The Hartford Auto Insurance Review (2023)

Is The Hartford a Good Choice?

While The Hartford is an overall solid choice for car insurance, it’s better for older drivers.

The Hartford has a partnership with AARP and is the only official provider of insurance to its members. Due to this partnership, The Hartford offers special savings and perks for AARP members.

However, you don’t need to be an AARP member to get a good insurance policy from The Hartford. To decide if this is the right provider for you, look at The Hartford’s ratings, customer service reviews, and online tools.

The Hartford Insurance Ratings and Reviews

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) rates companies based on the number of complaints they receive compared to their size. The national average is 1.0 — anything lower means a company receives fewer than the typical number of complaints.

The Hartford has a score of 0.36, which is far below the national average. While it receives complaints about its claims handling, most customers are satisfied with its service.

Another popular third-party rating to look at is A.M. Best, which rates companies on their financial stability. The Hartford has an A+, which means it will have no problem paying any claim you might make.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) gives ratings based on a company’s ability to resolve customer issues. The Hartford has an A+, but there are hundreds of complaints on the BBB site.

Third-party ratings are a great place to start when you’re looking for the best company, but they’re not your only resource. You should also look at customer reviews.

Customer reviews are mixed. Some customers enjoy the low rates and say representatives are helpful. Others are unsatisfied with how The Hartford handles claims and how often their rates increased.

The Hartford Customer Service

Although it struggles with some of its claims handling reviews, The Hartford excels in its customer service ratings.

Overall, customers report satisfaction with the service they receive from The Hartford. While there is some grief about claims servicing, most customers say they are happy with their settlements once the process is completed. They also report that The Hartford is supportive during car repairs, and that rental car reimbursement is easy to work with.

The Hartford has closed over a million car insurance claims, which it says dedicated, responsive representatives are responsible for. Although it doesn’t always live up to it, most customers say The Hartford lives up to its promise of friendly service.

The Hartford’s Online Tools

To keep up with today’s demands for convenience and speed, The Hartford offers a variety of online tools. These tools include the following:

• Online quote calculator. Using your ZIP code, age, marital status, and other personal details, you can get a quick quote online.
• Online claim filing. If you don’t want to speak with a representative, you can start and track claims online.
• Online bill pay. After you create an account, you can manage your policy payments online.
• Mobile app. Called Auto & Home at The Hartford, you can use the mobile app to access insurance cards, make payments, start a claim, and request roadside assistance.

It doesn’t match the variety of technological offerings of some of its competitors, but The Hartford covers the basics that most modern customers expect from their insurance.

The Hartford Rates

The cost of your insurance depends on a variety of factors. While every company is different, most look at the following factors:

• Age
• Location
• Gender
• Marital status
• Credit scores
• Driving history
• Make and model of your car

The Hartford’s rates are slightly more affected by age than the typical insurance company. While you might see affordable prices as a teen or young adult, The Hartford specializes in offering older adults the lowest prices possible.

Take a look below to see The Hartford’s average annual rates for full vs. minimum auto insurance coverage.

Keep in mind that AARP members will see much lower rates than nonmembers. In fact, The Hartford’s AARP rates are so affordable that it beats other larger providers like State Farm and Allstate.

However, The Hartford’s rates are usually affordable for any age group.

The Hartford Insurance Rates by Age

Age is important for all companies, but it’s especially crucial to The Hartford. While drivers older than 50 see the best rates, The Hartford does well for all age groups. Take a look at some of the discounts available to young drivers with The Hartford compared to other companies.

As you can see, older drivers benefit the most from The Hartford auto insurance. If you’re trying to find cheap insurance for teens, you should compare quotes with companies like Travelers, Progressive, and State Farm to find the best rates.

Let's look at a couple of groups in more details. Teenage drivers tend to have the highest car insurance rates because of their lack of experience. Here are The Hartford's average annual full coverage rates for 16- and 18-year-old drivers.

Once drivers hit age 55 they may see a slight bump in auto insurance rates.

Now let's look at how your driving record can affect auto insurance.

The Hartford Insurance Rates by Driving History

Although age is an important factor for The Hartford, it will also look at your driving history. You'll pay much more for your insurance if you have traffic violations, multiple accidents, or DUIs.

Here's a look at how having a DUI can affect your rates.

