Liberty Mutual auto insurance

Overview

Liberty Mutual is a Boston-based insurer that sells auto and home insurance both directly to consumers and through agents. The Liberty Mutual Group ranked #7 among U.S. private passenger auto insurers by 2025 direct premiums written, with $10.41 billion and a 2.80% market share, according to NAIC market share data. Worldwide it describes itself as the ninth-largest property and casualty insurer by 2025 gross written premium, with more than 40,000 employees and operations in 27 countries and economies, including a large commercial and specialty business alongside personal lines.

The parent, Liberty Mutual Holding Company Inc., is a Massachusetts mutual holding company with no stockholders. Its members are the named insureds on policies issued by a set of "member companies," including Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Company and Liberty Mutual Personal Insurance Company; policies from other group companies do not carry membership rights. Tim Sweeney is chairman and CEO, and headquarters are at 175 Berkeley Street in Boston.

Liberty Mutual sells auto insurance directly online, by phone and in its app, and through agents, including more than 20,000 independent agencies. Until April 2026, the independent-agent business was sold under the separate Safeco brand.

History

Liberty Mutual opened on July 1, 1912, in Boston to write workers' compensation insurance, and sold its first auto policy in 1918. It built its first Boston home office in 1937, helped develop the escalator emergency stop switch in 1946, worked with Cornell on a "safety car" in 1957 and expanded outside North America with a U.K. operation in 1973. It grew through acquisitions of major commercial carriers in the 1990s.

In 2008 Seattle-based Safeco Corporation became part of Liberty Mutual. Safeco, which marked its centennial in 2023, sold auto, home and specialty policies in 48 states through more than 22,000 independent agencies. Having announced the plan about a year earlier, Liberty Mutual retired the Safeco name on April 25, 2026; Safeco customers kept their agents and policies, which are now marketed as Liberty Mutual. The group's trade names also include State Auto and Ironshore.

Auto insurance coverage

Liberty Mutual's standard coverages are liability, collision, comprehensive, medical payments, personal injury protection where required, and uninsured motorist coverage. Optional coverages include:

• Better Car Replacement, which pays for a model one year newer if your car is totaled, and New Car Replacement.
• Original parts replacement, which uses manufacturer parts in repairs; see OEM parts endorsements: guaranteeing factory parts.
• Accident forgiveness and the Liberty Mutual Deductible Fund, designed to lower your collision deductible.
• Gap coverage for financed or leased cars, rental car reimbursement and 24-hour roadside assistance.
• A lifetime repair guarantee and teachers' auto insurance for educators.

Availability of the newer-car replacement coverages varies by state, and eligibility rules apply.

Discounts and programs

RightTrack is Liberty Mutual's usage-based program, built into the Liberty Mutual Mobile app. Depending on your state, you may be offered RightTrack Continuous, which re-scores your driving at every renewal, or RightTrack 90-Day, which sets a score once for the life of the policy. Enrolling earns an immediate participation discount — 15% if every driver on the policy participates, 10% if only some do — and safe driving can bring total savings up to 30%. The app watches braking, acceleration and time of day. The score applies only to certain coverages, not the whole premium, and the program is not offered everywhere.

Other discounts listed by Liberty Mutual:

• Homeowner, military (active, retired or reserve), early shopper, good student (B average) and student away at school
• Claims-free and violation-free driving
• Multi-policy and multi-car
• Preferred payment (automatic payments or paying in one or two installments) and paperless
• Online purchase, which is not available in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Montana, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota or Wyoming

Claims

File a claim online (Liberty Mutual says it typically takes 10 minutes or less), in the app, or by calling 800-2CLAIMS (800-225-2467). Some damage can be reviewed from photos alone; other claims need an in-person appointment. Glass-only claims have their own online process, and roadside assistance is available around the clock at 877-762-3101. The app's Accident Assistance feature can detect a crash and offer a tow, emergency services or help starting a claim.

Ratings and reputation

Financial strength. AM Best affirmed the A (Excellent) financial strength rating of Liberty Mutual's member companies on September 10, 2025, with a stable outlook. It rated the balance sheet "very strong" but noted that underwriting results have trailed industry benchmarks over five- and 10-year periods. Liberty Mutual also lists an A2 rating from Moody's and A+ from S&P. Its A rating sits a notch below the A+ or A++ held by the largest auto insurers; see AM Best financial strength ratings explained.

Results. Liberty Mutual's 2025 results were strong: net income of $6.79 billion (up from $4.38 billion) and a combined ratio of 88.4%, the lowest in recent history according to Sweeney. Its U.S. retail business shrank, however — net written premium fell 6.4% to $26.5 billion, and private passenger auto premium dropped 15.9% in the first quarter as retention fell from 73.5% to 66.4% amid heavy customer shopping.

Customer satisfaction. Claims are a relative strength: Liberty Mutual placed third of 20 in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study with 730 points, behind only Erie and NJM (its Safeco brand scored 672, 19th). Overall satisfaction is weaker. In the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Auto Insurance Study, which counted former Safeco customers under Liberty Mutual, it beat the regional average only in Texas (662, tied for third), matched it in New England (631) and fell below it in the other nine regions, including a 541 in California, where only one insurer scored lower.

Who it suits

Liberty Mutual suits drivers who want flexibility in how they buy — online, by phone or through an independent agent who can compare it with other carriers — and who value extras such as Better Car Replacement, original parts and a lifetime repair guarantee. Its claims service scores well, but overall satisfaction ratings, its AM Best rating and its shrinking U.S. retail book lag the largest competitors.

• Strengths: Third of 20 in J.D. Power's 2025 claims study; wide menu of optional coverages; RightTrack pays 10% to 15% just for enrolling; available direct or through more than 20,000 independent agencies.
• Weaknesses: Below the regional average in nine of 11 J.D. Power regions in 2026; AM Best rating of A (Excellent) rather than A+ or A++; online purchase discount unavailable in nine states; U.S. retail premium down 6.4% in 2025 as customers left.

How to contact Liberty Mutual