CRASH Network Insurer Report Card: What Repair Shops’ Grades Tell Drivers

For drivers comparing auto insurers, the policy price is only part of the decision. How a company handles a repair claim can shape the customer experience after a collision, and CRASH Network’s Insurer Report Card aims to make those differences visible. Its annual survey opens Nov. 1 and asks collision repair shops to grade insurers on claims practices and customer service.

The survey takes about three minutes. Repairers assign each insurer a grade from A+ to F, based on how well its claims practices help support quality repairs and service. The results are collected into a free report that consumers can download, with grades for more than 90 insurance companies.

A broader comparison than the biggest insurers

The report includes national companies as well as regional carriers, with the insurers covered varying by location. A shop may assess 20 or 30 carriers in its state. That wider field matters for consumers because the best-known national brands are only part of the market, and a familiar name or low price doesn’t tell a driver how a claim may be handled.

CRASH Network editor John Yoswick says smaller insurers have often earned some of the highest grades from repair shops. The report can therefore draw attention to options that customers might otherwise overlook. For drivers, the useful comparison is not simply which company costs less, but how its claims process works when repairs are needed.

Repair shops encounter insurers’ claims practices repeatedly, giving them a basis for comparing how companies handle repair decisions and customer service. Their grades reflect that working experience. They are a perspective on claims handling from the businesses doing repairs, rather than a measurement of every part of an insurance policy or every customer’s experience.

Participation affects which companies appear

About 1,100 shops typically respond each year. More responses can improve the report’s coverage and add context for consumers, particularly in states where a carrier might otherwise lack enough shop evaluations to receive a published grade. CRASH Network sets a minimum number of participating shops before reporting an insurer’s grade.

That threshold means even a modest increase in participation can change what drivers see in a state-specific report. Yoswick said six or 10 additional shops in a state may be enough to bring one, two or three more insurers into the results. Those added evaluations can give consumers a fuller set of companies to compare.

The grades are not the only information gathered. Optional questions ask about insurers’ parts policies, payment for original equipment manufacturer repair procedures and other aspects of the claims process. Shops can also answer follow-up questions about why they graded a company as they did.

Individual responses remain confidential. When shops provide follow-up details, CRASH Network can report patterns across responses—for instance, whether lower grades are associated with parts policies, a more burdensome claims process or slower responsiveness. Yoswick said some insurers receive low grades even from shops that participate in their direct repair programs. The aggregated explanations give companies more insight into the issues behind their scores.

Recent results show a wide spread

The most recent Insurer Report Card, released in February, gave seven auto insurers a grade of A-minus or higher. Thirty-five earned at least a B and a place on the report’s Honor Roll. By comparison, 22 carriers received a C-minus or lower, including six of the largest U.S. auto insurers.

None of the 10 largest national auto insurers scored above C-plus overall, while more than 60 other insurers ranked higher. That gap is a reminder that company size alone doesn’t indicate how repair shops assess claims handling. The grades offer consumers a prompt to look beyond a short list of major brands, while keeping in mind that the report captures repairers’ views and isn’t a substitute for considering the details of an individual policy.

Insurers pay attention to the findings and sometimes ask for more detail on the reasons behind their grades. Companies with high scores have also used them in their marketing. Publications and organizations, including The Wall Street Journal, Money and USA Today, have incorporated Insurer Report Card findings into their own auto insurance scoring systems.

State detail and access to the survey

The report includes regional breakdowns and state-specific results when enough shops participate. That local detail can make the grades more useful to drivers, since the mix of insurers and repair experiences differs by area. It also makes participation in each state important: a strong national sample may still leave gaps in local coverage.

Yoswick discussed the survey at the Society of Collision Repair Specialists’ IDEAS Collide Showcase during the 2025 SEMA Show. He said thousands of consumers, insurance companies and insurance regulators download the report each year. The survey is now in its 10th year.

Repair shops can request a survey link at crashnetwork.com/irc/signup.php. Those who sign up will receive an emailed invitation to participate in the coming weeks. For drivers, the report’s clearest value is a practical comparison of how repairers experience different insurers—information that can add another dimension to a decision often led by price.

Featured image provided by CRASH Network