If you are pulled over for speeding and receive a ticket, you may also see your car insurance rates go up.

And finally, you are also likely to see an increase in your auto insurance rates if you are found at-fault in an auto accident.

The exact amount that your rates increase depends on other factors like your location and age, but you might see as much as a 50% increase after an incident. However, a traffic incident will only affect your insurance rates for about three years as long as you don’t have any other problems.

The Hartford Coverage Options

Most states require a specific amount of car insurance before you can drive, while having a loan or lease usually means you need full coverage. Whatever your needs are, The Hartford has the basics covered with the following options:

• Liability insurance. Liability consists of property damage and bodily injury, which work together to pay for damage you cause after an accident.
• Collision insurance. You’ll need to add collision coverage to your policy if you want your car covered after an accident.
• Comprehensive insurance. Your policy won’t cover damage from fire, weather, animal contact, theft, or vandalism unless you have comprehensive insurance.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Although you’re supposed to have insurance, not all drivers follow the law. If you’re involved in an accident where the at-fault driver doesn’t have enough coverage, uninsured motorist kicks in.
• Medical payments coverage. Having this coverage on your policy will help pay any medical expenses you have after an accident.
• Personal injury protection. Personal injury protection helps pay medical expenses after an accident no matter who is at fault, and covers lost wages and funeral costs.

Medical payments and personal injury protection are not available in every state, so make sure to check with a representative. A representative can also help you determine the best options for your situation so you don’t pay for coverage you don’t need.

Additional Car Insurance from The Hartford

Most of The Hartford’s insurance add-ons are available to AARP members, but there are a few that nonmembers can purchase. They include the following:

• Rental car reimbursement. If you need a temporary vehicle because yours is being repaired after a covered incident, The Hartford will give you a daily allowance for a rental.
• Full glass coverage. Purchasing this coverage ensures that your windshield, headlights, and mirrors will be repaired after an incident without paying a deductible.
• Towing. Towing coverage will tow your car whenever it becomes disabled. While not as in-depth as roadside assistance, towing is an affordable option.
• Umbrella. If you cause an accident and damages exceed your liability policy limitsyour liability insurance doesn’t cover all the bills, umbrella insurance takes over.
• GAP coverage. If you total your vehicle while you owe more on a loan than your car is worth, GAP coverage will pay the difference.

While The Hartford has great options for additional coverage, it offers its best benefits to AARP members.

The Hartford’s Advantage Program

Aside from the basics, AARP members have access to a host of additional benefits that raise the value of any policy from The Hartford. These benefits include the following:

• Lifetime renewability. As long as you pay your bills on time and have a valid driver’s license, The Hartford guarantees that you’ll be able to renew your car insurance.
• 12-month rate protection. Most car insurance companies reevaluate your rates after six months, but rates for AARP members are locked for 12 months.
• RecoverCare. If you find yourself struggling to perform daily activities after a car accident, The Hartford will reimburse you for the price of caretakers, dog walkers, and food preparation.
• Lifetime repair assurance. As long as you use a mechanic approved by The Hartford, your policy guarantees repairs for as long as you own the car.
• New car replacement. The Hartford will replace your vehicle without deducting value for depreciation if you total it within the first 15 months or 15,000 miles of ownership.
• Roadside assistance. If you find yourself stranded on the side of the road, The Hartford’s roadside assistance can help with flat tires, dead batteries, fuel delivery, and tows.

You don’t need to fill out forms or jump through hoops to access these benefits. As long as you’re over 50 and an AARP member, you simply need to speak with a representative to enroll in the advantage plan.

The Hartford’s Advantage Plus Program

The Advantage Plus program is additional coverage you can purchase if you’re an AARP member. It offers the following benefits as a package:

• Accident forgiveness. Your rates won’t increase after your first at-fault accident. Only drivers with five years of accident-free driving qualify.
• Disappearing deductible. Every year you spend accident-free will lower your deductible until it reaches $0.
• One deductible. You only need to pay one deductible if you need to file a single claim for multiple cars on the same policy. This also applies if you need to file a claim for home and auto at the same time.
• Deductible waived. The Hartford will often waive your deductible if you’re found to be not at fault in a car accident.

As you can see, choosing The Hartford car insurance as an AARP member dramatically increases the value of your policy.