Speed Reads:
- CURE Auto Insurance has a reputation for offering premiums at cheaper-than-average prices.
- The insurance company is better for drivers that have bad credit scores, but not good for car owners with high-risk driving records.
- CURE is only available in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. It doesn’t offer many unique coverage opportunities beyond the six standard types of car insurance.
- CURE has a steady mix of positive and negative reviews.
If you’re looking for auto insurance and have a poor credit score or other factors that make it hard to get reasonable insurance rates, CURE Auto Insurance could be right for you. In this article, we’ll take a look at CURE auto insurance reviews, coverage, discounts, and more. After a thorough evaluation, we give CURE Auto Insurance an overall rating of 2.6 out of 5.0.
To help you with your search for car insurance, we’ve put in 1,950 hours into reviewing 43 different car insurance companies and surveying over 8,500 customers. We’ve ranked the best car insurance companies in the insurance industry based on factors like financial strength, reputation, customer satisfaction, pricing, and coverage options.
Our CURE Insurance Review And Methodology
CURE stands for Citizens United Reciprocal Exchange and is known as CURE Auto Insurance, a nonprofit company that began in June 1990, according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB). However, CURE only provides insurance to drivers in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
CURE’s mediocre 2.6 rating from us stems from its scoring in several different categories, such as its industry standing, technology, and record of customer service.
How We Rated CURE Insurance
We refresh our review standards multiple times per year to keep our information current. Overall, our insurance research falls into six main categories: industry standing, availability, coverage, cost and discounts, customer service, and technology. All ratings are out of 5.0 stars.
Industry Standing
CURE gets a low industry rating from our team for a few reasons. The company has been around for a solid three decades, but doesn’t have any ratings or scores from AM Best, a trusted and legitimate evaluator of insurance companies’ financial strengths. It’s also not accredited by the BBB, but does possess an A+ rating.
CURE is generally not a very well-known company because it’s only available in three states, which doesn’t help it rank in J.D. Power studies. CURE’s lack of presence among the top insurance graders and evaluators means it’s difficult for car owners to gauge its credibility and strength as a business, so it gets 1.5 stars out of 5.0 for its industry standing.
Availability
As mentioned, CURE Auto Insurance is only available in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. While it’s not uncommon for car insurance companies to be reserved only to certain states, CURE is still highly inaccessible to many car owners that might otherwise benefit from its more open acceptances and cheaper auto insurance rates.
However, CURE prides itself on not using discriminatory practices when taking on new policyholders. Unlike most insurance companies, CURE doesn’t focus on a car owner’s occupation, education, and credit score when deciding whether or not to accept them as a new policyholder.
This promotes an availability for many drivers that would otherwise be rejected from insurance companies. So, CURE’s rating for its availability and accessibility is in the middle of the road at 2.5 stars.
Coverage
CURE auto insurance provides the most standard coverage options when it comes to car insurance, with little add-on options. While it does provide add-on rental car coverage and roadside assistance, CURE doesn’t offer nearly the same amount of add-on specialty coverages that other insurance providers do.
Some examples would include rideshare insurance and guaranteed asset protection (gap coverage). This lack of additional coverage and services places CURE’s coverage in the middle of the road for us. We give it 3.0 stars for coverage.
Cost And Discounts
CURE is known for showing more affordable rates, which bumps its cost rating up to 3.0 stars. Its lower premiums may be due to its youth as an insurance company, but CURE doesn’t provide many discount opportunities – not when compared to other limited companies like Auto-Owners Insurance or Erie Insurance.
The company prides itself on using a person’s driving history as the main foundation for which it accepts customers, yet doesn’t provide a usage-based insurance program that can monitor policyholders’ driving habits and help lower their premiums.
Customer Service
CURE gets relatively average customer review rates across Google Reviews and the BBB, so we give it an average rating or 3.0 stars on our end. Even customers that are upset with the company mention its low rates but report a lack of communication and action from the representatives at CURE Auto Insurance.
The customer service seems to be short in some places, but consistent negative reviews are pretty typical for insurance companies – especially well-known companies like State Farm and Geico. Given CURE’s smaller size as an insurance company, its customer service output looks relatively normal, so we give it a slightly-above average rating.
