MAPFRE auto insurance review: Cheap rates, low complaints
MAPFRE has lower-than-average rates and good customer service ratings, but coverage is only available in 18 states.
By
Rachael BrennanRachael BrennanSenior Editor & Licensed Auto Insurance ExpertRachael Brennan is a senior editor and a licensed auto insurance expert at Policygenius. Her work has also been featured in MoneyGeek, Clearsurance, Adweek, Boston Globe, The Ladders, and AutoInsurance.com.
Edited by
Anna SwartzAnna SwartzSenior Managing EditorAnna Swartz is a senior managing editor who specializes in home, auto, renters, and disability insurance at Policygenius. Previously, she was a senior staff writer at Mic and a writer at The Dodo. Her work has also appeared in Salon, HuffPost, MSN, AOL, and Heeb.
Our proprietary ratings methodology takes multiple factors into account, including customer satisfaction, cost, financial strength, and policy offerings. See the “Ratings methodology” section for more details.
4.6
AM Best rating
AM Best is a global credit rating agency that scores the financial strength of insurance companies on a scale from A++ (Superior) to D (Poor).
A
Cost
Using a mix of internal and external rate data, we grade the cost of each insurance company's premiums on a scale from least expensive ($) to most expensive ($$$$$).
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The bottom line
MAPFRE, based in Spain, is an international insurance company that began doing business in the U.S. when it purchased the Massachusetts-based Commerce Group in 2008. Since then MAPFRE has expanded to offer auto insurance in 18 states, including California, Florida, and New Jersey.
Coverage perks include a free disappearing deductible program, which knocks money off your deductible for every year of safe driving, and a special program for teen drivers that lowers their rates up to 15% if they complete all the steps.
The biggest downside to MAPFRE insurance is that auto coverage is only available in 18 states. MAPFRE also operates under different names in different states, which means MAPFRE customers may have trouble contacting the company and need to reach out to their agent directly for assistance.
Operates under different names in different states
Basic coverages offered
Liability coverage: Covers the cost of bodily injuries or property damage you cause to someone else in an at fault accident. Liability coverage is required in almost every state.
Personal injury protection: Also referred to as PIP or no-fault insurance, personal injury protection covers medical expenses (and other costs, like lost wages and funeral benefits) if you or your passengers are hurt in an accident, no matter who was at fault. PIP coverage is required in some states.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: Also known as UM/UIM, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage pays for your medical expenses if you’re hit by a driver who doesn’t have insurance, or doesn’t have enough insurance to cover all the damage they caused. UM/UIM is required coverage in some states.
Collision coverage: Covers damage to your vehicle after a car accident, whether or not you were at fault.
Comprehensive coverage: Covers non-collision damage to your car, including damage caused by extreme weather, hail, flood, fire, falling objects, vandalism and theft.
Medical payments: Also known as MedPay, this covers medical costs for you and your passengers if you get into a covered accident, but the benefit is usually small, between $1,000 and $10,000.
Additional coverages offered
Accident forgiveness: Not technically a kind of coverage, this add-on means you won’t see an increase in your rates after your first at-fault accident.
Disappearing deductible: Keep your driving record accident-free and your MAPFRE collision deductible will go down each year, up to a maximum of $300.
Substitute transportation: Sometimes called rental car reimbursement, this covers the cost of a rental car while your car is being repaired due to a covered accident.
Towing and labor: Also called roadside assistance, this provides certain benefits, like towing, fuel delivery, and locksmith services, if your car breaks down.
Car EZ: If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, Car EZ can help you schedule repairs and find a rental car. Car EZ repairs are guaranteed for as long as you own your vehicle.
Free glass repairs: MAPFRE customers with this coverage get free glass repairs (but not replacement) if their windows or windshield are damaged.
Gap coverage: Drivers who purchase comprehensive and collision coverage through MAPFRE will have the option of adding gap coverage to their policy, which covers the rest of your loan or lease if your car is totaled.
Ratings methodology
Price
4.7/5
We used data provided by Quadrant to compare the average cost of a full coverage policy from MAPFRE (50/100/50 coverage limits and $500 deductibles for comprehensive and collision coverage) to competitor rates for the same coverage with the same driver profile (single drivers aged 30, 35, and 45 driving a 2017 Toyota Camry LE about 10,000 miles per year.)
Customer experience
4.6/5
MAPFRE does not have a score on J.D. Power’s 2022 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study or the J.D. Power’s 2022 U.S. Insurance Digital Experience Study, which looks at customer satisfaction with a company’s digital offerings. However, MAPFRE had a lower-than-average number of complaints in 2021 according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) National Complaint Index Report.
Coverage options
3.5/5
MAPFRE offers 16 different types of auto insurance coverage, giving it a very good score when it comes to coverage options. In addition to the basic types of auto insurance coverage, including liability, comprehensive, and collision coverage, MAPFRE offers add-ons like roadside assistance and a disappearing deductible.
Financial strength
3.5/5
MAPFRE has moderate financial ratings, scoring an A with AM Best and A- with S&P. MAPFRE doesn’t have a financial rating with Moody’s, but it is clear from its other scores that MAPFRE is in a good financial position to pay out its customers’ claims.
