Updated on: Dec. 5, 2024
Written by: Rob Bhatt Edited by: Bryan Ochalla
Mercury Insurance charges an average $133 a month for full-coverage car insurance, which is 15% less than the average for full coverage. However, Mercury has bad customer service ratings and reviews. Its complaint rating for homeowners insurance is particularly poor.
Affordable auto and home insurance
Discounts for scientists, engineers, public safety professionals and others
Quotes available online
Convenient smartphone app
Pay-per-mile car insurance in California
Poor complaint ratings
Gap insurance not available
ID fraud protection does not include credit monitoring
| Rating | Mercury’s score | Industry average |
|---|---|---|
| Auto overall satisfaction | 794 | 813 |
| Auto claims satisfaction | 848 | 878 |
| Auto complaint rating (higher is worse) | 1.64 | 1.0 |
| Home complaint rating (higher is worse) | 3.22 | 1.0 |
| Financial strength | Rated A by AM Best | Third-highest rating |
Mercury’s 3.2 complaint rating for home insurance from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is particularly bad. This means the company had three times as many confirmed home insurance complaints as average for its size in 2023. A confirmed complaint is a complaint that leads to a finding of fault.
Mercury has a 1.6 complaint rating for auto insurance. This is better than its home insurance score, but still worse than the average.
Mercury is especially popular in California, where it is the seventh-largest auto insurance company. California drivers give Mercury a 794 rating for overall satisfaction, according to J.D. Power. This score is also worse than the average.
| Company | Annual rate full coverage | Annual rate liability only |
|---|---|---|
| Geico | $1,486 | $425 |
| Mercury | $1,596 | $511 |
| Progressive | $1,609 | $463 |
| AAA | $1,785 | $600 |
| State Farm | $1,942 | $622 |
| Allstate | $2,091 | $781 |
| Farmers | $2,579 | $666 |
Mercury’s auto insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record are also cheaper than average.
Mercury’s rates for drivers with a prior at-fault accident average $2,530 a year for full coverage, or $211 a month. This is 33% less than the average. Mercury’s rate for drivers with a DUI is 45% less than the average.
| Driving record | Mercury’s annual rate | Average annual rate |
|---|---|---|
| Clean record | $1,596 | $1,867 |
| Ticket | $2,262 | $2,739 |
| Accident | $2,530 | $3,754 |
| DUI | $2,828 | $5,138 |
Mercury also has cheap car insurance for teens. It charges 18-year-olds an average of $1,301 a year for liability-only insurance, or $108 a month. This is 12% less than the average. Mercury’s full-coverage car insurance rate for 18-year-olds is 14% less than the average.
| Amount of insurance | Mercury’s annual rate | Average annual rate |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum | $1,301 | $1,477 |
| Full | $3,821 | $4,446 |
Mercury offers several common car insurance discounts as well as a few unique ways to save.
Bundling your auto and home insurance can usually save you about 15% with Mercury. You can also get the discount for bundling with a Mercury renters or condo insurance policy.
Some of the other common car insurance discounts you can get from Mercury include:
Mercury also offers discounts to drivers in certain occupations or organizations. The discount is available to:
In California, Mercury’s RealDrive program can save you money if you only drive occasionally. The program uses your mileage to determine your rate. The less you drive, the less you pay.
Along with all the normal car insurance coverages, Mercury offers a few extras that may be useful.
Mercury’s roadside assistance coverage can be an economical alternative to a membership plan. It includes coverage for locksmith services, which are important for a lost key.
Mercury offers roadside assistance in three tiers. The middle tier is the best option for most drivers. It only costs about $15 per six-month policy and provides up to $500 in services (or up to 100 miles in towing).
Mercury’s mechanical protection can be an economic alternative to an extended warranty. It covers mechanical and electrical breakdowns, but not wear and tear. The coverage also provides roadside assistance, trip interruption coverage, road hazard protection for your tires and other benefits.
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Travelers | $901 |
| Allstate | $933 |
| Mercury | $1,149 |
| Nationwide | $1,194 |
| State Farm | $1,304 |
Mercury offers some of the more common home insurance discounts, but not very many.
Like most other companies, you’ll save the most by bundling your homeowners policy with your car insurance.
You’ll save a little more for having protective devices in your home. Deadbolt locks and smoke detectors get you a small discount. You’ll get a larger discount for monitored home security.
Mercury also offers home insurance discounts for:
Mercury’s flexible home insurance options let you customize your coverage to match your specific needs.
Some of the more useful add-ons to consider include:
Mercury also offers home systems protection and identity management services. Although it may be tempting to add these to your policy, each of these extras has its shortfalls.
Mercury’s home systems protection, for example, only covers home systems and appliances for mechanical or electrical breakdowns. Unlike a good home warranty, Mercury’s plan does not cover your systems or appliances for wear and tear.
Mercury’s identity management includes a wide range of services to protect against identity theft and fraud. However, these services do not include credit monitoring, which is a key component of identity theft protection.
Mercury’s home insurance policies do not cover earthquakes or floods. However, Mercury’s agents can usually help you get separate insurance for each of these risks.
The agents who sell Mercury Insurance can usually also provide quotes from other insurance companies serving your area. This lets you get quotes from multiple companies at once.
LendingTree gets insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services using publicly sourced insurance company filings. Rates are based on an analysis of hundreds of thousands of home and car insurance quotes in California. Your own rates may be different.
Unless noted otherwise, our sample driver is a 30-year-old man with good credit and a clean driving. Our sample young driver is an 18-year-old male with no prior tickets or accidents. Our sample vehicle is a 2015 Honda Civic EX.
Minimum-liability policies provide liability coverage with the state’s required minimum limits.
Full-coverage policies include:
Home insurance rates are based on policies with the following coverages, limits and deductible:
Overall satisfaction ratings are from the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study. Claims satisfaction ratings are from the J.D. Power 2023 Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. Complaint ratings are based on NAIC data from 2023.
Not particularly. Mercury’s bad NAIC complaint ratings show it has more confirmed complaints than average for its size. On the plus side, Mercury’s rates are usually cheap.
Mercury Insurance is owned by Mercury General Corporation. The publicly traded company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (MCY).
Mercury is the 16th-largest car insurance company in the U.S., according to the NAIC. It’s smaller than Kemper, but larger than The Hartford. It ranks 18th for homeowners insurance, between Cincinnati Insurance and Amica.
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