Essentia Auto Insurance Review (2024)

The Essentia Company does not sell auto insurance. It underwrites classic auto and marine insurance policies for Hagerty, a company specializing in affordable classic car insurance for $125/mo.

Essentia was acquired by Markel Corp. in 2013 where it continues to write policies for Hagerty. Overall, Essentia and Hargerty are the essential insurance companies for auto collectors, with policies in all 50 states. Read our Hagerty auto insurance review for Hagerty A.M. Best Ratings, customer reviews, and more.

Since it isn’t a standalone provider, if you have a policy with the Essentia Insurance Company, file a claim online with Hagerty. You’ll also reach Hagerty customer service via the Essentia insurance phone number at 877-922-9701.

Which is the best classic car insurance company? Keep reading our Essentia auto insurance review, then check out our guide to the best auto insurance companies for classic cars before you compare free quotes online to find the cheapest company near you.

What You Should Know About Essentia

As noted by Bloomberg, Essentia was never really established as an underwriter before its acquisition, so its financial strength lies almost exclusively in that of the parent company.

The Markel insurance company A.M. Best rating is Excellent (“A”), and the company states that Essentia’s financial ratings are also stable. We listed its auto insurance company ratings in the chart below:

Essentia Auto Insurance Financial Ratings

The Hagerty Insurance A.M. Best rating is also Excellent (“A-“), reflecting that the insurance companies will be able to pay your claims. But financial ratings aren’t the only factor to consider when choosing an insurance policy. Scroll through the different Essentia reviews below to see how Essentia and Hagerty really stack up.

Hagerty and Essentia Auto Insurance Reviews

If you’re looking for Essentia insurance, Hagerty is the provider you need to research first. Start online with Hagerty auto insurance reviews where you can compare rates, explore discounts, and navigate the company website.

You’ll find that policyholders are very honest with their opinions when you read Hagerty insurance reviews on Reddit, but many of them report a positive experience with coverage and claims.

Hagerty has a tremendous web presence. Not only does it have a website where you can manage your policy, but it also has a YouTube channel where you can watch videos of the restoration and driving of classic cars, along with commercials and other video footage.

Essentia’s parent company Markel also has a website, but it’s mostly informative in nature. Because it only offers products on a specialty or commercial level that require the use of an agent, you can’t get Essentia quotes from the Markel site. Learn how to get multiple auto insurance quotes here.

Hagerty and Essentia Auto Insurance Customer Service Reviews

While Hagerty receives positive feedback from car collectors on Reddit, there are multiple places to get customer reviews. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) tracks customer complaints every year to see how companies perform. The average is 1.00, and anything higher means the company receives more complaints than other providers its size.

The Essentia Insurance Company NAIC complaint ratio is .95, which is just average. However, the Hagerty NAIC number ratio is .52, meaning the company receives half the number of complaints.

Overall, this means you’re more likely to have a neutral to positive experience when dealing with Essentia auto insurance.

Hagerty and Essentia Auto Insurance Claims Reviews

Essentia Insurance Company claims are where most policyholders have their complaints. One of the most common complaints regarding Essentia insurance claims is the delayed processing time, leaving customers waiting weeks or even months to receive their payouts.

Another frequent issue highlighted in customer reviews is the lack of clarity regarding coverage. Policyholders often find themselves in situations where they believe certain damages or incidents would be covered, only to discover that their policy has limitations or exclusions. 

It is important to check the limits of your policy, especially if you have a classic auto policy. This coverage is designed to protect the value of the vehicle and may be limited in how much it pays for damages you cause to someone else’s vehicle or property. Before filing a claim, call the Essentia insurance claims phone number to confirm your coverage.

Read More: How to File an Auto Insurance Claim

How to File Essentia Auto Insurance Claims

Call the Essentia Insurance Company auto claims phone number toll-free at 1-800-385-0274 to file a claim. This is the Hagerty claim department, but they will connect you with an Essentia agent. 

Since you might wait weeks before your car is on the road again, follow these tips for filing a classic car insurance claim to speed up the process:

• Document the damage. Take photos and compare the damaged parts and equipment to the inventory you have with your policy to ensure the right parts are used when repairing your vehicle.
• Wait for the adjuster. Don’t schedule any repairs until an adjuster has completed the appraisal. If you start repairs before the appraisal,  you may lose out on coverage you’re entitled to.
• Save the receipts. The adjuster will ask for receipts of all repairs to the vehicle. It’s also recommended that you document discussions with the adjuster and mechanics to confirm each party is upholding the terms of your policy.

Remember that the Essentia auto insurance claims phone number is the same as the Hagerty claim number, so call 1-800-385-0274 as soon as possible to file your claim. You can also file claims online or overnight through the mail via the Essentia Insurance Company claims address at Hagerty, 121 Drivers Edge, Traverse City, MI 49684.

