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MetLife car insurance review
Find well-rounded coverage and a solid claims experience, but not the highest customer ratings.
finder.com's rating: 4 / 5
★★★★★
- Get a quote if you’re a safe driver looking for the cheapest rates.
- Pick something else if you want highly rated customer service.
- Safe drivers will find the best discounts.
Included free
Roadside assistance
New car protection
Accident forgiveness
Details
| States served | All 50 states |
|---|---|
| Roadside assistance | Included free |
| Accident forgiveness | No |
| New car protection | Yes |
| Pay schedule | monthly |
| Claims methods | Online, Phone |
| Rideshare coverage | Yes (California, Colorado, Illinois, Texas and Washington) |
| SR-22 support |
No info available |
Pros
- Great website
- Lots of discounts
- MetLife CARE program
- Roadside assistance reimbursement
Cons
- Low customer satisfaction rating
- Online applications not available everywhere
| Anti-theft device discount | Yes |
|---|---|
| Bundling discount | Yes |
| Defensive driving discount | Yes |
| Good student discount | Yes |
| Loyalty discount | Yes |
| Homeowner discount | Yes |
| Military discount | No |
| Safety device discount | Yes |
| Special employment discount | No |
| Usage-based discount | Yes |
Review by
Sarah George
sarah.george@finder.comSarah George is a writer at Finder who unravels complicated topics about insurance, business and finance. She's been wordsmithing for nearly five years, after earning an English education degree. Her insurance know-how has been featured on CarInsurance.com. You can usually find Sarah sipping hot tea and talking through movie plots in her downtime.
Expert review
MetLife offers solid coverage with helpful add-ons like new car replacement and special parts coverage if you want better than aftermarket parts during repairs. It also offers no-deductible glass coverage to repair cracks in your windshield at no extra cost to you.
While MetLife isn’t at the bottom of the customer service barrel, it does see below-average customer satisfaction scores and reviews. Metlife Auto and Home has recently been acquired by Farmers Insurance, which has similar customer satisfaction rankings to Metlife. As a plus, both companies see high claims satisfaction.
The main reason to go with Metlife is that you’re a safe driver and can score cheaper rates than with other companies. But if you’re looking for a wider list of perks or top-tier customer service, you probably can find your best fit with another company.
How to get a free quote for MetLife car insurance
MetLife offers customers the option to get coverage instantly through its MyDirect platform, a huge benefit if you need insurance right away. MyDirect lets you get a quote, buy and manage your policy 100% online. To get started:
- Visit the MyDirect website and enter your ZIP code to check eligibility.
- Proceed by entering your contact details and driver and vehicle information. Select continue.
- Add any organizations or groups that you belong to qualify for discounts.
- Review your details and choose your desired policy option to get a final quote. If you’re satisfied, continue to payment.
- Enter your payment info and submit to finalize your policy.
Unfortunately, MyDirect availability is limited. You may need to start your application online, then purchase coverage by calling Metlife at 800-422-4272.
What discounts can I get with MetLife?
MetLife offers a number of auto insurance discounts that help keep prices competitive, including its deductible savings that you won’t find with every company.
- Deductible savings benefit. Earn $50 towards your deductible for every year that you don’t make a claim, up to $250.
- Defensive driver. Receive a discount of up to 7% for completing a qualifying driver training course.
- Superior driver. Get up to 12% off if all of the drivers in your household have outstanding driving records.
- MetBenefits. Get up to 20% off if you are claim and violation-free for five years.
- Bundle and save. Save up to 10% when you have multiple policies with MetLife.
- Good student. Earn up to 15% off if you’re a student under 25 with a “B” average or better.
- Mature driver. If you’re between 50 and 65 you may get discounted rates.
- Restricted mileage. Get a discount if you drive fewer than 7,500 miles per year.
- Anti-lock brake. Get discounted rates on vehicles equipped with computerized antilock braking systems.
- Safety. Receive a discount if your vehicle has safety features like airbags and automatic seat belts.
- Antitheft system. Receive better rates on vehicles with security devices like ignition and fuel cutoff systems, alarms and hood- and wheel-locking devices.
Availability of each discount may vary, so we recommend speaking with a MetLife agent to find out how you can save on your auto insurance policy.
What extra benefits and add-ons does MetLife offer?
Besides MetLife’s standard insurance coverage, it also offers a number of add-ons and features that offer extra peace of mind after an accident, such as its $0 deductible for repairing or replacing your windshield.
- Rental car. Get coverage in the event that you get in an accident while driving a rental vehicle.
- New car replacement. If your new vehicle is totaled due to an accident within one year or 15,000 miles, MetLife will repair or replace it with a new car without any reductions for depreciation.
