Liberty Mutual reviews and ratings
- Customer satisfaction ratings are average or lower.
- Received more than the expected number of complaints for auto insurance, relative to its size.
- Many options for coverage and discounts.
Liberty Mutual is the nation’s sixth-largest auto insurer based on direct premiums written. In addition to car insurance, Liberty Mutual offers a vast array of personal and commercial insurance policies.
Liberty Mutual auto insurance
Liberty Mutual auto insurance earned 4.5 stars out of 5 for overall performance. NerdWallet’s ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account pricing and discounts, ease of filing a claim, website transparency, financial strength, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and more.
Based on these ratings, Liberty Mutual is among NerdWallet’s Best Car Insurance Companies for 2021.
Common types of car insurance coverage
When you’re shopping for car insurance, it’s important to understand what car insurance coverage you want and what you’re required to buy. Most states require car insurance to drive a vehicle, although minimum coverage requirements vary from state to state. This generally includes liability insurance and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
If you want extra protection, you may be interested in full coverage insurance. Full coverage isn’t a specific policy you can buy, but rather a combination of coverage types like liability, collision and comprehensive insurance.
Check out the most common types of car insurance coverage below to see how they work:
| Coverage type | What it pays for | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily injury and property damage liability | Costs for injuries, deaths or property damage from an accident you caused. | Typically required. |
| Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage | Medical and property damage costs after an accident with a driver who has insufficient insurance or none at all. | Often required. |
| Collision coverage | Repair expenses from traffic-related accidents, regardless of who's at fault. | A car loan or lease may require it. |
| Comprehensive coverage | Repair costs from events outside your control — including weather events, hitting an animal while driving, theft and vandalism. | A car loan or lease may require it. |
Liberty Mutual offers standard auto policies to which you can add several types of optional coverage, including:
- Accident forgiveness. Your premium won’t increase as a result of your first accident if you’ve had no crashes or traffic violations for five years. This coverage is not available in California and may vary by state.
- New car replacement. If your car is totaled in the first model year and first 15,000 miles, you’ll be reimbursed the cost of a new car, not just the depreciated value.
- Better car replacement. This takes new car replacement a step further: If your car is totaled at any age or mileage, you’ll be reimbursed for a car one year newer and with 15,000 fewer miles on it than your totaled car.
- Deductible fund. When you add this feature to your policy, Liberty Mutual creates a “fund” to lower your collision deductible. The insurer contributes $70 while you contribute $30 each year.
- Gap insurance. If your car is totaled and you owe more on your loan or lease than it was worth, gap insurance will pay the difference.
Teachers’ Auto Insurance is a unique offering from Liberty Mutual. Although it may not be available where you live, it comes at no extra cost to teachers and includes:
- Vandalism loss protection. No deductible if your vehicle is vandalized during school-related events or on school property. (In Pennsylvania, a $100 deductible applies.)
- Personal property coverage. Liberty Mutual will reimburse you up to $2,500 per occurrence if your teaching materials or school-owned property are stolen or damaged while in your vehicle.
- Collision coverage. There’s no deductible if your car is damaged in an accident while driving it for school business. (In Pennsylvania, a $100 deductible applies.)
Liberty Mutual’s auto insurance discounts:
Although Liberty Mutual’s discounts vary by state, the list of potential price breaks is long. You may be eligible for discounts for:
- Owning a home.
- Being an active, retired or reserve member of the U.S. military.
- Getting a Liberty Mutual quote before your current policy expires.
- For students, earning good grades or leaving the car at home while living away at school.
- Driving a hybrid or electric car.
- Having safety features like anti-lock brakes, adaptive headlights and anti-theft devices.
- Avoiding accidents and traffic violations.
- Insuring multiple cars.
- Having more than one Liberty Mutual policy, such as bundling home and auto coverage.
- Paying your full premium up front or enrolling in automatic payments.
- Buying a policy online.
- Receiving paperwork electronically.
- Being affiliated with certain employers, alumni associations or professional groups.
- Being a new Liberty Mutual customer.
The RightTrack program: In some states, you can also get a discount for allowing Liberty Mutual to monitor your driving. An app on your phone or a small tracking device in your car measures habits like acceleration, braking, distance and time of day. You get a discount for signing up, which can change later based on how safely you drive during a 90-day evaluation.
» MORE: Compare car insurance rates
Auto insurance buying guide
Before you compare car insurance companies, you’ll need to collect basic information, such as the driving history of everyone on the policy and facts about your car, including safety features and annual mileage driven. You’ll also want to understand which types of coverage you need. For example, do you want only the bare minimum insurance that your state requires, or do you need more extensive coverage, such as gap insurance or rideshare coverage? Check that each company you’re considering has the options you want.
When comparing rates among insurers, make sure each is offering the same coverage limits and deductibles. You may not want to decide based on price alone. Look at how many consumer complaints each company has, as high numbers can be a red flag about the quality of service you might receive.
Depending on which company you choose, you may be able to buy insurance online, over the phone or through an agent. For more guidance, see how to get car insurance.
Liberty Mutual home insurance
Liberty Mutual offers homeowners insurance policies with standard features, plus additional coverage options. Learn more in our Liberty Mutual home insurance review.
Liberty Mutual complaints and customer satisfaction
Liberty Mutual had more than the expected number of complaints to state regulators relative to its size for auto insurance, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
| 2020 J.D. Power study | Liberty Mutual ranks ... |
|---|---|
| Auto insurance shopping | Below average |
| Auto insurance claims satisfaction | Below average |
More about Liberty Mutual
Website: The Liberty Mutual website is robust and useful, allowing you to manage your policies, pay your bill, access ID cards and report or track a claim.
Mobile app: You can track claims, pay bills and view policy documents in the Liberty Mutual mobile app. The accident and roadside support feature lets you capture information and photos at the scene of an accident or call for emergency roadside services.
Insurance quotes from Alexa: You can get a Liberty Mutual quote using your Amazon Alexa device, as well as advice on common auto problems.
| Other types of insurance from Liberty Mutual include: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Homeowners insurance | Renters insurance | Condo insurance |
| Motorcycle insurance | Critical illness insurance | Business insurance |
| Flood insurance | Pet insurance | Landlord insurance |
| Coverage requiring an existing home or auto insurance policy: | ||
| Umbrella insurance | Antique and classic car insurance | ATV and off-road vehicle insurance |
| Boat and watercraft insurance | RV and trailer insurance | |
| Policies available through Liberty Mutual partner insurance companies: | ||
| Term and whole life insurance | Mobile home insurance | |
Recap: Liberty Mutual pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Many types of coverage available. | More auto insurance complaints to state regulators than expected for its size. |
| Lots of discounts. | Customer satisfaction ratings are below average. |
| Robust digital tools. |
Auto insurance ratings methodology
NerdWallet’s auto insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including financial strength, consumer complaints, website transparency and affordability. Using our editorial discretion, we also consider customer satisfaction surveys. These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.Insurer complaints methodology
NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2018-2020. To assess how insurers compare to one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home (including renters and condo) and life insurance.
