CRASH Network Insurer Report Card Survey Opens Nov. 1, With Grades for 90-Plus Carriers

Collision repair shops see how insurers handle claims after a crash, and CRASH Network’s Insurer Report Card turns those experiences into a comparison consumers can use. The survey opens Nov. 1. Its grades cover more than 90 insurers when enough shops have evaluated a company, giving drivers a way to weigh claims handling and repair support alongside price.

John Yoswick, editor of CRASH Network, says the survey takes about three minutes. Shops grade insurers from A+ to F based on how their claims practices support quality repairs and customer service. The results are compiled into a free report that anyone can download.

Regional insurers are part of the comparison

The report is not limited to the 10 largest national auto insurers. It also includes smaller and regional companies, depending on where they operate. Repairers in a given state may assess 20 or 30 insurers, giving the results a local dimension that a national ranking alone would miss.

That broader field can change what consumers notice. Yoswick says smaller companies have often earned some of the strongest shop grades. For a driver comparing coverage, the report can make less familiar insurers easier to consider and draw attention to service differences that a price comparison won’t show.

Claim handling is one of those differences. Repair shops encounter insurers’ processes every day, and can compare how companies respond as repairs are planned and completed. The grades reflect repairers’ assessments; they are not a promise about the experience every customer will have. Still, a larger pool of shop responses can give consumers more information about which companies have been evaluated in their area.

Participation affects which grades appear

About 1,100 shops typically take part each year. CRASH Network sets a minimum number of shop grades before publishing a result for an insurer. That threshold means an insurer may be absent from a state’s report even if it sells policies there. It also means a modest increase in participation can expand the comparison: Yoswick says six or 10 additional responses in a state may be enough to add one, two or three insurers.

More responses can also strengthen the usefulness of the published grades. A small number of assessments gives a narrower view; broader participation can bring more carriers into the report and make the comparisons more informative for local readers. CRASH Network encourages shops to take part both to contribute their experience and to help make the resulting report more useful to consumers.

Shops can also answer optional follow-up questions about the insurers they grade. Those questions cover parts policies, payment for original equipment manufacturer repair procedures and other aspects of claims handling. Individual shop responses remain confidential. CRASH Network can use the combined answers to show patterns behind a grade, such as whether repairers cite parts policies, burdensome processes or slow responsiveness.

Yoswick says the additional detail helps explain why a company received a particular mark. For example, cumulative responses can show that an insurer received lower grades even from shops that participate in its direct repair program. That kind of context can help readers distinguish between a score and the practices repairers say contributed to it.

Results draw attention from insurers and other outlets

Insurers pay attention to the report and sometimes ask CRASH Network for more detail about their grades. Companies with high marks have also used those results in their marketing. The findings have appeared in scoring systems from other publications and organizations, including The Wall Street Journal, Money and USA Today.

The report includes regional breakdowns and state-specific versions when there are enough responses. That makes participation especially relevant for shops whose experience can help fill gaps in a local comparison. The report is also used by repair shops and trade associations in discussions with insurance regulators and lawmakers. Yoswick says the grades can demonstrate that shop views are not uniform: some insurers are seen as handling claims in ways that better support consumers.

What the latest report showed

The prior Insurer Report Card, released in February, gave seven auto insurers grades of A-minus or higher. Thirty-five earned a B or better and made the Honor Roll. At the other end, 22 carriers received a C-minus or lower; six were among 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. Those results describe repairers’ assessments in the report, not a guarantee of how any individual claim will be handled. They do, however, underline why a comparison that includes regional companies may give consumers a wider view than a list focused only on the largest brands.

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

Shops can request a survey link at crashnetwork.com/irc/signup.php; people who sign up will receive an invitation by email in the coming weeks. The previous report is available here. For buyers, the practical value is a broader view of claims service; for shops, each response can help determine which insurers appear in their state’s results.

Featured image provided by CRASH Network