Bristol West insurance review 2025

Bristol West Insurance has been writing policies for car owners since 1973. From its beginnings in Florida, it has spread to 43 states. It is owned by Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, one of the largest insurers in the U.S.

Bristol West has earned a reputation for providing car insurance to drivers who have poor credit, or who have earned marks on their license and are now considered high-risk drivers. It offers basic policies that include liability insurance, as well as collision and comprehensive (often called full coverage), uninsured motorist insurance and rental reimbursement. It also has towing and roadside service as well as medical payments insurance. In some states, drivers can purchase permissive use and trailer damage coverage.

Bankrate has awarded Bristol West a Bankrate Score of 3.4 out of 5 points. The company has flexible payment methods and a financial strength rating of A (excellent) from AM Best. Its average rates, however, are on the high side, and it has a higher than average number of complaints with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

Pros and cons of Bristol West car insurance

Comparing perks and drawbacks of a provider may give you a high-level overview of whether a carrier is the right choice for you. Before you purchase a car insurance policy from Bristol West, it may be beneficial to compare the advantages and disadvantages:

Bristol West may be an affordable insurance option for drivers with multiple accidents, moving violations or a DUI on their record. However, even high-risk drivers typically have more than one option when it comes to auto insurance. If you're not sure Bristol West offers the coverage you need, you could consider getting quotes from these carriers:

Our insurance editorial team spends dozens of hours researching and evaluating insurance carriers to help our readers make informed choices about their coverage needs. Based on our Bristol insurance review, we determined the company may offer flexible options for high-risk drivers, but it has a limited number of advertised discounts available for additional savings.

The company’s rates are higher than average, and customer service metrics from NAIC indicate that some policyholders may not be satisfied with the service. If you are in the market for high-risk auto insurance, it may be worth researching some of the other best car insurance companies to see if you might find more discounts, better coverage options and potentially lower rates.

What are real-life customers saying about Bristol West?

While third-party data from J.D. Power and the NAIC are helpful when choosing an insurance company, reading reviews from real-life customers can provide some much-needed insight. To round out our Bristol West insurance review, Bankrate’s insurance editorial team looked at comments on various Reddit threads and pages. Reddit isn’t a formal review site, but it can be a great way to hear about what actual customers of a particular insurance company have to say.

The general consensus around Bristol West is mixed. Some drivers, particularly ones in the high-risk category, were happy to find that Bristol West’s quotes fit their budgets. Notably, many drivers with a DUI or poor credit pay more for their insurance, so finding affordable insurance can be extra challenging. But many Reddit users complained about the company’s autopay system, which some said charged unfair late fees, and a poor claims service.

*The quotes and citations included on this page have been verified by our editorial team and are accurate as of the posting date. Outlinked content may contain views and opinions that do not reflect the views and opinions of Bankrate.

Bristol West company details

• Customer service: 1-888-888-0080
• Claims: 1-800-274-7865
• Mailing address: Bristol West Claims Service, PO Box 258806, Oklahoma City, OK 73125-8806
• Website: bristolwest.com

State availability

Bristol West offers personal auto insurance policies in 43 states. Policies are not available in AK, DE, HI, NC, RI, VT, WV or Washington, D.C.

Bristol West tools and benefits

Bristol West offers auto insurance geared toward high-risk drivers, but it recently expanded its offerings to include commercial car insurance in select states. In addition, the company has a free mobile app for iOS and Android devices where you can file claims, download ID cards, make payments, view your policy and more. Drivers who have experienced a car insurance lapse may also be interested in Bristol West, as the company may accept customers without prior car insurance.

Frequently asked questions about Bristol West

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes. Your quotes will differ.

Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 16-60 (base: 40 years) applied. Depending on age, drivers may be a renter or homeowner. Age is not a contributing rating factor in Hawaii and Massachusetts.

The rates for drivers ages 16-20 added to their parents' policy reflect the good student and driver's training discounts applied. The rates for drivers aged 16-20 on their own policy do not include the good student and driver's training discounts. Additionally, 25-year-old rates are based on the driver as a renter and 30+ on the driver as a homeowner.

Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), single speeding ticket and single at-fault accident.

Credit-based insurance scores: Rates were calculated based on the following insurance credit tiers assigned to our drivers: “poor, average, good (base) and excellent.” Insurance credit tiers factor in your official credit scores but are not dependent on that variable alone. Four states prohibit or limit the use of credit as a rating factor in determining auto insurance rates: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan.

Bankrate Scores

Our 2025 Bankrate Score for auto insurance considers key variables that our insurance editorial team determined impact policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These factors include a robust assessment of each company’s cost of coverage, product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. We grouped these factors into three essential categories — cost and ratings, coverage and savings, and support — which we then weighted in a tiered approach. 

Each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. Our scoring model provides a comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and highlighting where they fall short.

• Tier 1 (Cost & ratings): To determine how well auto insurance companies satisfy these priorities, our team analyzed quoted premiums from Quadrant Information Services (if available), as well as any of the latest third-party agency ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best, Demotech and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). 
• Tier 2 (Coverage & savings): We assessed companies’ coverage options and availability to help policyholders find a provider that balances cost with coverage. Additionally, we evaluated the discount options listed on each company’s website.
• Tier 3 (Support): To encompass the many ways an auto insurance company can support policyholders, we analyzed avenues of customer accessibility along with community support. This analysis incorporated additional financial strength ratings from S&P and Moody’s and factored in a company’s corporate sustainability efforts.

Tier scores are unweighted to show the company's true score in each category out of a possible five points.