State insurance regulators upheld about one of every eight consumer complaints against private passenger auto insurers last year, the state Insurance Department said.

The department backed 948 complaints in favor of consumers, out of 7,237 complaints that were filed against 38 insurers or insurance groups, according to the 2009 Annual Ranking of Automobile Insurance Complaints released last week.

Another 4,316 complaints were withdrawn or not upheld, while 1,973 were found to be cases with questions or disputes over facts that could not be determined by regulators.

In all, the state upheld one complaint for every $9.7 million in premiums paid, based on total premium volume of $10 billion.

Among the state’s largest carriers, those with more than $1 billion in total premiums paid, State Farm Mutual Insurance Co. had the fewest complaints upheld as a percentage of premiums written, with 75. GEICO Corp. had 128, while Allstate Corp. had 198.

Seven insurers had no upheld complaints: Amica Mutual Group, Main Street America Group, QBE Insurance Group Ltd., American Express Groups, Balboa Life & Casualty Group, Electric Insurance Group and Eveready Insurance Co.

On the other hand, Long Island Insurance Co., Countrywide Insurance Co., White Mountains Group and Tri-State Consumer Insurance Co. had the most upheld complaints in relation to premiums.

“New York is a very competitive marketplace, so consumers have a wide range of choices when buying automobile insurance,” said Insurance Superintendent James J. Wrynn in a statement. “Consumers should always compare the policies, prices and performance of multiple insurers before deciding on the insurance company that best meets their needs.”

The ranking was compiled using premium data from 2007 and 2008, accounting for the fact that some complaints are filed in one year but closed in the next. Typical complaints involved delays in paying no-fault claims and non-renewals of policies by insurance companies.

The report can be found at http://

www.ins.state.ny.us/-auto/2009/auto2009.pdf

.