Technology
CURE Auto Insurance doesn’t appear to have any mobile app for its services. Given that the company is 32 years old, in 2023, our team feels that CURE should apply more services through technology. A website alone doesn’t cut it in our book, which is why we give it 2.5 stars.
CURE doesn’t have a mobile app like many other car insurance companies. Many car owners use their insurers’ mobile apps to pay bills and look at their policy information. Some mobile apps even come with crash detection services, and will phone for roadside assistance and EMT services automatically when a policyholder gets into a collision.
Some mobile apps have telematics insurance programs on them to monitor and grade driving habits in policyholders. These scoring programs always come with discount opportunities on premiums.
CURE Auto Insurance Quick Facts
Founded: 1990
Availability: Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania
Policies and accounts: Basic and Standard
AM Best financial strength rating: Not rated
BBB rating: A+ rating
CURE Auto Insurance was founded with the express purpose of providing favorable car insurance rates to drivers who may not be the most appealing to other insurance companies. This could be due to an occupation that requires driving often, not being a homeowner, or having a low credit score.
To counteract this, CURE bases the cost of its premiums primarily on a motorist’s driving record, thus rewarding safe drivers with reasonable rates even if they don’t meet the traditional criteria for low insurance premiums.
How Much Does CURE Car Insurance Cost?
Our research shows that drivers pay a national average of $1,730 per year for full-coverage car insurance. A full-coverage car insurance policy typically includes a sufficient amount of liability coverage along with collision coverage and comprehensive insurance.
Here are the average full-coverage rates for the only states that CURE Auto Insurance is available in:
| State | Monthly Average | Yearly Average |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan | $315 | $3,785 |
| New Jersey | $170 | $2,037 |
| Pennsylvania | $137 | $1,647 |
*These average rates are based on the profile of a 35-year-old driver with good credit and a clean driving record.
CURE has a reputation for boasting cheaper full-coverage auto insurance rates, which means that many policyholders may pay less than the rates above. On Reddit, a multi-topic community forum site, one 21-year-old male user reported paying $87 per month ($1,044 per year) for CURE auto insurance after a few tickets and two car accidents in recent years. For this age and driving history, $87 per month is very cheap when compared to other providers.
Additionally, a Google Reviewer recently mentioned a policy for $70 per month ($840 per year). Another commenter reported paying $124 per month ($1,488 per year). Keep in mind that these are just reported costs from self-proclaimed CURE customers online, all of which likely have different ages and driving backgrounds. While these reports aren’t verifiable, they may give you a rough idea into the typical price ranges of CURE premiums.
With CURE Auto Insurance, it’s difficult to know exactly how much an insurance package may cost because there are several factors that can affect your rate, such as your:
- Age: If you’re in your teens or early twenties, you’ll likely receive a higher-than-average premium for your CURE auto insurance.
- Vehicle: Newer vehicles or luxury cars will cost more to fix and are more likely to be stolen, so they’ll cost more to insure.
- Location: If you live in a more populated urban area, CURE Auto Insurance may think you’re more at risk to get in a car accident, so rates will likely be higher.
- Driving record: If you’ve had multiple speeding tickets or any recent DUIs, you can count on most insurers to skyrocket your rates.
- Chosen deductible: The higher your deductible is, the lower your premium will be.
- Recent claims history: If you’ve gotten into any at-fault accidents within the last three to five years, your rates are more likely to be higher than average.
Full-Coverage Car Insurance Cost Comparison
While we can’t provide full-coverage car insurance costs for CURE, you can compare the full-coverage rates among the nation’s biggest auto insurance companies for 35-year-old married drivers with clean credit and good driving records:
Car Insurance Provider |
Average Monthly Cost |
Average Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|
$88 |
$1,054 |
|
Erie Insurance |
$103 |
$1,238 |
$107 |
$1,281 |
|
Geico |
$109 |
$1,308 |
Auto-Owners Insurance |
$111 |
$1,337 |
$123 |
$1,481 |
|
$134 |
$1,611 |
|
$139 |
$1,669 |
|
$174 |
$2,088 |
|
Farmers |
$178 |
$2,140 |
Minimum-Coverage Car Insurance Cost Comparison
A minimum-coverage car insurance policy only has the lowest amounts of state-mandated liability coverage and any other state-required car insurance types. Here are the average national costs for minimum-coverage car insurance by popular providers:
| Car Insurance Provider | Average Monthly Cost | Average Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|
| USAA | $28 | $333 |
| Auto-Owners | $29 | $349 |
| Erie Insurance | $38 | $459 |
| Geico | $39 | $468 |
| State Farm | $45 | $543 |
| Nationwide | $51 | $613 |
| American Family | $57 | $685 |
| Progressive | $57 | $687 |
| Allstate | $60 | $725 |
| Travelers | $61 | $730 |
| Farmers | $73 | $881 |
CURE Car Insurance Rates By Driving Profile
As mentioned, CURE Auto Insurance relies more on your driving history than other factors when determining rates for you. If you have any recent at-fault accidents, DUIs, or speeding tickets, CURE may not be your ideal company.
