm received 146 complaints in 2015 and “confirmed” 13 of them (meaning that State Farm determined the complaint was valid and took steps to fix the problem). This is an impressive track record, given State Farm’s large market share. In fact, the Consumer Guide calculates State Farm’s overall Complaint Index score as 0.48 — a 1.00 score is average, meaning that State Farm is notably below average in terms of complaints.
State Farm doesn’t offer as many insurance coverage options as the other providers on our list, but you’ll be able to get a standard coverage package, as well as optional extras such as rental reimbursement coverage and roadside assistance coverage. State Farm also offers rideshare coverage, which is a must-have if you drive for Uber or Lyft: Personal auto insurance doesn’t cover your car when you use it for commercial purposes — as pizza delivery drivers are well aware.
If you’re looking to save money on your car insurance, State Farm offers plenty of discounts, including discounts for multi-line policies, anti-theft devices, and airbags. You can also get a discount if you’re a good student or a safe driver — and if you want to increase that safe driver discount, you can sign up with State Farm’s Drive Safe and Save program. Drive Safe and Save uses information from your mobile app or your OnStar device to evaluate your driving habits (speeding, rapid braking, etc.) and determine your eligibility for additional discounts.
We recommend starting your auto insurance search with a quote from State Farm, though we also recommend getting at least one other quote from another of our top-ranked insurers.
The Consumer Guide to Oregon Insurance Complaints recorded 6 consumer complaints in 2015, of which Allstate confirmed 0. Its Complaint Index score is 0.00, which puts it well below average. Allstate is also working on building its Oregon presence; it’s currently hiring new agents to serve in the state (and is offering up to $10,000 to anyone who refers a successful job candidate).
Allstate offers a few more coverage options than State Farm, including classic car coverage and sound system coverage. (Most auto insurance packages don’t cover stereo or speaker theft.) Like State Farm, Allstate also offers rideshare coverage, and it recently announced that it was partnering with Uber to offer commercial auto coverage for Uber drivers. Allstate is rolling out this program in Wisconsin, New Jersey, and Illinois first, so Oregon drivers will have to wait — but if you drive for Uber, it’s worth talking to an Allstate agent about when you might be eligible for commercial coverage.
Allstate doesn’t offer as many discounts as State Farm, although you can get a discount for insuring a new car, insuring more than one car, and paying your premiums in full. You can also get good student and safe driver discounts, and if you sign up for Allstate’s Drivewise service — which, like State Farm’s Drive Safe and Save, tracks your daily driving habits — you can get even more discounts (plus earn points that you can use to save money with various retailers).
We’re excited that Allstate is working to expand both its overall coverage options and its market share in Oregon, and we recommend getting a quote to see what it can offer you.
The Consumer Guide to Oregon Insurance Complaints recorded 50 consumer complaints in 2015, with 7 confirmed by Progressive. Its Complaint Index score is 0.88, putting it slightly below average but still higher than State Farm or Allstate.
Progressive offers more coverage options than State Farm, though not as many as Allstate; there’s no rideshare coverage, but you can get accessory coverage for items you add to your car, such as stereos and custom grilles. Progressive is also the only insurer on our list to offer pet injury coverage, so if your pets ride in your car on a regular basis, talk to an agent about whether you should add pet coverage.
In terms of discounts, Progressive is once again right in the middle, with fewer discounts than State Farm but more than Allstate. You can get a discount for having continuous insurance, for owning a home, and even for starting the quote process online — so make sure you take that initial step!
If you’d like to earn discounts for being a responsible driver, Progressive’s Snapshot program works much like Drivewise and Drive Safe & Save: install Snapshot on your phone or add a Snapshot device to your car, let Snapshot track your driving, and get your discount. The big difference with Snapshot is that it only tracks your driving for a limited period of time — generally around six months — and determines your discount based on that single period of driving history. Drivewise and Drive Safe & Save don’t have time limits, and both programs let you continually improve your discount by continually improving your driving.
Given all that Progressive has to offer, we recommend going online and getting a quote — if you end up choosing Progressive as your insurer, you’ll get a discount for having completed that online quote process.
The Consumer Guide to Oregon Insurance Complaints reports 75 total complaints about Farmers Insurance in 2015, with 6 confirmed complaints. Its Complaint Index score is 0.43: below average and roughly on par with State Farm.
