JD Power is sharing the results of its annual study that looks into how satisfied auto insurance customers are with their insurer when they file a claim. The JD Power 2026 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study found that it depends on whether the damage is repairable or not. Satisfaction is up slightly if it's repairable, but the study found that 26% of claims are a total loss. Among total loss claimants with loans on their vehicles, the study found that 25% receive payouts that are less than they currently owe
Researchers say this year, overall customer satisfaction with the auto insurance claims process improves 4 points (on a 1,000-point scale) when damages are repairable. On the flip side, it declines 12 points when vehicles are deemed a total loss, which marks a third consecutive year of declining satisfaction for total loss claims. Overall, 26% of auto insurance claims were classified as total losses in 2026. That's up from just 16% four years ago. JD Power attributes the increase to more costly vehicle repairs, customers keeping their vehicles on the road longer, and higher deductibles that remove smaller repairs from the claim process.
“A complex mix of trends are conspiring to make this an incredibly challenging market environment for managing auto insurance claims customer satisfaction,” said Mark Garrett, director of global insurance intelligence at JD Power. “On the positive side, rates are coming down and repair cycle times have improved dramatically, so customers who can have their vehicles fixed are showing high levels of satisfaction with the claims experience. However, persistent affordability challenges have many customers keeping vehicles longer or making changes to their policy, such as dropping rental coverage or taking on higher insurance deductibles. Additionally, many customers are upside down on their auto loans, which means the payoff in a total loss scenario can be less than they owe on their vehicles. All of these can make for a poor customer experience in the event of a total loss.”
Following are some key findings of the 2026 study:
- Overall satisfaction split based on vehicle repairability: According to JD Power, the overall auto claims customer satisfaction score is 700, which is unchanged from last year. There's a big difference however in satisfaction scores diverge sharply, however, depending on whether the vehicle is able to be repaired. Overall satisfaction improves 4 points year over year when vehicles are repaired and declines 12 points year over year when vehicles are deemed a total loss. Satisfaction with total losses has continued to trend down for a third consecutive year, declining 46 points since 2023.
- Effects of total losses exacerbated by macroeconomic trends: The study found that more than one-fourth (26%) of auto insurance claims resulted in a total loss in 2026, up from just 16% four years ago. Researchers say total loss customer satisfaction scores are lowest (490) when the amount paid by the insurer does not cover the amount the customer still owes on their vehicle loan. Among total loss customers with loans on their vehicles, JD Power says 25% received payouts that were less than what they owed on their vehicle.
- Repair cycle times improve significantly: Some good news here. JD Power says when vehicles can be repaired, the likelihood of getting them repaired quickly is getting much easier. Researchers say claim volumes are down sharply, so shops have more capacity for repair work, resulting in average repair cycle times of just 15.3 days through the first quarter of 2026, a reduction of 10 days from the first quarter of 2024.
- Room to improve on cross-channel communications: As you'd expect, overall customer satisfaction scores are highest (804) when customers completely agree that their insurer provided a seamless experience across channels. Scores are lowest (390) when customers disagree with that statement, which JD Power says often results from not understanding explanations, using multiple channels to ask questions or digital tools not working as expected. Currently, JD Power says insurers are delivering a seamless cross-channel experience just 54% of the time, one of the lowest-performing key performance indicators in the study.
Study Ranking
Of auto insurers, Amica ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction with a score of 775. Nationwide (743) ranks second and Automobile Club of Southern CA (AAA) (740) ranks third.
About the Study
The JD Power U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study examines the auto claims experiences of customers from the largest insurance providers throughout the United States across eight dimensions (in order of importance): trust; fairness of settlement; people; time to settle claim; communication; ease of resolving claim; ease of starting claim; and digital channels. The 2026 study is based on responses from 8,261 auto insurance customers who settled a claim within the past nine months prior to participating in the survey. JD Power fielded the study from September 2025 through August 2026. The study excludes claimants whose vehicle incurred only glass/windshield damage or was stolen, or who only filed a roadside assistance claim.
For more information visit JD Power.
