Kemper Auto Insurance Review 2024

Overall, Kemper is best for drivers who, for one reason or the other, have a checkered or unsafe driver history.

Kemper is Best for Those Who:

• Have been in an at-fault accident in the past, have a speeding ticket on your record, or have been convicted of a DUI
• Need SR-22s
• Have a reconditioned vehicle
• Speak Spanish, as Kemper’s agents are bilingual

Kemper is Not Best for Those Who:

• Have a clean driving record and are looking for the cheapest auto insurance rates
• Rely heavily on mobile insurance apps for questions and customer service
• Are considering pay-per-mile insurance

For full coverage, Kemper’s auto insurance premiums come in around $2,258 annually, or 15 percent, more than the national average. For minimum coverage, Kemper’s $963 annual average is over $400 more than the national average. Kemper is on the pricier side, though this is typical for companies that insure high-risk drivers.

Below is a breakdown of Kemper’s prices compared to other major car insurance companies.

Something worth noting is that while most auto insurance companies offer six-month policies—meaning they can raise your rates after just six months—Kemper offers annual policies, which lock your auto insurance rate for the year. As the cost of auto insurance rises, annual policies are becoming less common.

Kemper Rates by Driver Profile

As I mentioned above, Kemper now only offers nonstandard insurance, which is coverage for high-risk drivers. Here is a breakdown of rates for drivers with an at-fault accident or DUI.

Although the average for a full coverage policy for drivers with a DUI is higher than the national average, keep in mind that Kemper’s approval rate of DUI policies is also above the national average. This means that a driver with a DUI is more likely to be accepted by Kemper than its competitors, which might make the increased price worth it.

Kemper offers a range of case-specific discounts that you might want to consider when applying:

• Advance Quote Discount: If you receive a quote and choose to accept it before the effective date of the policy, you might be eligible for this discount.
• Proof of Prior Insurance: If you present proof of previously having auto insurance, Kemper offers a discount on your new policy with them.
• Paid-in-Full Discount: When you pay for the full premium up front, rather than making monthly payments, Kemper offers a discounted rate.
• Multi-Car Discount: Insuring more than one car on a policy qualifies you for a discount.

Kemper also offers discounts to individuals who have a defensive driver qualification, good students, military members, and homeowners.

In March 2024, Kemper also introduced a telematics discount for tracking your driving habits, called Kemper Co-Pilot. The discount is available in Arizona, Georgia, Florida, and Texas, with Kemper promising more states coming soon. The program rewards customers for sharing how they drive via the Kemper Co-Pilot mobile app, and those enrolled receive a 10 percent premium discount for participating in this program.

My experience getting a quote from Kemper Auto was a little more time-consuming than the other major brands. Although the website has an option for an online quote, after I entered my zip code I was prompted to call an agent. In J.D. Power’s 2023 Digital Experience Study, Kemper received a score that was right around the average. This study measures customer satisfaction with the online performance of industry-leading insurance brands. While I cannot speak to this entirely, my experience with getting a quote from Kemper was less than ideal compared to past instances with other companies.

Kemper offers the standard coverages like comprehensive, collision, liability, medical payments and uninsured/underinsured motorist. It also offers roadside assistance, which includes 24/7 towing, jump starts, fuel delivery, lockout services, and tire change assistance in the event of a breakdown. For additional coverages, like GAP insurance, accident forgiveness, trip interruption, and more, you’ll need to speak with an agent.

In addition to auto insurance, Kemper also sells motorcycle insurance, business insurance, life insurance, and other products. Since Kemper exited the “preferred” auto and home market in 2023, it’s unclear whether it continues to offer home insurance. Customers looking to bundle home and auto may have better luck elsewhere.

When it comes to customer satisfaction, Kemper’s ratings are mixed to low. It received a ranking of 72 out of 88 in the CRASH Network 2024 Insurer Report Card, a survey of body shops asking how well auto insurance companies respond to claims.

Kemper also received a below-average rating in the J.D. Power customer satisfaction survey in California, and a higher number of complaints on the NAIC index, indicating Kemper customers are less satisfied with their insurance than customers of other insurance brands.

That said, to end on a high note, A.M. Best has given Kemper an excellent financial strength rating, indicating an ability to meet payout demands due to a strong balance sheet, good credit ratings, and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).

I was able to access both Kemper’s website and mobile app. For the most part, the website is easy to navigate and has mostly clear instructions for browsing different pages. Unlike my attempts to get an online quote, I was able to explore the process of filing a claim pretty seamlessly on the mobile site. There are “quick links” for things like making claims, payments, and finding a repair shop, as well as help and support links that put you in touch with an agent.

Some companies have popularized the online chatbot, but I did not see this as an option on Kemper’s website. If you’re like me, you may actually prefer this, because it is a bit more personal and forces you to interact with a human. Most of the time, in my experience, those online chatbots are not much help anyway. Overall, I found no faults with Kemper’s website.

The mobile app, however, is a different story. On the iPhone app store, it had a 1.4 rating out of 5 stars across 270 total reviews. General complaints from customers ranged from small bugs and crashes while filling out a claim, to the app not opening at all and causing them to be late for their monthly payments. One user even noted “I have yet to access my policy for 8 months.” So, if I were you, I would stick closer to the website and the phone service.

At AutoInsurance.com, we assess auto insurance companies on four factors:

• Price (40%): We evaluate average premiums for both full and minimum coverage, considering a variety of driver profiles, including those with low credit, DUIs, or at-fault accidents. Discounts offered by insurers are also taken into account. Full coverage averages are calculated using these limits:
  • Bodily injury liability: $100,000 per person / $300,000 per accident
  • Property damage liability: $50,000 per accident
  • Uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury: $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident
  • Comprehensive and collision: $500 deductible
• Claims Handling (25%): A reliable claims process is efficient, transparent, and ensures timely resolutions with fair damage assessments. To evaluate claims performance, we rely on sources like the CRASH Network Insurer Report Card, J.D. Power Claims Satisfaction Report, and financial strength ratings from AM Best and S&P. When available, we include real-life customer experiences.
• Customer Experience (25%): We consider how straightforward it is for customers to navigate their insurance experience, from obtaining quotes and purchasing policies to making adjustments or retrieving documents. This includes analyzing the quality of online and agent-based interactions, as well as the usability of the insurer’s website and mobile app. Data from J.D. Power studies, the NAIC complaint index, BBB ratings, and app store reviews inform our analysis.
• Coverage Options (10%): Insurers offering additional coverage options beyond the state minimums score higher in this category. Examples include accident forgiveness, gap insurance, rideshare coverage, and similar features.

For a detailed look at our rating criteria, visit our methodology & ratings page.