If you’re looking for coverage options, Farmers offers more than any insurer on our list by a significant margin. You can get equipment coverage for your stereo or your custom paint job; you can get small claim forgiveness coverage to ensure your rates won’t go up after a minor fender-bender, and you can get no-fault no-foul coverage to ensure your rates won’t go up if you were in an accident where the other driver was at fault. You can also get rideshare coverage if you drive for Lyft or Uber. Although this long list of coverages is impressive, be aware that every coverage you add to your policy will drive up your premium.
If you want to drive that premium back down again, Farmers offers several discounts, including discounts for homeowners, good students, teen drivers, and senior citizens. You can even get a discount if you’re associated with certain businesses or professional groups — talk to an agent to see if your employer or organization is on the list. However, unlike State Farm, Allstate, and Progressive, Farmers does not offer a way for Oregon residents to earn additional discounts through good driving habits; its Signal program, which tracks real-time driving, is only available in five states — and Oregon is not on that list.
If you’re looking for a variety of coverages, Farmers might be the right insurer for you. We’d suggest calling and getting a quote!
In terms of consumer complaints, the Consumer Guide to Oregon Insurance Complaints reported 11 total complaints in 2015, 3 of which Liberty Mutual confirmed. Its Complaint Index score is 2.48, putting it way above average — and giving it the highest Complaint Index ranking of any of our top providers.
Liberty Mutual doesn’t offer as many coverages as some of our other providers, but it does offer a few unique coverages, including “better car replacement” coverage (if your car gets totaled, Liberty Mutual will give you the money to buy a car one model-year newer than your old one) and teacher’s coverage (which covers vandalism on school property and theft of educational materials from your car).
Liberty Mutual also offers a few unique discounts, including discounts for new graduates and newly married couples. This is in addition to the standard auto insurance discounts: multi-line policy discounts, good student discounts, and so forth. Liberty Mutual’s RightTrack program tracks your driving in real time and can get you another discount, but like Progressive’s Snapshot program, RightTrack only tracks your driving for a short period of time — in this case, just 90 days.
You might be able to get more from one of our higher-ranked insurers, but Liberty Mutual has a few items that set it apart — so if you’re interested in seeing how Liberty Mutual stacks up, request a quote and compare plans.
If you do have a complaint you’d like to take to the state of Oregon, the Division of Financial Regulation can help you file the appropriate forms.
Finding the best auto insurance in Oregon isn’t just about getting the lowest rates, though. It’s also about getting the right coverage for you, your family, and your car: Adding comprehensive coverage, for example, could save you from paying out-of-pocket for unexpected damages like flooding. Adding rental reimbursement coverage could help you cover the cost of renting a car while yours is being repaired. Use our review to get a better understanding of what car insurance options are out there so you can make an informed choice about the insurance package that’s best for you.
Oregon Minimum Liability
Here’s the minimum amount of auto insurance you need to drive in Oregon:- $25,000 bodily injury coverage per person
- $50,000 bodily injury coverage per accident
- $20,000 property damage coverage per accident
When insurers reference these numbers, they’re often shortened to 25/50/20.
Oregon also requires drivers to carry personal injury protection, or PIP coverage, as well as uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage. PIP coverage helps pay for medical expenses in a no-fault accident; UMBI and UIM coverages help protect you if you are in an accident where the other driver is at fault but they don’t have enough insurance to cover your expenses.
Most drivers will benefit from increasing their coverage beyond the state minimums. Adding collision coverage to your package pays for damage to your car if you rolled it into a ditch, for example; adding comprehensive coverage would protect you in case of theft. Even increasing your 25/50/20 coverage would help protect you against having to pay for major expenses out of pocket — if, for example, you hit a luxury car and cause more than $20,000 in property damage.
When you’re comparing quotes from insurance providers, don’t just look for the lowest rate. Consider how much coverage each provider offers, how high a deductible you’ll have to pay out of pocket before your coverage kicks in, and whether you’re purchasing enough coverage to protect you from a variety of potential scenarios, from collisions and severe weather to theft and injury. Use our review of the top auto insurance companies in Oregon to learn more about what major providers offer, and then shop around to see what types of quotes each can offer you.