MAPFRE AutoMaster Package Endorsement
MAPFRE offers an AutoMaster Package Endorsement to offer unique benefits to its customers in some states, The MAPFRE AutoMaster package basically just groups together a bunch of extra coverages that usually don’t come standard with an auto policy including:
Bail bonds
Loss of earnings coverage (with a seat belt or airbag death benefit)
Waiver of collision deductible
Cell phone replacement
Laptop replacement
Replacement for other digital media devices
New car replacement
MAPFRE’s AutoMaster package bundles a variety of coverages, but the details of what is covered by the package varies by state, so check with your MAPFRE agent to find out more about the AutoMaster package in your area.
How much does MAPFRE auto insurance cost?
MAPFRE auto insurance costs an average of $87 a month, or $1,040 a year. That makes MAPFRE car insurance significantly less expensive than competitors for a full-coverage policy with identical bodily injury liability limits of $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident.
Average cost per month
Average cost per year
MAPFRE average
$87
$1,040
National average
$136
$1,638
What discounts does MAPFRE offer?
Bundling discount: Save money when you purchase more than one policy with MAPFRE, like auto insurance and homeowners insurance.
Paid in full discount: Pay your premiums in full at the beginning of your policy to earn a discount.
Good student discount: Full time students who meet certain requirements, such as having a specific GPA, can save money on their car insurance. The details of the discount vary by state, so check with your local agent to see if you qualify.
Student away from home discount: If you have a college student on your MAPFRE auto insurance policy who is going to school at least 100 miles away from home (without a car) you could qualify for a discount.
Annual mileage discount: Save money on your car insurance by keeping your annual mileage low.
Smart driver discount: Save money by participating in the InControl Crash Prevention Training or TeenSmart Training Programs offered by MAPFRE.
Multi-car discount: Insure two or more cars on the same MAPFRE policy to earn a discount.
“Clean in Three” discount: Keep your driving record clean for three or more years to receive a discount on your MAPFRE auto insurance.
What is MAPFRE Car EZ?
Like lots of large car insurance companies, MAPFRE has a special program to incentivize drivers to use its own in-network repair shops for claims. If you opt-in to MAPFRE’s Car EZ repair program, you’ll choose an approved repair shop for your covered damage, and that repair shop will handle picking up your damaged car, coordinate your replacement rental car, and clean your repaired vehicle before it’s returned.
A major benefit of choosing the Car EZ program for your covered repairs is that the payments are handled directly between MAPFRE and the auto body shop, no need for you to submit reimbursements. And any repairs are guaranteed for the lifetime of the car, so if you need to go back for a follow-up, it should be paid for.
But using an in-network repair shop means you have less control over who you go to for your car repairs, and if you have a trusted mechanic you like, they may not be in the program.
MAPFRE auto insurance state availability
MAPFRE auto insurance is available in 18 states, including:
MAPFRE does business under several names in the U.S., including:
MAPFRE Insurance Company, 1-877-627-3731
MAPFRE Insurance Company of Florida, 1-888-962-7373
Commerce West Insurance Company, 1-800-244-1545
American Commerce Insurance Company, 1-877-224-5677
Middle Oak, 1-844-627-3733
The Commerce Insurance Company, 1-800-222-2114
The best way to find out which MAPFRE affiliate you are insured with is to reach out to your agent or use the main MAPFRE website to find the contact information for your state.
What to expect with MAPFRE auto insurance
In many states the number to reach MAPFRE is 877-627-3731, but several states have different contact information, so verify which number to call by checking your state information on the MAPFRE website.
How to get a quote: Drivers can get a MAPFRE car insurance quote online or by calling a MAPFRE agent.
Customer service options: MAPFRE customers can access their policy online, through the Go MAPFRE app, or by contacting their agent.
How to file a claim: MAPFRE customers can file a claim online or by calling your local MAPFRE agent.
How to cancel your policy: Contact your agent or reach out to MAPFRE by phone to cancel your policy.
We rated auto insurance companies based on a variety of factors, including cost, coverage options, customer service, and financial stability. MAPFRE has lower-than-average rates, lots of coverage options, and fewer customer complaints than other insurance companies, earning an overall score of 4.6 out of 5.
What kind of insurance company is MAPFRE?
MAPFRE is a property and casualty insurance company, which means it sells auto insurance, homeowners insurance, motorcycle insurance, business insurance, and umbrella insurance.
What does MAPFRE Insurance stand for?
MAPFRE was created in Spain in 1913, so the acronym is Spanish, not English. MAPFRE is an acronym for Mutualidad de la Agrupación de Propietarios de Fincas Rústicas de España, which loosely translates to Mutual Association of Owners of Rural Properties in Spain.
Rachael Brennan is a senior editor and a licensed auto insurance expert at Policygenius. Her work has also been featured in MoneyGeek, Clearsurance, Adweek, Boston Globe, The Ladders, and AutoInsurance.com.
Anna Swartz is a senior managing editor who specializes in home, auto, renters, and disability insurance at Policygenius. Previously, she was a senior staff writer at Mic and a writer at The Dodo. Her work has also appeared in Salon, HuffPost, MSN, AOL, and Heeb.