J.D. Power auto insurance studies explained

J.D. Power's auto insurance studies are large customer surveys that score insurers on satisfaction, on a 1,000-point scale, in three main areas: being a customer, filing a claim and shopping for a policy. They are useful for comparing how companies treat people, especially in claims, but they do not measure price, financial strength or complaint rates. Use them alongside the NAIC complaint index, AM Best ratings and your own quotes.

The three main studies

J.D. Power also publishes quarterly shopping and switching reports and studies on digital experience and usage-based insurance. New editions appear each year, so check J.D. Power's site for anything released after the dates below.

U.S. Auto Insurance Study

The 2025 study, released in June 2025 and now in its 26th year, surveyed more than 48,000 auto insurance customers between May 2024 and April 2025 and ranked insurers separately in 11 regions, according to Insurance Journal. Key points:

• Overall satisfaction averaged 644, down 2 points from 2024, and 38% of customers fell into the lowest satisfaction segment.
• Amica had the highest score of any insurer in any region, 735 in New England. NJM scored 721 in the Mid-Atlantic, and Erie ranked first in two regions with 718 in the Southeast.
• Erie (North Central) and Shelter (Central) had ranked first in their regions for five consecutive years.
• Smaller and regional insurers dominated the top spots; only five national writers ranked first in any region.
• Nationwide scored highest among usage-based insurance programs, at 698.

A scale change matters. In 2024 J.D. Power moved from a 10-point rating scale to a six-step "poor to perfect" scale, so scores from 2023 and earlier are higher and not comparable with 2024 and later.

U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study

This is the study most relevant to what happens when you need your insurer. The 2025 edition was based on 9,455 customers who settled a claim in the nine months before the survey, fielded from September 2024 to August 2025, according to Claims Journal. Results:

• Satisfaction averaged 700, up 3 points.
• Erie ranked first with 743, followed by NJM (731), Liberty Mutual (730), Nationwide (729) and the Automobile Club of Southern California (726), part of the Auto Club Enterprises group.
• Average repair cycle time for repairable vehicles fell to 19.3 days from 22.3 days; vehicles from 2019 on with three or more driver-assistance features took longer.
• Total losses rose to 27% of claims from 24%, and 58% of total-loss customers said the valuation fully met their expectations.
• 26% of customers had deductibles of $1,000 or more, and 7% said they had avoided filing a claim for fear their rates would rise.
• Customers who received a rate increase in the past year scored 104 points lower than those who did not.

U.S. Insurance Shopping Study

The 2025 shopping study surveyed 12,720 people who had requested an auto quote from at least one competing insurer in the previous six months, fielded from April 2024 to January 2025, according to Insurance Journal. It found that 57% of customers shopped for auto insurance in 2024, up from 49% and the highest in the study's 19-year history, as rate increases peaked. Among large insurers, Erie (714), the Auto Club Group, a AAA insurer (707), and State Farm (699) ranked highest for the purchase experience. J.D. Power's quarterly shopping data later showed activity easing: the quarterly shopping rate was 13.0% in the fourth quarter of 2025, down from the prior quarter and the prior year (Insurance Journal).

How the scores work

J.D. Power surveys policyholders and converts their ratings into an index on a 1,000-point scale. The auto study now scores seven core dimensions; editions before 2024 used five factors: non-claims interactions, price, policy offerings, billing and policy information, and claims. In the auto study insurers are ranked by region, so a company can appear in some regions and not others. The studies are customer opinion surveys, not audits of claim files.

Limits of the rankings

• Satisfaction is not price. A top-ranked company may not be cheapest for you; see how to read car insurance rate studies and average-cost claims.
• Regional rankings. A national score can hide big differences between states.
• Survey timing. Results reflect a past 12-month window; a company's service can change.
• No financial strength measure. Check an insurer's AM Best rating; see AM Best financial strength ratings explained.
• No complaint ratio. The NAIC complaint index compares complaints filed with regulators with each company's market share; see The NAIC complaint index: how to look up an insurer.

How to use J.D. Power results when choosing an insurer

1. Shortlist by price for identical coverage using your own quotes.
2. Check the claims study for the companies on your list; claims handling is what you are really buying.
3. Look up the regional auto study for your area, not just the national headline.
4. Cross-check each finalist's NAIC complaint index and AM Best rating, or use the compare auto insurers side by side.
5. Read the insurer's profile on this site for its programs, discounts and claims process.

Key takeaways

• J.D. Power runs separate studies on customer satisfaction, claims satisfaction and shopping, each scored out of 1,000.
• In the 2025 studies, Amica led all regions in customer satisfaction, Erie led claims satisfaction, and 57% of customers shopped in 2024.
• Scores from 2023 and earlier are not comparable with later years because of a 2024 scale change.
• The studies measure satisfaction only; pair them with complaint data, financial strength ratings and quotes.