How We Found the Best Auto Insurance in Oregon
We researched the five largest insurance providers in Oregon using the same methodology we developed for our nationwide auto insurance review. We pulled reports from A.M. Best to determine each insurer’s financial stability and ability to pay its claims. We looked at consumer rankings on JD Power and Consumer Reports to determine whether people were happy with their overall experience and claims process. We also checked the Consumer Guide to Oregon Insurance Complaints to learn how many Oregon residents complained about each insurance provider — and how those providers responded.Oregon Auto Insurance Reviews
State Farm
State Farm is the largest car insurance provider in Oregon, and it received an honorable mention in our nationwide auto insurance review. State Farm comes with a strong reputation for both financial stability and customer service: A.M. Best gave State Farm’s financial stability an A++ rating (meaning that it definitely has the resources it needs to pay out insurance claims); Consumer Reports gave State Farm a Very Good ranking for its claims process and an Excellent ranking for speedy claims payment, and J.D. Power gave State Farm 3 out of 5 points in both overall consumer experience and claims experience.The Consumer Guide to Oregon Insurance Complaints reports that State Farm received 146 complaints in 2015 and “confirmed” 13 of them (meaning that State Farm determined the complaint was valid and took steps to fix the problem). This is an impressive track record, given State Farm’s large market share. In fact, the Consumer Guide calculates State Farm’s overall Complaint Index score as 0.48 — a 1.00 score is average, meaning that State Farm is notably below average in terms of complaints.
State Farm doesn’t offer as many insurance coverage options as the other providers on our list, but you’ll be able to get a standard coverage package, as well as optional extras such as rental reimbursement coverage and roadside assistance coverage. State Farm also offers rideshare coverage, which is a must-have if you drive for Uber or Lyft: Personal auto insurance doesn’t cover your car when you use it for commercial purposes — as pizza delivery drivers are well aware.
If you’re looking to save money on your car insurance, State Farm offers plenty of discounts, including discounts for multi-line policies, anti-theft devices, and airbags. You can also get a discount if you’re a good student or a safe driver — and if you want to increase that safe driver discount, you can sign up with State Farm’s Drive Safe and Save program. Drive Safe and Save uses information from your mobile app or your OnStar device to evaluate your driving habits (speeding, rapid braking, etc.) and determine your eligibility for additional discounts.
We recommend starting your auto insurance search with a quote from State Farm, though we also recommend getting at least one other quote from another of our top-ranked insurers.
Allstate
Allstate also received an honorable mention in our nationwide auto insurance review. Like State Farm, Allstate received a Very Good rating for claims process and an Excellent rating for claims payment speed from Consumer Reports. However, its ratings from A.M. Best and JD Power were slightly lower; Allstate only received an A+ financial stability rating from A.M. Best (which is still very, very good) and JD Power gave Allstate 3 out of 5 points for claims experience but only 2 out of 5 for overall experience.The Consumer Guide to Oregon Insurance Complaints recorded 6 consumer complaints in 2015, of which Allstate confirmed 0. Its Complaint Index score is 0.00, which puts it well below average. Allstate is also working on building its Oregon presence; it’s currently hiring new agents to serve in the state (and is offering up to $10,000 to anyone who refers a successful job candidate).
Allstate offers a few more coverage options than State Farm, including classic car coverage and sound system coverage. (Most auto insurance packages don’t cover stereo or speaker theft.) Like State Farm, Allstate also offers rideshare coverage, and it recently announced that it was partnering with Uber to offer commercial auto coverage for Uber drivers. Allstate is rolling out this program in Wisconsin, New Jersey, and Illinois first, so Oregon drivers will have to wait — but if you drive for Uber, it’s worth talking to an Allstate agent about when you might be eligible for commercial coverage.
Allstate doesn’t offer as many discounts as State Farm, although you can get a discount for insuring a new car, insuring more than one car, and paying your premiums in full. You can also get good student and safe driver discounts, and if you sign up for Allstate’s Drivewise service — which, like State Farm’s Drive Safe and Save, tracks your daily driving habits — you can get even more discounts (plus earn points that you can use to save money with various retailers).
We’re excited that Allstate is working to expand both its overall coverage options and its market share in Oregon, and we recommend getting a quote to see what it can offer you.
Progressive
Progressive is another provider that earned an honorable mention in our nationwide auto insurance review. Its financial stability and customer satisfaction ratings are virtually identical to Allstate: It earned an A+ stability rating from A.M. Best, a Very Good rating for claims process and an Excellent rating for claims payment speed from Consumer Reports, and a 2 out of 5 for overall experience and a 3 out of 5 for claims experience from JD Power.The Consumer Guide to Oregon Insurance Complaints recorded 50 consumer complaints in 2015, with 7 confirmed by Progressive. Its Complaint Index score is 0.88, putting it slightly below average but still higher than State Farm or Allstate.
Progressive offers more coverage options than State Farm, though not as many as Allstate; there’s no rideshare coverage, but you can get accessory coverage for items you add to your car, such as stereos and custom grilles. Progressive is also the only insurer on our list to offer pet injury coverage, so if your pets ride in your car on a regular basis, talk to an agent about whether you should add pet coverage.
