MAPFRE Car Insurance Review

MAPFRE is a regional insurance provider that is available in 14 U.S. states. The company insures cars, homes, motorcycles, boats, and RVs, and also provides travel insurance, business insurance, and umbrella insurance. While MAPFRE is on the small side relative to other U.S. insurance companies, it's a massive organization in Spain. MAPRE actually stands for Mutualidad de la Agrupación de Propietarios de Fincas Rústicas de España, which translates to Mutuality Association of Owners of Rural Properties in Spain. The company came to the U.S. in 2008 when it purchased The Commerce Group, Inc. (CGI) based in Massachusetts. Today, the MAPFRE group of U.S. companies includes: 

• American Commerce Insurance Company 

• Citation Insurance Company

• The Commerce Insurance Company 

• MAPFRE Insurance Company

• MAPFRE Insurance Company of Florida 

MAPFRE sells its lines of coverage through a network of independent agents.

Related Resource: MAPFRE Insurance profile for car insurance.

History 

MAPFRE was established in Spain in the 1930s as a property insurer. The company's U.S. arm, originally known as The Commerce Group, Inc., was founded in 1972 in Webster, Massachusetts. MAPFRE expanded its operations in Spain for several decades, before buying CGI in 2008. In 2011, CGI was renamed to MAPFRE USA. 

Today, MAPFRE is the largest private auto insurer in the state of Massachusetts and one of the top 30 largest auto carriers in the U.S. While MAPFRE mentions being available in only 14 states, they list being active in 18:¹ 

• Arizona

• California

• Connecticut

• Idaho

• Indiana

• Kentucky

• Maine

• Massachusetts

• New Hampshire

• New Jersey

• New York

• Ohio

• Oregon

• Pennsylvania

• Rhode Island

• Tennessee 

• Vermont

• Washington

MAPFRE Car Insurance Complaint History: Variable   

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) tracks complaints against insurance carriers, by type of coverage. The table below shows the 2017 through 2021 complaint ratings for MAPFRE and sister companies that write personal auto insurance. The ratings represent the number of complaints relative to the company's share of premiums. A rating greater than 1 means the company had a higher than expected volume of complaints. A rating lower than 1 means the company had a lower than expected volume of complaints. 

Table data source: NAIC

The complaint index ratings for MAPFRE and MAPFRE of Florida are some of the highest we've seen, particularly in 2020. A rating of 10 means the company received ten times as many complaints as it should for a company of its size. Their Florida company seems to be winding down since 2020 and no longer accepts new business.

However, Commerce Insurance, which writes the most business, has good and improving scores. Also of note is that while MAPFRE has a customer rating of 1.25 stars out of 5 with the Better Business Bureau, it has a score of 4.9 with Trustpilot, essentially opposite ends of the spectrum. Further, the Trustpilot score is based on 4000+ reviews versus BBB with just over 50. Topics of the complaints include the demeanor of the service reps, slow claims, unfair claims denials, and billing issues.² 

Is MAPFRE Right For You?

MAPFRE has a nice range of coverage options, including premium features like disappearing deductibles and accident forgiveness. The customer service may be problematic, however, and MAPFRE has a limited geographical service area. As a MAPFRE customer, you would have access to their applications which can streamline the process of checking coverages or submitting claims. But those tools may not make up for insurance premiums that are somewhat higher than you might get from another insurer like GEICO.

What We Think About MAPFRE Insurance 

MAPFRE is a regional carrier that operates mostly in New England area states, plus Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington. We are impressed with MAPFRE's assortment of coverages, options, and discounts, which rival those of larger insurance providers like Allstate and Liberty Mutual. The company does position itself for the standard segment of the market, meaning it's more suitable for drivers with good qualifications and minimal risk factors. 

While MAPFRE has a lot going for it, three factors give us pause. One is MAPFRE's geographic footprint of only 14 U.S. states. Another is the carrier's wide-ranging complaint record. Smaller insurance carriers like MAPFRE do tend to be plagued with high numbers of complaints, but even considering that, some of MAPFRE's company’s complaint ratios are extreme. To MAPFRE's credit, the team does routinely respond to its complaints, providing contact information so the customer can communicate directly with the company. Furthermore, their Commerce companies have great complaint ratios, so it depends on which company is servicing your policy.

