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Mercury Insurance Auto Insurance Review

Mercury Insurance offers decent coverage, but it's only available in 11 states

Mercury Insurance

Our Take 

Founded in 1961, Mercury Insurance offers auto coverage similar to what you’d find elsewhere, plus a range of discounts. Unfortunately, this insurance company only offers coverage in 11 states, and its rideshare add-on is only available in nine states. If you live in a state where coverage is offered, this insurer may be worth considering.

Rideshare coverage available

Multiple discount opportunities

Mechanical Breakdown coverage available

Need to purchase policy through agent

Only available in 11 states

Mercury Insurance

Pros Explained

Cons Explained

Introduction

Mercury Insurance offers auto insurance coverage such as collision, comprehensive, and uninsured/underinsured motor vehicles. Applicants can take advantage of eight available discounts, though availability varies by state. Those who prefer to work with a company completely online will have to look elsewhere, as Mercury Insurance only sells policies through its agents.  

Company Overview

Founded in 1961 and headquartered in Los Angeles, Mercury Insurance offers auto, homeowners, renters, business, and personal umbrella policies. It’s a leading independent agency writer of auto insurance policies in California. However, auto coverage through Mercury is only available in 11 states, including Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia.

Types of Coverage

Mercury Insurance offers the following auto coverage options.

Collision

Collision coverage pays for vehicle repairs after being in an accident or replacement if the car is deemed a total loss. If your car is totaled, Mercury will offer the actual cash value of your car after you pay the deductible.

Liability

Liability insurance may protect you if you’re found legally responsible for causing injury to another person or their property. It’ll also protect you in case someone files a lawsuit against you for causing property damage or bodily harm. Mercury Insurance offers bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage.

Comprehensive

Mercury offers comprehensive coverage, which protects your insured vehicles from covered losses such as extreme weather, vandalism, or fire. 

Rental Car 

Mercury Insurance pays for a rental car if you’re in an accident and your vehicle needs repairs. It's optional coverage, but it could be useful if you need a car to commute back and forth from work or school. You can select from coverage limits ranging from $30 to $100 per day, for up to 30 days.

Uninsured and Underinsured Motor Vehicle

Uninsured and underinsured motor vehicle coverage protects drivers who are deemed not at fault in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver. For policyholders with this coverage, Mercury Insurance will cover the cost of things like car repairs, lost wages, and medical expenses.

Medical Payments

Medical payments insurance covers the cost of medical expenses if anyone in your vehicle is hurt in an auto accident, regardless of who’s at fault. Availability will depend on your state of residence.

Rideshare

Mercury Insurance calls its rideshare coverage “ride-hailing insurance,” and it’s available for as little as $0.90 per day. This optional rider allows you to add coverage to your personal auto policy if you drive for companies like Uber or Lyft. It’s available to policyholders in nine states, including:

Each state has different minimum insurance requirements, so if you're shopping for a new insurance policy, it’s best to check which coverages your state requires.

Discounts

Mercury Insurance offers several discounts to help you lower your premiums, including the following:

Payment Discounts

Driving Habits and History

Vehicle Equipment

Since the availability of discounts varies by state, it’s best to contact a Mercury Insurance agent to see what discounts you may be eligible for.

Payment Options

Mercury allows policyholders to pay for their premiums in a few different ways, including by: 

Policyholders can also set up automatic payments or make one-time payments online via the Mercury Insurance website. 

Many insurance companies offer discounts for setting up autopay, so consider taking advantage of this option.

Loss Ratio

Looking at the loss ratio of an insurer is helpful when shopping around. That’s because it can give a decent insight as to whether an insurance company is under financial distress, or whether it'll be able to pay out claims. 

Mercury Insurance has a 67.40% loss ratio, which is close to average among the auto insurers we compared. This signals that the company is relatively financially strong.  

Other Features

In addition to its other coverage options, Mercury Insurance also offers mechanical breakdown coverage. This type of protection pays for qualifying repair costs if your car breaks down and you're past your warranty period.

Customer Service

To make a payment, file a claim, or ask a general question, Mercury Insurance policyholders can contact a representative at 1-800-503-3724 or speak with their local Mercury Insurance agent. Those who prefer to communicate via email can reach a representative through a contact form on the Mercury Insurance website.  Mercury also lets you file a claim online, using the app or web portal. 

Customer Satisfaction 

Satisfaction Ratings

On the 2020 J.D. Power U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, Mercury Insurance ranked 22nd out of 25 top car insurance companies, but the company didn’t rank at all in the  2021 study. Mercury also scored 829 in the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study, which is below the segment average of 858. Overall, the company received poor marks because policyholders weren’t satisfied with its customer service.

When it comes to Mercury Insurance’s financial stability, AM Best—a third-party credit rating agency for the insurance agency—gave the insurer a Financial Strength Rating of "A" (Excellent). A high AM Best rating can offer peace of mind that an insurer is financially sound and able to pay out claims.

Complaint Index

Researching the number of complaints an insurance company has received each year can give you insights into whether it’s a smart idea to apply for coverage with them.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is a reputable resource to use—it collects all customer complaints about different insurance companies and uses that data to come up with complaint ratios. These numbers reflect how many complaints companies received compared to the industry average. 

For 2021, Mercury’s complaint ratio for private passenger auto insurance was 0.71, lower than the industry ratio of 1.0. In other words, Mercury received a lower number of complaints than the average of a company its size.

Account Management

Mercury Insurance offers two options for account management. Policyholders can manage their policies online by creating an online account through the Mercury Insurance website. Those that prefer to speak with a representative can also call customer service or speak with a local agent for assistance.

How Mercury Insurance Compares to Other Auto Insurance Companies

When compared with premiums from competing insurers operating in the same states, Mercury’s premiums are slightly lower. Still, your premium may be higher or lower depending on factors such as the make of your vehicle and driving history. It’s a good idea to shop around in order to find the best rates for auto coverage.

Mercury Insurance offers several different types of auto coverage, including collision, liability, and comprehensive coverage. This insurer also provides several opportunities for discounts on your premium and a rideshare protection add-on. 

Unfortunately, Mercury is only available in 11 states and has received some poor ratings for its customer service. Plus, its online account management features seem to be limited. Those looking for auto coverage will likely want to shop around and compare policies to find the best coverage to suit their needs.

Methodology

Investopedia is committed to providing readers with unbiased, comprehensive reviews of auto insurance companies. All of our reviews are based on extensive research and analysis of each company’s coverage, customer service, pricing, years in business, accreditation, and more. To rate providers, we developed an auto insurance review methodology that compares the auto insurance coverage types, additional features, discounts, account management, and other features.

Mercury General. “Mercury General 2020 Annual Report,” Page 6.

J.D. Power. "Auto Insurance Claims Satisfaction Climbs to Record High as Carriers Refine Customer Experience During Pandemic, J.D. Power Finds.”

J.D. Power. "Auto Insurance Claim Satisfaction Rises on Combination of Soaring Vehicle Values and Growth of Straight-Through-Processing Claims Management, J.D. Power Finds."

J.D. Power. "Auto Insurance Shopping Surged During Pandemic in 2020 but Little Brand Differentiation Apparent, J.D. Power Finds."

AM Best. "AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Mercury Casualty Group’s Members and Mercury General Corporation."

National Association of Insurance Commissioners. "Mercury Insurance Company National Complaint Index Report."