Here are the average national rates for drivers that have committed different traffic violations or gotten into road accidents:
| Driving Profile | National Average Monthly Cost Estimate | National Average Annual Cost Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding: 1-5 mph Over Limit | $185 | $2,225 |
| Speeding: 21-25 mph Over Limit | $205 | $2,464 |
| DUI | $273 | $3,277 |
| Stop Sign Violation | $190 | $2,280 |
| One Accident | $224 | $2,689 |
| Two Accidents | $313 | $3,761 |
*Driver profile is based on a 35-year-old male.
Michigan High-Risk Drivers: Full-Coverage Car Insurance Rates
Michigan is already a state with some of the highest car insurance rates in the country. While CURE reportedly offers cheaper coverage, if you’re a Michigan driver who would be deemed a high risk by insurance companies, it may be better to steer clear of CURE Auto Insurance.
Here are some full-coverage auto insurance quotes for 35-year-old male drivers that received different traffic violations in the state of Michigan.
| Car Insurance Company | Speeding Ticket | DUI | One Accident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto-Owners | $4,224 | $6,465 | $3,169 |
| Farmers | $8,634 | $8,795 | $9,227 |
| Michigan Farm Bureau | $5,658 | $9,102 | $3,958 |
| Progressive | $2,118 | $1,988 | $2,328 |
| State Farm | $6,392 | $9,697 | $4,556 |
*Speeding ticket is for the profile of a driver that went 21-25 mph over the speed limit.
New Jersey High-Risk Drivers: Full-Coverage Car Insurance Rates
Here are the average full-coverage prices for 35-year-old male New Jersey drivers with different traffic violations in recent years:
| Car Insurance Company | Speeding Ticket | DUI | One Accident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allstate | $2,870 | $3,376 | $5,440 |
| Geico | $1,400 | $2,880 | $1,983 |
| Progressive | $4,034 | $3,908 | $4,700 |
| State Farm | $3,790 | $8,511 | $3,574 |
| Travelers | $2,688 | $3,151 | $3,441 |
*Speeding ticket is for the profile of a driver that went 21-25 mph over the speed limit.
Pennsylvania High-Risk Drivers: Full-Coverage Car Insurance Rates
Here are the average full-coverage prices for 35-year-old male Pennsylvanian drivers with different traffic violations in recent years:
| Car Insurance Company | Speeding Ticket | DUI | One Accident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allstate | $2,244 | $2,244 | $3,197 |
| Erie Insurance | $1,613 | $2,355 | $1,984 |
| Geico | $2,714 | $3,074 | $2,941 |
| Nationwide | $1,662 | $3,020 | $1,899 |
| Progressive | $1,909 | $2,480 | $3,042 |
*Speeding ticket is for the profile of a driver that went 21-25 mph over the speed limit.
Car Insurance Rate Comparison For 16-Year-Olds
Here’s how car insurance compares to other providers for 16-year-olds.
| Car Insurance Company | Annual Rate Average | Monthly Rate Average |
|---|---|---|
| Erie Insurance | $3,410 | $284 |
| Auto-Owners | $3,533 | $294 |
| State Farm | $4,146 | $345 |
| Geico | $4,466 | $372 |
| Nationwide | $4,567 | $381 |
| USAA | $4,784 | $399 |
| Travelers | $7,206 | $600 |
| Allstate | $8,350 | $696 |
Car Insurance Rate Comparison For 21-Year-Olds
Here’s how rates for 21-year-olds compare to rates from other providers.
| Car Insurance Company | Annual Rate Average | Monthly Rate Average |
|---|---|---|
| USAA | $1,609 | $134 |
| Geico | $1,844 | $154 |
| Auto-Owners | $2,074 | $173 |
| Erie Insurance | $2,103 | $175 |
| Nationwide | $2,147 | $179 |
| State Farm | $2,322 | $194 |
| Travelers | $2,513 | $209 |
| Progressive | $2,872 | $239 |
| Farmers | $3,295 | $275 |
| Allstate | $3,302 | $275 |
CURE Auto Insurance Discounts
Our research shows that CURE auto insurance rates are only cheaper for some people. Most insurance companies offer discounts to lower premium costs. CURE doesn’t publish these discounts on its website so you’ll likely need to contact the company to figure out what discounts apply to you if any are available.