- Special parts replacement. MetLife will cover replacement costs of listed major parts, like tires, brakes and batteries, regardless of their value at the time of the accident.
- Deductible-free glass repairs. MetLife will repair or replace chipped or cracked windshields and waive the deductible.
- Roadside assistance. This program reimburses costs of towing and other roadside-assistance expenses if your car breaks down while traveling,
- Legal defense costs. If you’re sued, MetLife will cover your legal fees and even lost wages if you have to attend a hearing or trial.
- Lease/loan gap. If your vehicle is written off due to an accident, the lease or loan will be paid off, even if the amount exceeds the value of your vehicle.
- Identity protection services. Available in some states, MetLife offers an identity theft protection program.
- Mobile app. MetLife offers a convenient mobile app that allows customers to manage their policy, view ID cards and more.
- MetRewards. Get rewarded with better rates when drivers on your policy maintain clean driving records.
- MyDirect. An online claims portal that allows customers to easily file claims.
- MetLife CARE program. Customers have access to MetLife’s network of car repair facilities across the country. Repairs from these service providers are guaranteed for as long as you own the vehicle.
MetLife car insurance reviews and complaints
Metlife Auto and Home recently was acquired by Farmers Insurance, which holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Customers leave the company with a composite score of 1.46 out of 5 stars on the BBB site. Customers complain about the company’s refusal to pay claims, rate increases, and unexpected billing charges.
However, it’s not uncommon for customers to leave insurers negative reviews and file complaints after a negative experience, while not following up after a positive experience.
To balance out the complaints, Farmers Insurance Exchange receives a score of 1.09 on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners complaint index for private passenger vehicles. The industry standard is 1.00, showing that the insurer sees an average number of complaints for its size.
In the 2020 J.D. Power Auto Insurance Satisfaction study, both Metlife and Farmers rank below average for customer satisfaction in most regions, except in North Central states where Farmers scores right at the region’s average. For claims satisfaction, Metlife ranks No. 5 of 24 insurers surveyed, and Farmers ranks No. 10.
Our star ratings for Metlife, explained
Our car insurance experts rated Metlife with 4 out of 5 stars because the company offers a wide list of coverage and available discounts, including new car replacement and 20% off for drivers who stay accident- and violation-free. We also like the company’s high rating from the BBB, showing that it handles complaints in a timely manner. Its average to below-average customer ratings do bring down its overall score.
Alternatives to MetLife
What car insurance coverage does MetLife offer?
You can get all the necessities covered that you’d expect from any car insurance company.
- Liability protection. Pays for instances where you’re at fault in an accident that results in property damage or bodily harm.
- Collision coverage. Covers damage caused to your car if you hit another car or object.
- Comprehensive coverage. Offers protection beyond what’s available through collision coverage, including damage from fire, flooding, hail, theft or vandalism.
- Personal injury protection. Covers the cost of doctors, hospitalization or even funerals if you or a passenger is injured or killed, no matter who is at fault in the accident.
- Uninsured motorists coverage. Pays for costs of damage or injury from a hit-and-run accident or an incident where the other driver is uninsured. This covers you and your passengers for medical expenses, lost wages and other injury-related losses.
- Underinsured motorists coverage. This covers the gap between someone else’s policy limits and the actual cost of your medical expenses after an accident.
Pros and cons of MetLife car insurance
Pros
- Instant policies. If you need coverage right away, you can start your policy instantly through MyDirect, if this service is available in your state.
- High claims satisfaction. The company scores high in claim satisfaction rankings from J.D. Power for 2020.
- Well-rounded coverage. While most of MetLife’s coverage is standard for car insurance, it offers more than the basics if you need new car replacement or special parts covered.
- $0 deductible glass repairs. If your windshield gets chipped or cracked, you won’t have to pay a deductible to get it repaired.
Cons
- Low or average customer satisfaction. Overall customer reviews across multiple websites put Metlife at or below average for an insurance company of its size.
- MyDirect isn’t available everywhere. MyDirect, MetLife’s platform for online policies, isn’t available in every state. Visit the MyDirect page to check if it’s available where you live.
How to contact MetLife
Whether you’d prefer to reach out via phone, online or in person, you can find all contact information on the contact page, which you can find under the support tab on the top ribbon of the MetLife home page.
For individual policies, you can call 800-422-4272. If it’s a policy purchased through your employer you can call 800-438-6381. You can also reach MetLife on twitter @MetLifeCares for general policy assistance. If you’ve filed a claim and want to check your claim status, you can direct message MetLife on twitter with your name, policy number and zip code.
Frequently asked questions about MetLife car insurance
Car insurance ratings
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
We analyze the best car insurance providers and rate them one to five stars based on factors that are most important to you.