The car-buying process can be exciting, but it’s not as simple as receiving the keys and taking your first drive. In Texas, as in most states, drivers are required to carry auto liability insurance. Liability insurance helps pay for repairs to a vehicle you’ve struck, damages to other property, and medical expenses for injuries if you are at fault in a collision.
While no one hopes to experience a vehicle collision, many Texans do each year, and auto insurance is designed to protect drivers in those situations. However, not all experiences with insurers are positive. Consumer frustrations over denied claims, delays, or poor communication have led to the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) establishing an official complaint process. This allows consumers to file complaints against insurance companies, agents, or adjusters.
In this study, Dow Law Firm analyzed auto insurance complaints filed with TDI since 2011 to identify the most common reasons consumers submit complaints, which companies receive the most, and how those complaints are typically resolved.
Read on to see what we found.
Key Takeaways
- Delays (claims handling) were the top reason complaints were submitted against auto insurers, but only about 22% were validated complaints.
- Complaints related to agent handling were most likely to be validated, with 30% confirmed.
- Progressive County Mutual Insurance Company had the most validated complaints over the study period, with 1,564 submitted complaints against the organization.
- Tesla Property & Casualty, Inc. had the most submitted complaints against them relative to their total complaints, with roughly 72%. This is over three times the average share among organizations with at least 250 complaints.
- The most common resolution was information furnished, appearing in about 45% of complaints. In contrast, only about 20% result in settled claims, and even fewer get additional compensation.
Top Reasons for Auto Insurance Complaints
The chart below shows the top reasons for submitted auto insurance complaints by complaint confirmation. As complaints can include multiple reasons, creating various combinations, categories were counted separately when they appeared.
Delays (claims handling) were the top reason complaints were submitted against auto insurers. However, only 21.60% of those complaints were validated by the TDI.
The high remaining share suggests that, in many cases, consumers may anticipate claim payments faster than the policy or law requires, leading to frustration even when the company is still operating within the contractual time frame.
Other common reasons for complaints included:
- Customer service related to claims handling (22.78% validated)
- An unsatisfactory settlement or offer (13.93% validated)
- The denial of a claim (9.41% validated)
Denial of claims and liability disputes were actually the two least likely complaint types to be validated by TDI, with under 10% of complaints in these categories confirmed.
In contrast, complaints about agent handling and about customer service related to policyholder services were the most likely to be validated, at 30.03% and 28.55%, respectively. This suggests that when consumers complain about how their agent or customer service handled their policy, rather than about the outcome of a claim itself, regulators are more likely to find a clear service error or mishandling.
Top Auto Insurance Companies Complaints Filed Against
Here, we analyzed the 50 organizations with the highest total number of complaints, as this may reflect insurance market popularity. Totals are presented by complaint confirmations. All companies had at least 250 recorded complaints over the study period.
The following auto insurance companies had the most complaints validated by sheer volume:
- Progressive County Mutual Insurance Company (1,564)
- State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (1,480)
- Old American County Mutual Fire Insurance Company (993)
- Allstate Fire And Casualty Insurance Company (845)
- Home State County Mutual Insurance Company (787)
The following auto insurance companies had the highest share of complaints validated by the Department of Insurance:
- Tesla Property & Casualty, Inc. (72.47%)
- Garrison Property And Casualty Insurance Company (28.35%)
- Anchor General Insurance Company (27.55%)
- USAA General Indemnity Company (23.53%)
- United Services Automobile Association (23.22%)
Top Resolutions for Auto Insurance Complaints
The chart below shows the ten most common ways insurance complaints were resolved. Because some complaints involve multiple outcomes, categories were counted separately when they appeared. For example, a single complaint may have resulted in additional information provided alongside a financial adjustment or corrective action.
The most common outcomes for auto insurance complaints show that many disputes are resolved through explanation or clarification. The most common resolution was “information furnished”, appearing in 44.64% of complaints. This could result from a misunderstanding or misinterpretation of one’s policy.
The second most common category was “question of fact”, accounting for 40.57% of complaints. This indicates that a large share of disputes arise when policyholders and insurers disagree about the circumstances of a claim or the evidence involved.
Direct financial compensation is less common. Only 20.31% of complaints resulted in a settled claim, and fewer resulted in additional financial adjustments:
- Additional monies received: 16.82%
- Additional payment expected: 15.39%
- Premium refunded: 2.56%
Helpful Reminders
Insurance policies can span many pages, but the declarations page is a helpful place to start. It usually provides a summary of what your policy includes and what it doesn’t. It can also be useful to have further conversations with your insurance agent if you have questions about your coverage. In addition, the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) offers resources and an assistance line for consumers seeking general information. To file an official complaint, you may visit tdi.texas.gov.
Even with these resources, insurance companies are not always on your side after a collision, despite what marketing may convey. In most cases, consumers either do not file a complaint or are unaware that they are able to do so. Many complaints stem from misunderstandings about coverage, timelines, or claim details, but disputes can still arise during the claims process.
In situations involving serious injuries or complex liability questions, speaking with an attorney can help ensure your insurer addresses your claim in good faith. The Texas Department of Insurance also notes that consumers who remain dissatisfied after completing the complaint process may consider seeking legal guidance.
Methodology
We analyzed insurance complaints submitted to the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) spanning April 2011 to February 2026.
Fair Use Statement
You’re welcome to share or reference the findings from this study. Please include a link back to this page so readers can access the full findings and methodology.