Erie insurance review 2024

Based in Erie, Pennsylvania since 1925, Erie Insurance serves 12 Northeast states and Washington, D.C. In 2024, Erie’s auto insurance product earned a Bankrate Score of 4.0 out of 5, which reflects the company’s strong coverage options, high customer satisfaction scores and overall financial strength along with its main weaknesses: limited regional availability and digital tools that get mixed reviews from users.

In addition to standard coverage options like liability insurance, comprehensive coverage and collision coverage, Erie offers some policy customization options that aren’t found everywhere: pet injury coverage, windshield repair, travel expense coverage, accident forgiveness and diminishing deductibles. They offer a telematics program called YourTurn that rewards safe driving and a Rate Lock feature (known as RateProtect in New York) which gives customers the ability to lock in a single rate with no possibility of future increases unless they add or remove a car or driver or change their address, which could be a powerful saving tool for some policyholders.

Pros and cons of Erie car insurance

Erie's coverage options and customer satisfaction scores make it one of the best car insurance companies in states where it writes policies. Comparing pros and cons of Erie auto insurance may help you decide if the company could be a good fit for your needs.

Erie’s home insurance earned a Bankrate Score of 4.4 out of 5 based on an assessment of its strengths — stellar customer service, robust yet affordable coverage and strong financial strength ratings — and weaknesses — poor digital capabilities and limited regional accessibility. Overall, Erie’s high customer satisfaction scores from J.D. Power and overall cheap home insurance rates make it a strong choice for many homeowners in the areas where it’s available.

Guaranteed replacement cost coverage is a standard part of Erie homeowners policies, and flood insurance is available as an optional endorsement. Other features of an Erie standard homeowners policy include extended coverage for animals, birds and fish and more extensive personal property coverage, including coverage for valuables.

Pros and cons of Erie homeowners insurance

If you're considering Erie for your homeowners insurance needs, it may be helpful to compare perks and drawbacks you may experience with the carrier. Here are a few of the key pros and cons Bankrate's editorial team identified:

Erie offers four life insurance products: term life, whole life, universal life and Erie’s exclusive ERIExpress Life. Erie’s term life insurance may be a good option for those who want a fixed coverage term and intend for the policy to pay for expenses that may be burdensome to loved ones, such as funeral costs and mortgage or credit card debt.

Whole life and universal life have no fixed terms, but universal life offers the most flexible death benefit. Erie’s unique ERIExpress Life policy may be ideal for people looking for a life insurance quote with a simplified application and fast approval. For customers who aren’t sure what they’re looking for in a life insurance policy, Erie’s website offers a life insurance calculator planning tool designed to help individuals estimate the type and amount of coverage they need.

Erie offers a variety of auto, home and life insurance products, but it does not write policies in all states. Comparing car insurance rates and other insurance products between different companies can help you find the best price. If you live outside Erie’s service area or need an insurer that offers a more diverse portfolio of products, take a look at these comparisons and consider getting an online car insurance or home insurance quote from one of the following carriers.

Overall, Erie is among the highest-rated home and auto insurance companies in the states it serves, based on average premium data, third-party ratings and a review of the company’s options for coverage, endorsements and discounts. It may also be a good choice for life insurance if you prefer to manage all your policies in one place. High marks in J.D. Power customer and claims satisfaction studies, along with a low rate of customer complaints for both home and auto insurance, set Erie apart in an industry that frequently generates frustration for consumers.

For both auto and home insurance, Erie’s standard offerings go a step beyond the industry standard with built-in auto glass repair and pet coverage for full coverage auto insurance and guaranteed replacement cost coverage for home insurance. These little extras, combined with average rates that are nonetheless well below the industry average, could make a big difference for car and homeowners. The major drawbacks we saw with Erie were lackluster mobile tools — you can’t file a claim through the company’s app — and reported difficulties from some applicants in getting coverage.

If you prefer to handle all your insurance business via an app, Erie may not be the best fit. But if you’re comfortable working through a local agent and taking a more old-school approach to claims and communication with your insurer, it’s worth getting a quote from Erie if they offer coverage in your area.

What are real-life customers saying about Erie?

Third-party ratings and premium data can give an overview of an insurance company’s success in serving customers, but in practice, insurance is more complicated. User experiences can vary significantly depending on individual circumstances, risk profiles, budgets and more. That’s why Bankrate’s insurance editorial team took time reading comments from social media and forum users to hear from actual customers who have policies from Erie.

Reddit

Reddit users have compared notes on Erie Insurance in a wide range of communities, from forums focused on auto, home and life insurance to regional subreddits seeking local advice. Many of those commenting on their Erie experience reported being with the company for many years. Many users said their claims experience was smooth and their rates low.

Bogleheads.org

On Bogleheads.org, a forum dedicated to investing and personal finance advice, users discussed Erie’s merits and drawbacks compared to other insurers, particularly in the home insurance space. Most of the commentary was positive, with a few commenters complaining of difficulty getting applications approved and others reporting significant premium increases.

Taken together, these Erie insurance reviews from Reddit and Bogleheads users reflect the highly personalized nature of auto, home and life insurance: the best insurance company for one policyholder could cause headaches for another customer, and rates can vary significantly depending on circumstance.

Erie company details

To get in contact with Erie, you can use the main customer service number for most inquiries. If you need to make a claim or summon roadside assistance, Erie has dedicated numbers for these tasks.

• Company website: erieinsurance.com
• Customer service: 1-800-458-0811
• Mailing address: Erie Insurance Group, 100 Erie Insurance Place, Erie, PA 16530-1104
• Claims: 1-800-367-3743
• Glass claims: 1-800-552-3743, via mobile app or online
• Roadside assistance: 1-888-367-3743 or file online

State availability

Erie writes car and home insurance policies in Washington, D.C. and the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Erie also sells life insurance in Washington, D.C. and all of the aforementioned states, except New York.

Erie tools and benefits

• Life insurance calculator: Erie provides a life insurance calculator on its website to help customers decide which type of policy may best fit their needs. From there, customers can ask to be paired with an independent Erie agent to get a quote.
• Business insurance products: Erie also offers business insurance, including business automobile insurance. Business policies may protect a variety of businesses, including breweries, contractors, religious organizations, retailers and veterinarians.
• Financial services: Erie offers Medicare supplemental coverage (Medigap) and retirement accounts, including annuities and individual retirement accounts (IRAs).
• Renters, condo and mobile home insurance: Erie offers a variety of insurance policies for other dwellings and living situations.
• Flood insurance: Homeowners who live in a flood zone or anywhere that experiences occasional flooding may want to consider flood insurance since flooding is not included in a standard home insurance policy. Erie sells flood insurance backed by a federally funded flood carrier, American Bankers Insurance Company.
• Personal valuables insurance: This coverage may be purchased to financially protect jewelry, art, sports equipment, collections, musical instruments and more.

Frequently asked questions about Erie

These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes. 

Additional profiles:

• Coverage A, Dwelling: $150,000, $350,000, $450,000
• Coverage B, Other Structures: $15,000, $35,000, $45,000
• Coverage C, Personal Property: $75,000, $175,000, $225,000
• Coverage D, Loss of Use: $30,000, $70,000, $90,000
• Coverage E, Liability: $500,000
• Coverage F, Medical Payments: $1,000

These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes. 

Bankrate Scores

Our 2024 Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories.

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 and home insurance companies satisfy these priorities, average 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 NAIC, were analyzed.
• 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 each company’s discount options listed on its website.
• Tier 3 (Support): To encompass the many ways an auto and home 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 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.