Bristol West insurance review 2024

Bristol West is part of the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, which is one of the largest car insurance companies in the country. Bristol West offers basic car insurance coverage, including minimum coverage and full coverage, as well as uninsured and underinsured motorists coverage. Bristol West specializes in high-risk auto insurance, so it may be a good option for drivers who struggle to get car insurance due to their credit-based insurance score, accident history or motor vehicle record.

Bristol West has a Bankrate Score of 3.3 out of 5 points. While the company stands out for its flexible payment methods and an A (Excellent) financial strength rating by AM Best, it has higher-than-average premiums, minimal discounts and limited availability. Bristol West offers a handful of endorsements, including rental car reimbursement, medical payments, ridesharing coverage and roadside assistance.

Customers may appreciate the company's included add-ons. Depending on state availability, policyholders may get permissive use and trailer damage coverage. Bristol West doesn’t advertise any discounts online, and coverage is only sold in 43 states.

Pros and cons of Bristol West car insurance

Comparing perks and drawbacks of a provider may give you a high-level overview of whether a carrier is the right choice for you. Before you purchase a car insurance policy from Bristol West, it may be beneficial to compare the advantages and disadvantages:

Bristol West may be an affordable insurance option for drivers with multiple accidents, moving violations or a DUI on their record. However, even high-risk drivers typically have more than one option when it comes to auto insurance. If you're not sure Bristol West offers the coverage you need, you could consider getting quotes from these carriers:

Our insurance editorial team spends dozens of hours researching and evaluating insurance carriers to help our readers make informed choices about their coverage needs. Based on our Bristol insurance review, we determined the company may offer flexible options for high-risk drivers, but it has a limited number of advertised discounts available for additional savings.

The company’s rates are higher than average, and customer service metrics from NAIC indicate that some policyholders may not be satisfied with the service. If you are in the market for high-risk auto insurance, it may be worth researching some of the other best car insurance companies to see if you might find more discounts, better coverage options and potentially lower rates.

What are real-life customers saying about Bristol West?

While third-party data from J.D. Power and the NAIC are helpful when choosing an insurance company, reading reviews from real-life customers can provide some much-needed insight. To round out our Bristol West insurance review, Bankrate’s insurance editorial team looked at comments on various Reddit threads and pages. Reddit isn’t a formal review site, but it can be a great way to hear about what actual customers of a particular insurance company have to say.

The general consensus around Bristol West is mixed. Some drivers, particularly ones in the high-risk category, were happy to find that Bristol West’s quotes fit their budgets. Notably, many drivers with a DUI or poor credit pay more for their insurance, so finding affordable insurance can be extra challenging. But many Reddit users complained about the company’s autopay system, which some said charged unfair late fees, and a poor claims service.

*The quotes and citations included on this page have been verified by our editorial team and are accurate as of the posting date. Outlinked content may contain views and opinions that do not reflect the views and opinions of Bankrate.

Bristol West company details

• Customer service: 1-888-888-0080
• Claims: 1-800-274-7865
• Mailing address: Bristol West Claims Service, PO Box 258806, Oklahoma City, OK 73125-8806
• Website: bristolwest.com

State availability

Bristol West offers personal auto insurance policies in 43 states. Policies are not available in AK, DE, HI, NC, RI, VT, WV or Washington, D.C.

Bristol West tools and benefits

Bristol West offers auto insurance geared toward high-risk drivers, but it recently expanded its offerings to include commercial car insurance in select states. In addition, the company has a free mobile app for iOS and Android devices where you can file claims, download ID cards, make payments, view your policy and more. Drivers who have experienced a car insurance lapse may also be interested in Bristol West, as the company may accept customers without prior car insurance.

Frequently asked questions about Bristol West

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze the latest rates in July 2024 for ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates include the most recent approved rate changes filed by insurance companies that affect our profile. These revised rates are then weighted based on the population density in each geographic region so that policyholders can see the impact rates have in their areas.

Quoted rates are based on a 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:

• $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $50,000 property damage liability per accident
• $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
• $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
• $500 collision deductible
• $500 comprehensive deductible

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2022 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.

These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes.

Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 16-60 (base: 40 years) applied. Depending on age, drivers may be a renter or homeowner. Age is not a contributing rating factor in Hawaii and Massachusetts.

The rates for drivers ages 16-20 added to their parents' policy reflect the good student and driver's training discounts applied. The rates for drivers aged 16-20 on their own policy do not include the good student and driver's training discounts. Additionally, 25-year-old rates are based on the driver as a renter and 30+ on the driver as a homeowner.

Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), single speeding ticket and single at-fault accident.

Credit-based insurance scores: Rates were calculated based on the following insurance credit tiers assigned to our drivers: “poor, average, good (base) and excellent.” Insurance credit tiers factor in your official credit scores but are not dependent on that variable alone. Four states prohibit or limit the use of credit as a rating factor in determining auto insurance rates: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan.

Bankrate Scores

Our Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impact policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories.

Each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. Our scoring model provides a comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and highlighting where they fall short.