Progressive Review: Auto Insurance, Quotes & Coverage

Progressive legitimacy and licensing

Yes. The Progressive Corporation has sold car insurance since 1937, is publicly traded, and writes policies through licensed insurance subsidiaries in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. NAIC premium data compiled by the Insurance Information Institute put Progressive at 18.6% of 2025 U.S. private auto premiums, about $69.0 billion, second to State Farm by a tenth of a point. AM Best affirmed its A+ (Superior) financial strength rating in May 2026, which means it is considered very able to pay claims.

Being legitimate is not the same as being easy to deal with. Progressive’s BBB headquarters profile is rated B- with 5,262 complaints in three years, and it ranked 18th of 20 in J.D. Power’s 2025 claims satisfaction study. NAIC data, which adjusts for company size, shows fewer complaints than expected, so the volume partly reflects how many people it insures.

Progressive car insurance cost

Progressive does not publish average premiums. In NerdWallet’s October 2026 analysis, a 35-year-old driver with a clean record paid $2,277 a year for full coverage, against a $2,361 national average, and $645 for minimum coverage. Progressive was well below average after a DUI ($3,122 vs. $4,437) and for 20-year-olds ($3,833 vs. $4,722), and close to average after a ticket or at-fault crash.

Progressive says new customers who switched and saved averaged $975 a year, based on a survey from June 2025 to May 2026. That figure only counts people who saved. Compare quotes with the same liability limits, deductibles and add-ons.

Progressive discounts and Snapshot

Progressive lists these discounts, with averages where it publishes them: multi-car (12%), online quote (7%), sign online (10%), good student (starting at 5%), multi-policy, continuous insurance, homeowner (even if your home is insured elsewhere), teen driver (18 or younger), paperless, and pay in full or automatic payments. It says new customers who bundle home and auto save $1,099 a year on average.

Snapshot rates you on braking, acceleration, mileage, time of day and, in some states, phone use. Drivers who renewed and earned a discount saved $328 a year on average, but your rate can go up, and Progressive says about 2 in 10 drivers get an increase. Snapshot is not offered in California, and the sign-up discount is not offered in New York.

What Progressive covers

Besides liability, collision, comprehensive, medical payments and uninsured motorist coverage, Progressive sells rental reimbursement, roadside assistance, loan or lease payoff (gap), rideshare coverage, custom parts and equipment, and pet injury coverage. It also offers Progressive Vehicle Protection, a separate plan for repairs after the factory warranty ends, with a $100 deductible in Progressive’s own example.

Accident forgiveness is built in for small claims: Progressive says a claim totaling less than $500 won’t raise your rate, and after five years with Progressive no single claim will raise it in most states. Repairs at its network shops carry a limited lifetime guarantee for as long as you own or lease the car.

Progressive complaints and lawsuits

Most complaints on the BBB and Trustpilot are about rate increases at renewal, slow claims, low offers on totaled cars, hold times and cancellations. Trustpilot reviewers rate Progressive 1.2 out of 5 from 1,971 reviews. Its app is rated 4.8 on the App Store from about 850,000 ratings, so the day to day experience is often fine until a claim.

Total loss payouts have drawn class actions. In Curran v. Progressive Direct (U.S. District Court for Colorado), Progressive agreed to a settlement of about $15.24 million over a “projected sold adjustment” in Mitchell valuations; claims are due February 5, 2027. In 2024 two Progressive companies agreed to a $61 million Michigan settlement over sales tax and fees left out of total loss payments. Progressive denied wrongdoing in both. If your car is totaled, ask for the valuation report and push back with local listings for the same car.

Cancelling a Progressive policy

You can cancel a car policy at any time by calling Progressive or through your agent, and unused premium is generally refunded, though rules and any fees depend on your state and policy. Line up your new policy first so you never have a gap, since a lapse can raise future rates and, in most states, driving uninsured is illegal. If you financed a car, tell your lender about the new insurer.

If you have a dispute Progressive won’t resolve, you can file a complaint with your state insurance department; the NAIC Consumer Insurance Search links to each state’s complaint page.

Who should look elsewhere

If you have a clean record and good credit, GEICO and State Farm averaged less than Progressive in NerdWallet’s data, and both scored higher in J.D. Power’s claims study. Military families should quote USAA first. If you drive aggressively or late at night, skip Snapshot, since it can raise your price.