In terms of discounts, Progressive is once again right in the middle, with fewer discounts than State Farm but more than Allstate. You can get a discount for having continuous insurance, for owning a home, and even for starting the quote process online — so make sure you take that initial step!
If you’d like to earn discounts for being a responsible driver, Progressive’s Snapshot program works much like Drivewise and Drive Safe & Save: install Snapshot on your phone or add a Snapshot device to your car, let Snapshot track your driving, and get your discount. The big difference with Snapshot is that it only tracks your driving for a limited period of time — generally around six months — and determines your discount based on that single period of driving history. Drivewise and Drive Safe & Save don’t have time limits, and both programs let you continually improve your discount by continually improving your driving.
Given all that Progressive has to offer, we recommend going online and getting a quote — if you end up choosing Progressive as your insurer, you’ll get a discount for having completed that online quote process.
Farmers Insurance
Farmers Insurance holds the same JD Power ratings as State Farm: a 3 out of 5 in both overall experience and Claims Experience (edging out Progressive and Allstate). However, Farmers received lower ratings from A.M. Best and Consumer Reports than State Farm, Allstate and Progressive: an A financial stability rating and a Very Good rating in both claims process and claims payment speed.The Consumer Guide to Oregon Insurance Complaints reports 75 total complaints about Farmers Insurance in 2015, with 6 confirmed complaints. Its Complaint Index score is 0.43: below average and roughly on par with State Farm.
If you’re looking for coverage options, Farmers offers more than any insurer on our list by a significant margin. You can get equipment coverage for your stereo or your custom paint job; you can get small claim forgiveness coverage to ensure your rates won’t go up after a minor fender-bender, and you can get no-fault no-foul coverage to ensure your rates won’t go up if you were in an accident where the other driver was at fault. You can also get rideshare coverage if you drive for Lyft or Uber. Although this long list of coverages is impressive, be aware that every coverage you add to your policy will drive up your premium.
If you want to drive that premium back down again, Farmers offers several discounts, including discounts for homeowners, good students, teen drivers, and senior citizens. You can even get a discount if you’re associated with certain businesses or professional groups — talk to an agent to see if your employer or organization is on the list. However, unlike State Farm, Allstate, and Progressive, Farmers does not offer a way for Oregon residents to earn additional discounts through good driving habits; its Signal program, which tracks real-time driving, is only available in five states — and Oregon is not on that list.
If you’re looking for a variety of coverages, Farmers might be the right insurer for you. We’d suggest calling and getting a quote!
Liberty Mutual
Liberty Mutual got the lowest overall ranking of any of our top providers: A.M. Best gave it an A for financial stability, JD Power handed out 3 out of 5 points for overall experience and 2 out of 5 for claims experience, and Consumer Reports rated it Very Good for both claims process and claims payment speed.In terms of consumer complaints, the Consumer Guide to Oregon Insurance Complaints reported 11 total complaints in 2015, 3 of which Liberty Mutual confirmed. Its Complaint Index score is 2.48, putting it way above average — and giving it the highest Complaint Index ranking of any of our top providers.
Liberty Mutual doesn’t offer as many coverages as some of our other providers, but it does offer a few unique coverages, including “better car replacement” coverage (if your car gets totaled, Liberty Mutual will give you the money to buy a car one model-year newer than your old one) and teacher’s coverage (which covers vandalism on school property and theft of educational materials from your car).
Liberty Mutual also offers a few unique discounts, including discounts for new graduates and newly married couples. This is in addition to the standard auto insurance discounts: multi-line policy discounts, good student discounts, and so forth. Liberty Mutual’s RightTrack program tracks your driving in real time and can get you another discount, but like Progressive’s Snapshot program, RightTrack only tracks your driving for a short period of time — in this case, just 90 days.
You might be able to get more from one of our higher-ranked insurers, but Liberty Mutual has a few items that set it apart — so if you’re interested in seeing how Liberty Mutual stacks up, request a quote and compare plans.
Oregon takes insurance complaints seriously.
In 2017, Oregon recovered $3.4 million in unpaid insurance money for its residents, after investigating over 4,000 insurance complaints and evaluating whether consumers’ claims were in fact underpaid. Not all of these insurance complaints were related to auto insurance; in fact, 75 percent of the recovered money went towards health and life insurance complaints. However, it’s good to know that, if you believe your insurer did not fairly compensate you for a claim, the state might be willing to give your complaint another look.If you do have a complaint you’d like to take to the state of Oregon, the Division of Financial Regulation can help you file the appropriate forms.