Essentia Insurance Coverage Options

Essentia Insurance and Hagerty only offer specialty policies, including classic car auto insurance. You cannot buy standard auto insurance from Essentia. Please check out our guide to the cheapest auto insurance companies if you need standard coverage. It’s a great place to start for affordable liability-only insurance.

If you need classic car insurance or specialty coverage for bikes and marine vehicles, Essentia underwrites the following policies through Hagerty:

• Classic car insurance
• Bicycle insurance
• Yacht insurance
• Small boat insurance
• Snowmobile insurance
• Motorcycle insurance
• Marine tradesman insurance
• Multi-family housing insurance
• Manufactured home insurance
• Excess and surplus property insurance

Automobile collectors should compare Hagerty classic car insurance quotes online to get low rates and competitive policies you can’t find with some providers. Hagerty specializes in classic autos and marine policies. It offers coverage options most classic car insurance companies don’t have, including comprehensive coverage and roadside assistance.

You can find classic car insurance company ratings online through A.M. Best, the Better Business Bureau, and the NAIC. Get a full list of ratings from the best auto insurance companies for classic cars.

Essentia Insurance Rates Breakdown

Essentia auto policies only cover classic cars. If you are a classic car collector or auto enthusiast, Essentia can help you insure a classic car for around $125/mo through Hagerty Insurance. Use the sections below to compare auto insurance rates by state.

Essentia Auto Insurance Rates by State

We do not have rates available for Markel auto policies. We can, however, provide you with the average rates for full coverage insurance by state.

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Keep in mind that the rates above are for full coverage, so you may not need that much insurance. The rates above are also averages, which means some people will pay much less and others will pay much more.

If you need affordable auto insurance for an older car, find out if your car qualifies for classic auto insurance and compare cheap auto insurance for older vehicles.

Classic Car Insurance vs. Standard Auto Insurance

Collector car insurance comes with different requirements. Vehicles typically must be a certain age and driven under a set number of miles per year to qualify for coverage, and policies often only provide the essential insurance needed to protect the vehicle’s replacement value. Learn more about replacement cost vs. actual cash value.

In comparison to classic car insurance, standard policies cover cars that are driven more frequently and therefore pose more risk.

What standard auto insurance companies offer will include more robust coverage, like collision insurance, rideshare coverage, and other commercial policies. For this reason, classic car insurance can cost 40% less than standard auto insurance rates.

Anyone in need of a good classic auto insurance company for classic cars would need to contact the Hagerty Insurance classic car division to find out if it is available to you and what your rate would be for coverage. Likewise, you can also call the Essentia insurance company phone at 877-922-9701 to speak to customer service.

Essentia Discounts Available

Essentia is part of the Markel family of insurance companies. At this time there are no specific programs listed on the Markel website for Essentia or any other insurance companies under their umbrella.

Many insurance companies offer programs designed to save you money, such as accident forgiveness programs and usage-based insurance programs. If you are interested in taking advantage of something like this, reach out to your insurance company to find out what programs it offers.

Read More:

• Auto Insurance Discounts
• Best Garaging and Storing Auto Insurance Discounts
• How to Get a Membership Auto Insurance Discount

Essentia Auto Insurance Bundling Options

Markel probably offers the ability to bundle multiple policies together for a discount, but nothing is specified on their website.

Essentia Insurance Company has been brought into the Markel product line, which means it will only cover specialty policies like the ones mentioned above. Whether or not you can bundle classic car coverage through Essentia with other policies such as small boat policies or bicycle insurance will depend on how coverage is set up at Markel.

If you are interested in this option you can speak to your Hagerty agent about possibly bundling your coverage.

How Essentia Ranks Among Providers

Classic car insurance is not available with most standard insurance companies. If they do, the classic auto policies are often underwritten by another company. For instance, Allstate classic car insurance is underwritten by Hagerty. So if you have Allstate collector car insurance, you already have a policy with Essentia.

Compare the Essentia Insurance Company, Hagerty, and more in this collector car insurance companies list of requirements and discounts:

Classic Car Insurance Coverage by Company

Essentia and Hagerty offer competitive coverage when compared to other companies with no mileage caps and more lenient age requirements.

USAA also offers affordable collector auto insurance for military members and their families. Coverage extends to modified and kit cars, farm equipment, and exotic vehicles. American Collectors underwrites all USAA collector car insurance policies.

Learn More:

• Allstate Auto Insurance Review
• USAA Auto Insurance Review
• Best Auto Insurance Companies for Modified Cars

Essentia Auto Insurance Review: The Bottom Line

Unless you are shopping for classic car coverage, the odds are good that Hagerty and Essentia Insurance Company don’t have a policy for you. Neither offers standard coverage, but you’ll find competitive classic auto insurance rates at $125/mo for vintage and collector cars.

If you have any questions about coverage, call the Essentia Insurance company phone number at 877-922-9701 to speak with customer service.

Now that we’ve covered Essentia’s relationship with Hagerty classic car insurance, you can get affordable auto insurance quotes for your own personal auto insurance if you enter your ZIP code in our FREE tool below.