CURE Auto Insurance Coverage
CURE offers six main types of auto insurance coverage:
- Liability (BI/PD): This insurance policy covers you against damages to other people and their property. It is made up of bodily injury liability and property damage liability.
- Collision: This covers the cost of damages to your car in the case that you get into a collision with another car or an object.
- Comprehensive: This covers you against any other damages to your vehicle that aren’t due to a collision. Comprehensive insurance covers damages due to theft, vandalism, natural disasters, civil disturbances, and more.
- Medical payments (MedPay): This covers the costs of vehicle-related medical treatments for both yourself and your passengers, regardless of whether you or another driver is at fault in an accident.
- Personal injury protection (PIP): This covers medical treatment and other injury-related losses such as lost wages from days you were unable to work.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM): This protects you in the case that you get into an accident with a motorist who doesn’t have sufficient insurance and consequently can’t cover your expenses.
CURE Auto Insurance: New Jersey Drivers
In New Jersey, CURE offers these types of auto insurance through two separate policy packages: Basic Car Insurance and Standard Car Insurance.
CURE Basic Car Insurance
The Basic Car Insurance package from CURE provides up to:
- $10,000 in extended MedPay coverage
- $15,000 in PIP coverage
- $5,000 in property damage coverage
Motorists can also opt to take out up to an additional $10,000 in bodily injury liability coverage and personal injury protection.
CURE Standard Car Insurance
Unlike the Basic Car Insurance package, Standard Car Insurance doesn’t come with a set offering. Instead, motorists can pick and choose from standard insurance options like comprehensive insurance, collision coverage, PIP, and liability coverage. When deciding between CURE’s Standard and Basic options, it’s important to consider how much auto insurance you need.
CURE Auto Insurance Add-Ons
The only add-on coverages that CURE offers are:
- Extended transportation expense coverage: This coverage helps you arrange for alternative transportation whenever your car is in the shop for repairs.
- Roadside assistance coverage: CURE’s roadside assistance includes towings to the nearest repair facility in addition to battery jump-starts, fuel deliveries, and lockout assistance.
Does CURE Auto Insurance Cover Rideshare Drivers?
CURE Auto Insurance does not offer any rideshare insurance for drivers. This includes policyholders that work for delivery or rideshare apps like Uber or Lyft.
Can CURE Auto Insurance Cover Classic Cars?
CURE Auto Insurance doesn’t appear to offer any classic car insurance at the moment.
Can CURE Cover SR-22 Insurance?
CURE Auto Insurance doesn’t appear to offer any SR-22 insurance certificates for high-risk drivers. Given the company’s less-than-enthusiastic approach toward car owners with rougher driving histories, CURE is unlikely to provide SR-22 insurance.
What CURE Auto Insurance Is Missing
As mentioned, one of the reasons our reviews team has given CURE a mediocre coverage rating is because CURE doesn’t offer any specific add-on coverages often found with other prominent insurance companies, such as:
- Accident forgiveness: If you get into an accident, some car insurance providers will keep your rates the same with an accident forgiveness program.
- Rideshare coverage: If you use your car to drive customers or delivery goods around, rideshare insurance takes care of the coverage gaps found with companies like Uber.
- New car replacement coverage: After a totaled car accident, you’d get back enough money to pay for the same or a similar car model replacement with this insurance.
- Gap insurance: Many auto insurance companies will pay back what you still owe on a loan after your depreciated car is totaled – but not CURE Auto Insurance.
- Diminishing deductible benefits: The longer you go without an accident, the smaller your deductible amount will be without affecting your premiums.
- Original parts replacement coverage: With this, your insurer would ensure original factory-made parts replaced any damaged parts in your car after an accident.
Other companies that are limited to a small number of states like CURE offer multiple add-on coverages or special benefits programs. Erie Insurance for example is only available in 12 states, but offers rideshare coverage, diminishing deductibles, and new car protection.
CURE Insurance Customer Reviews
CURE Auto Insurance has a customer review rating of 3.6 stars out of 5.0 on Google – and out of over 2,000 reviews. Policyholders who are happy with the company talk about CURE’s low costs, hassle-free quotes, and easy claims processes:
“It was very simple to sign up, get a quote, and pay for insurance. They didn’t ask any daunting questions and were straightforward. It was the easiest car insurance I’ve ever gotten. Prices aren’t bad either. I’m a fan and a customer.”
– Shannon F., Google Reviews, December 2022
“One of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I am saving a thousand dollars a year. Every friend and family member I have told has completely agreed with me. They can’t believe how much money they’re saving. You can’t go wrong with [this] insurance.”
– Keith D., Google Reviews, November 2022
CURE Auto Insurance Complaints
Like all car insurance companies, CURE has its fair share of negative reviews as well. The company’s negative reputation among customers stems largely from its lack of communication and action when it comes to coverage and claims:
“I had an accident on Tuesday and now it’s Friday. I was told that someone would reach out to me … [It’s] been three days and no one has even contacted me. My car is undrivable. I have a car rental service with [CURE] that I can’t use … I’ve missed days of work.”
– Whatafriendful, Google Reviews, February 2023
“My experience with this company has been terrible … they don’t return calls when I’m trying to renew my policy. When I finally got in touch with someone, they canceled it and I lost all my money I put down. Like what type of company is this?”
– Aaliyah B., Google Reviews, October 2022
NAIC Complaints: CURE Auto Insurance
According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), CURE reportedly has a complaint index rating of .73, which is 27 percent less than the average amount of complaints that companies get nationwide. You can compare CURE’s rating to the ratings of Erie Insurance, State Farm, and Geico below:
Ratings From Our Customer Experience Survey
Another way to determine customer satisfaction is to look at our November 2022 auto insurance survey that we conducted with nearly 7,000 policyholders. But of these near-7,000, only three customers reported having a CURE auto insurance policy. Here are the average ratings across the different surveyed aspects of CURE Auto Insurance:
| Aspect Surveyed | CURE Rating (Out of 5.0) |
|---|---|
| Overall Satisfaction | 4.7 |
| Customer Service | 3.7 |
| Affordability | 4.3 |
| Coverage Selection | 3.7 |
| Claims Service | 3.0 |
You may get a better feel for customer satisfaction by perusing the more numerous reviews of CURE Auto Insurance online.
CURE Auto Insurance Reviews: Conclusion
CURE Auto Insurance has a laudable goal, but its filing process is lacking and leaves a bad taste in many policyholders’ mouths. CURE may still be a good choice for Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania motorists that have a poor credit record.
All in all, CURE achieves its goal of offering fair rates to nontraditional candidates, but it falls a bit short on the claims process, its coverage selection, and its customer service. We recommend getting quotes from other top providers so that you can find the best coverage for the best price.
CURE Auto Insurance Competitors: Top Companies
If you feel that CURE offers great rates but not enough coverage or customer satisfaction, the two companies our reviews team recommends are State Farm and USAA. Both companies have long histories of offering fantastic coverage at competitive rates and with great customer satisfaction results.
State Farm: 4.7 Stars
State Farm is one of the premier auto insurance companies in the U.S. and one of our top choices for drivers of all backgrounds. The company offers standard coverage options on top of unique coverages like classic car and sports car insurance.
State Farm is one of the top providers for young drivers due to its student discounts. This includes its Steer Clear® program, which rewards drivers under 25 with a lower premium when they complete a State Farm-approved driver safety course.
Read more: State Farm insurance reviews
USAA: 4.6 Stars
We consistently found that USAA had the cheapest average insurance policy cost out of every provider we reviewed – even for drivers with poor credit. On top of standard coverage options, USAA offers rental reimbursement coverage, roadside assistance, accident forgiveness, and more.
USAA has a vast number of discounts, some of which apply to good students, drivers that get new cars, those who have low mileage, and policyholders that set up automatic payments. However, USAA auto insurance is only available to military service members and their families.
Read more: USAA insurance reviews