The third issue working against MAPFRE may be the hardest to overcome. The company has higher-than-average premiums for auto coverage. A ValuePenguin analysis found that MAPFRE auto insurance quotes were substantially higher than GEICO, Progressive, and Hanover for drivers living in five of Massachusetts' biggest cities. MAPFRE's full coverage quote for a Boston driver, for example, was $2,676, while GEICO quoted the same coverage for only $1,536. That's a difference of $1,140, which underscores the importance of comparison-shopping your prospective auto insurance providers.³

MAPFRE does have an ambitious line-up of apps and online tools, though some of these are not highly rated by users. These tools are described in more detail below. 

While you can get a quote for MAPFRE auto coverage online, the company primarily markets through independent agents. If your agent has presented MAPFRE as a good option, dig in and find out why. It's not likely to be your cheapest option, unless you are bundling and also qualify for other discounts. Also know that you may have to work through your agent to manage your policy, given that MAPFRE doesn't excel at customer service. 

Summary of MAPFRE auto coverage:

MAPFRE has a nice set of coverage options, discounts, and online tools, but the customer service is variable and premiums may likely be higher than other carriers. 

How MAPFRE Insurance Works 

See the table below for the types of auto coverage available through MAPFRE. Not all coverages are available in all states.

Table data source: MAPFRE⁴

More About MAPFRE  

MAPFRE differentiates itself from other like-sized carriers with its online tools, along with its TeenSMART and Car EZ programs.⁵ 

Online tools 

MAPFRE does have an online quoting system, for those who prefer to shop for car insurance online. Once you become a MAPFRE customer, you can also create an account on the website to access your policy details there. And even if you don't have an account set up, you can still report auto and glass claims, send claim documents, and make payments without logging in. You can also use the company's ePICS service to streamline the claims process. ePICS is essentially an email address that accepts claim-related photos. If you send your claims photos through ePICS, you'll receive your damage appraisal back via email. 

MAPFRE apps 

MAPFRE has three apps currently available for iOS and Android: 

• Go MAPFRE:  Use it to access proof of insurance, send accident information, file claims, view claims, update your account information, and pay your premiums. Unfortunately, this app is poorly rated by users; the iOS app is rated 2 out of 5 and the Android app has a rating of 3 stars.

• MAPFRE DriveAdvisor: DriveAdvisor is an app that tracks driving habits such as speeding and hard braking. If you drive safely, you may earn a discount on your premiums. You'll have to contact your agent to enroll in DriveAdvisor, and then download the app so it can start tracking your trips. DriveAdvisor for iOS has a rating of 2.4 stars and the Android app is unrated.

• ePICS: Use the ePICS app to send photos of your damaged vehicle to MAPFRE after you've filed a claim. You'll receive your damage appraisal back through the app. ePICS is rated 4.7 of 5 stars for iOS and 4.8 on Android. 

TeenSMART

TeenSMART is a comprehensive driver training course for teens. Those who complete TeenSMART may be eligible for a premium discount of up to 15%. The eight-hour course involves computer time, parent-teen activities, and a certification test. It's available to teen drivers who are already licensed or have a permit. TeenSMART is a paid program. As of November, 2020, the regular price is $120, but MAPFRE customers get a $50 discount. 

Car EZ

MAPFRE's Car EZ program ensures that you'll get a certain level of service from the repair shop after you've filed a claim. You do have to use a service provider that's in MAPFRE's network of auto repair shops, but you can expect these perks in return: 

• Prompt contact 

• Help coordinating a rental car 

• Guaranteed repairs 

• Full cleaning of your vehicle before it's returned⁶ 

Contact your agent to locate a Car EZ shop near you. 

MAPFRE Insurance Discounts 

The table below shows the discounts offered by MAPFRE on its auto coverage at last check. Note that some discounts may only be available in certain states.

Table data source: MAPFRE

MAPFRE Insurance FAQs

MAPFRE Resources 

MAPFRE does not provide much educational or safety content relative to other insurers. The company does have some convenient lookup tools, however, to help you find agents and drive-in claims centers quickly.

Agency finder tool 

You can locate an independent insurance agent near you using MAPFRE's agent locator.

Appraisal locator 

Customers who live in Massachusetts have access to drive-in appraisals which can expedite the claims process. See MAPFRE's drive-in appraisal locator.