Is Wawanesa Good for Auto Insurance?
Last Updated on June 12, 2020
Wawanesa Insurance is a Canadian company launched in 1896 to serve farmers in Wawanesa, Manitoba.
The company began serving policyholders in the United States in 1974. Today, Wawanesa continues to sell insurance in California and Oregon. It’s also available in all Canadian provinces and territories.
Generally, Wawanesa is well-rated by drivers in California, Oregon, and Canada. J.D. Power recently selected Wawanesa as the best car insurance company in California for the fourth year in a row, for example, and the company has a good financial strength rating (FSR).
Is Wawanesa good for auto insurance? Should you get your car insurance through Wawanesa? Today, we’re explaining everything you need to know about Wawanesa and auto insurance.
What is Wawanesa Insurance?
Wawanesa Insurance launched as a farmers’ mutual insurance company in Wawanesa, Manitoba in 1896. In 1974, the company expanded to the United States. Today, Wawanesa offers car, renters, homeowners, and condo insurance in California and Oregon. The company’s American operations are headquartered in San Diego.
Is Wawanesa a Good Insurance Company?
Wawanesa is generally one of the top-rated insurance companies in California, Oregon, and Canada. The company is well-rated by policyholders and independent insurance review organizations alike. It also has a strong financial position, as evidenced by its A.M. Best score.
A.M. Best gives Wawanesa Insurance an “A” (Excellent) rating for financial strength. A.M. Best is the insurance industry’s leading financial analysis firm. The firm audits insurance companies to assess their financial position, then awards a letter-grade rating. A rating of “A” indicates that Wawanesa should have no trouble covering policyholder claims.
J.D. Power has awarded Wawanesa Insurance its top prize among car insurance in California. In 2012, J.D. Power awarded Wawanesa Insurance its “Best in California” award, beating many other insurance companies for claims satisfaction, customer service, and other metrics.
In fact, Wawanesa Insurance has received the top award from J.D. Power multiple years in a row. In December 2015, J.D. Power picked Wawanesa Insurance as the top company in California for customer service for the fourth year in a row after winning top prize in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
In recent years, Wawanesa has continued to receive top scores from J.D. Power, although the company currently sits fifth among insurers in California.
In the 2019 J.D. Power rankings for California, for example, Wawanesa Insurance ranked fifth overall for overall satisfaction, behind Esurance, USAA, AAA, and Ameriprise. Wawanesa scored 4/5 for overall satisfaction, policy offerings, and claims satisfaction, 5/5 for price, and 3/5 for billing process and interaction.
Wawanesa also has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and has been accredited by the BBB since 1975.
Overall, Wawanesa is one of the top-ranked insurance companies in California – and it has been among the top insurers in the state for nearly a decade. The company separates itself from the competition with good pricing, excellent customer service, and strong claims satisfaction ratings.
Wawanesa Auto Insurance: What Makes Wawanesa Different?
Wawanesa offers standard auto insurance policies, including liability insurance, collision coverage, and comprehensive coverage.
Here are some of the factors, however, that make Wawanesa different from other auto insurance providers:
12- Month Terms: Wawanesa writes policies with a 12-month term limit, which is different from the 6-month term limit typically used by American insurers.
Good Value: Wawanesa frequently ranks among the best insurers in California and Oregon for value. The company offers competitive pricing without compromising on customer service.
Email Quotes: Wawanesa does not provide immediate quotes over the internet. Instead, you request a quote through the official Wawanesa website, then receive a quote in your email inbox the next day.
Medical Payments Coverage: Wawanesa offers medical payments coverage (MedPay) to drivers in California, which functions like health insurance to cover hospital bills after car accidents.
Personal Injury Protection: Wawanesa offers personal injury protection (PIP) in Oregon, which covers medical bills, lost wages, funeral expenses, and other costs after an accident regardless of fault.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage: Wawanesa lets you add protection for uninsured or underinsured drivers.
OEM Parts Coverage: If you add OEM parts coverage to your policy, then your car will be repaired with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts instead of third party replacement parts. You need to have collision and comprehensive coverage and a vehicle under 11 years old to qualify.
Rental Car Coverage: You can add rental car coverage to your Wawanesa insurance policy, choosing a daily limit up to $50
Roadside Assistance: Wawanesa offers roadside assistance through preferred providers. If you use a preferred provider, Wawanesa covers up to $100 per incident. If you use any other provider, meanwhile, Wawanesa covers up to $50.
Wawanesa Car Insurance Rates
How does Wawanesa stack up against other insurers? Below are the rates from sample quotes for Wawanesa, GEICO, and Progressive. There are three quotes for each company. One quote is for a driver with a clean driving record. Another is for a driver with a single speeding ticket on his or her record. The final quote is for a driver with a recent at-fault accident on his or her record.
| Insurer | Clean Record Rates ($/month) | Single Speeding Ticket Rates ($/month) | At-Fault Accident Rates ($/month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wawanesa | 80 | 80 | 100 |
| Progressive | 60 | 90 | 60 |
| GEICO | 50 | 100 | 110 |
Wawanesa Insurance Discounts
Wawanesa offers all of the following insurance discounts:
Bundling Discounts: Wawanesa offers renters, homeowners, condo, and identity theft insurance, among other insurance products. You can bundle multiple insurance policies together with Wawanesa, then get a discount on all products.
Good Driver Discounts: If you have had a safe driving record for five or more years, then you may qualify for Wawanesa’s safe driving discount.
Multi-Car Discounts: Wawanesa offers discounts to drivers with multiple cars under one policy.
Mature Driver Discount: Older drivers may qualify for exclusive discounts with Wawanesa.
Driver Training Discount: If you have completed a defensive driving course or some other type of driver training, then you may qualify for a driver training discount with Wawanesa.
Loyalty Discounts: Also known as persistency discounts, loyalty discounts reward customers who have remained with Wawanesa for an extended period of time.
Accident Forgiveness: Wawanesa offers accident forgiveness to policyholders in Canada, although it is not available to drivers in California or Oregon.
Final Word on Wawanesa
Wawanesa is an auto insurance company serving customers in California, Oregon, and Canada. The Manitoba-based insurer has over 125 years of experience settling claims across North America.
Today, Wawanesa Insurance is well-rated by policyholders and industry organizations alike. J.D. Power once awarded Wawanesa its top prize in California four years in a row, for example, and the company continues to rank among the best in the state. Wawanesa also has a strong financial position, as evidenced by its A.M. Best score.
For all of these reasons, you may want to request a car insurance quote from Wawanesa Insurance.
| Wawanesa Company Info | |
|---|---|
| Company Address | PO Box 85048 San Diego, CA 92186-5048 |
| Phone Number | 1-877-WAWANESA (1-877-929-2637) |
| Website URL | https://www.wawanesa.com/us/ |
| insure.us@wawanesa.com | |
| Customer Service Hours | Monday through Friday 7:30 AM - 7:30 PM Saturday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM |
