Direct Auto Insurance Company

When you’re shopping for car insurance, it’s important to find a company that offers great rates but that also has the coverage you need. For high-risk drivers, that can be a challenge. Many car insurance companies either won’t cover you at all or choose to increase your rates significantly – often beyond what you can afford. 

But thankfully, Direct Auto Insurance offers both affordable rates and quality coverage for high-risk drivers, including those with previous DUIs and a history of at-fault accidents. Whether you’re looking for cheap car insurance or need high-risk coverage, Direct Auto Insurance might be the right fit for you.

What is Direct Auto Insurance?

William Adair founded Direct Auto Insurance in 1991. Direct was intended to be a non-standard car insurance company that provided better customer service than others. Direct is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and has expanded throughout the Southeast. 

Today, it’s known for offering low rates and flexible payment options, like e-check and cash payments. While they initially only offered auto insurance, they’ve expanded into term life insurance, vehicle protection plans, and roadside assistance, too. 

How Does Direct Work?

Making Auto Insurance Payments

Direct is known for its flexible payment options, and you don’t even need to have a credit or debit card to make payments. The company accepts e-checks or you can pay with cash at your nearest Direct Auto location.

If you do have a credit or debit card, then you have even more payment options available to you. You can make payments online or over the phone, or you can set up an automatic scheduled payment using your card. If you set up automatic payments, go paperless, or pay for your policy in full, you could save up to 9% on your premium. 

With Direct, you can choose which day of the month you’d like to make your insurance payment, so you can pick a date that works well for your schedule and budget. 

You can also decide whether you want to pay in full or enroll in one of the available installment plans. Additionally, you can decide your down payment amount which will determine your monthly payment costs. Paying more upfront can lower your monthly payments. 

Rate Increases

Like all insurance companies, Direct Auto Insurance may increase your rates after you’re in an at-fault accident. Other factors, like receiving traffic tickets, can also result in rate increases. 

Whenever your rates increase it’s the perfect time to compare auto insurance rates to see if you can find comparable coverage for a more affordable cost elsewhere. We have an auto insurance comparison tool that makes the process quick and easy. Just enter your zip code below along with a few details about yourself, vehicle and insurance needs, and we’ll show you personalized quotes from 65+ top insurance companies. 

Filing an Insurance Claim

Direct Auto Insurance makes it easy to file a claim. You can log into your account and make a claim online, or call 1-800-403-1077 to file your claim over the phone with a claims specialist. Direct is available 24/7, so you can file a claim anytime. 

Once you’ve filed a claim, a claims adjuster will contact you by the end of the following business day. The team will investigate your claim and evaluate the damage to your vehicle. 

You have several options when it comes to having your vehicle’s damage evaluated. An appraiser can come to your location to see the vehicle in person, or you can use a virtual tool to upload photos of your vehicle to be appraised. 

Once your vehicle is evaluated, you can have it repaired at the facility of your choosing. If you select a repair facility within the Direct Repair Group, then Direct Auto Insurance will guarantee the repairs for as long as you own your vehicle. 

Getting Discounts

Direct Auto car insurance offers a wide selection of discounts, allowing you to save up to 25% on your policy. 

• Military Discount: Active service members can save up to 25% on their policy. 
• Safe Driver Discount: Stay free of accidents and ticket violations for 36 months and you may save up to 10%. 
• Good Student Discount: Unmarried, full-time students with a B average or better can save up to 10%. 
• Senior Citizen Discount: Drivers 55 years and older who complete a motor vehicle accident prevention course can save up to 5% on their premium. 
• DynamicDrive Discount: If you use the Routely app to share your driving habits, you can save up to 10%. 
• Driver Education Discount: You may be eligible to save up to 10% by completing a qualifying accident prevention course. 
• Multi-Car Discount: Save up to 25% when you have more than one car insured on your policy. 
• Vehicle Equipment Discount: You can save up to 10% on your premium if your car has certain safety features. 

Direct Insurance Coverage Options

With Direct, you can choose from many different car insurance coverage options to create the policy that’s just right for your needs. 

• Liability: Liability insurance helps to pay for the expenses that can occur from injuries to others or damage to their property when you’re in an accident. 
• Comprehensive and Collision: Comprehensive and collision coverage are often purchased together. The comprehensive coverage helps to pay for damage that occurs to your car if it’s damaged by something other than an accident, like severe weather. Collision protection covers repair expenses or the replacement of your car if you hit another object, like a pole or fence. 
• Medical Payments: This optional coverage helps pay for expenses like medical bills and funeral costs, regardless of who’s at fault in an accident. 
• Uninsured Motorist: Uninsured motorist coverage will pay for expenses if you’re ever in an accident and the driver who’s at fault doesn’t have insurance or doesn’t have enough insurance to take care of the costs.
• Rental Reimbursement: With a rental reimbursement policy, you’ll receive help with the cost of a rental car if you can’t drive your vehicle after an accident. 
• Towing: Towing coverage may help cover the initial costs or reimburse you for towing expenses in an emergency. 
• Accidental death: This optional accidental death coverage would pay your beneficiaries $5,000 if you died because of an accident. 

Direct Auto Insurance Average Premium Cost

Direct Auto strives to make auto insurance affordable regardless of your driving record. Here are some average rates you might expect to pay depending on several demographics such as your age, marital status and gender. 

Demographic	Marital Status
Retired Driver (65+)	$124
Male Driver	$173
Female Driver	$168
Married Driver	$133
Non Married Driver	$198
Accident on Driving Record	$190
DUI on Driving Record	$166

Where is Direct Auto Insurance Available?

Direct Auto Insurance is currently available in 16 states mainly throughout the Southeast: 

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Virginia
• Washington

Customer Reviews

Direct Auto Insurance Company has an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) with 93 complaints received in the last three years. Forty-three of those complaints have been closed. Most of the complaints describe long claims processes and delays in communication from Direct Auto Insurance representatives. 

Pros and Cons of Direct Auto Insurance

Pros 

• Flexible payment options: With Direct Auto Insurance, you can make payments with your credit or debit card, with cash or an e-check. 
• 24/7 claims: You can file a claim 24/7, both online and over the phone. 
• Insurance for high-risk drivers: Direct Auto Insurance offers coverage for high-risk drivers who might not be able to find coverage elsewhere, and the company can file an SR-22 form if you need one.

Cons 

• Limited availability: Direct Auto Insurance is only available in 16 states. 
• No accident forgiveness: If you’re at fault in an accident, your rates may increase, and there’s no option for accident forgiveness. 

How to know if Direct Auto Insurance is a Good Fit

There are many advantages to Direct Auto Insurance, and if you live in a state where Direct offers coverage, this insurance company might be a great choice for you. The best way to tell whether you’ll be getting a good deal with Direct is to request quotes from multiple companies, including Direct and compare coverage and price. 

That’s easy with Compare.com. It takes just five minutes to use our auto insurance comparison tool, and you’ll receive personalized quotes from up to 65 insurance companies.

It’s easy to compare those quotes and see which offers you the best deal for the coverage you need. 

FAQs About Direct Auto Insurance

Is Direct a good insurance company? 

Direct Auto Insurance offers competitive car insurance rates, but since it’s only available in certain states, it may or may not be right for you. The company offers insurance for high-risk drivers and flexible payment options, so it’s a good fit for certain drivers. 

Who is Direct Auto Insurance owned by? 

Direct Auto Insurance is a division of the Direct General Group.