USAA Auto Insurance Review 2024
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USAA
Discounts
Ease of use
NAIC complaints
USAA
Discounts
Ease of use
NAIC complaints
USAA earned 5 stars out of 5 for overall performance. NerdWallet’s ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account consumer experience, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and financial strength ratings.
The fifth-largest auto insurer in the country, USAA offers a wide variety of insurance products and gets high marks in customer satisfaction surveys. The company also offers investing and banking services.
USAA sells auto insurance to active military members, veterans and their families only.
» MORE: The best car insurance companies
Compare to other insurers
Current Product
|  |  |
|---|---|---|
NerdWallet rating 5.0 /5 | NerdWallet rating 4.5 /5 | NerdWallet rating 4.0 /5 |
Complaints to NAIC Fewer than expected | Complaints to NAIC Close to expected | Complaints to NAIC More than expected |
Ease of use Above average | Ease of use Above average | Ease of use Above average |
Discounts Great set of discounts | Discounts Great set of discounts | Discounts Great set of discounts |
Bottom line USAA offers insurance to active military, veterans and their families only. | Bottom line Progressive offers a variety of discounts and insurance products to cater to most people, though there’s room for improvement when it comes to customer satisfaction. | Bottom line Liberty Mutual offers a long list of discounts, plus robust digital tools on its website and app. |
How much does USAA car insurance cost?
USAA car insurance costs an average of $1,397 per year for full coverage, compared to the national average of $2,165. These rates are according to NerdWallet’s November 2024 analysis.
USAA’s average annual full coverage rates are cheaper than many other companies. However, USAA sells policies only to active and former military members and their families.
| Company Name | Full coverage rate | Minimum coverage rate |
|---|---|---|
| Allstate | $2,825 | $719 |
| American Family | $1,996 | $663 |
| Farmers | $3,730 | $1,213 |
| Geico | $1,967 | $485 |
| Nationwide | $2,602 | $864 |
| Progressive | $2,074 | $601 |
| State Farm | $2,205 | $498 |
| Travelers | $1,657 | $544 |
| USAA* | $1,397 | $370 |
*USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
These rates are for a 35-year-old driver with a clean driving history and good credit with full coverage insurance. Our full coverage rates include liability, comprehensive, collision and any additional insurance a state requires a driver to have. These rates are averages based on NerdWallet’s November 2024 analysis. Your own price will depend on your driving history, car make and model, location and other factors.
For more information on USAA car insurance rates, including rates after an at-fault accident or DUI, check out the table below.
If you’re looking for the cheapest auto insurance rates possible, you may want to buy the minimum car insurance needed to drive in your state. Read our cheap car insurance article to see average minimum car insurance rates by company and state.
How USAA's rates compare
Your car insurance rate is determined by a variety of factors including your driving record and credit history in most states. California, Hawaii and Massachusetts don't allow insurers to use credit when determining car insurance rates.
Here are USAA’s average annual auto insurance rates compared to national averages for full coverage insurance and four driving profiles based on NerdWallet’s November 2024 analysis.
| Driver profile | Company average rate | National average rate |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum coverage | $370 | $596 |
| Full coverage | $1,397 | $2,165 |
| One speeding ticket, good credit | $1,668 | $2,724 |
| One at-fault crash, good credit | $1,996 | $3,195 |
| One DUI, good credit | $2,673 | $3,977 |
| Clean driving record, poor credit | $2,551 | $3,551 |
USAA auto insurance coverage
When you're shopping for car insurance coverage, it's important to understand what car insurance coverage you want and what you’re required to buy. For instance, most states require a minimum amount of car insurance to drive a vehicle. Alternatively, if you want extra protection, you may be interested in full coverage insurance. Read about the most common types of car insurance coverage to see how they work.
USAA offers the usual auto coverage choices, plus some optional features you can add (depending on your state) for an extra cost. These include:
Accident forgiveness: With this add-on coverage, which is free in some states after five years accident-free with the company, USAA won’t increase your auto insurance premiums after one at-fault accident.
Rideshare insurance: This optional coverage is available for customers who drive for companies like Uber or Lyft. Ridesharing companies generally pay for some liability when drivers are on their way to pick up a passenger and until drop-off, but not in between rides; this coverage fills that gap. It also covers you if you work for a delivery service.
Car replacement assistance. If your vehicle is totaled, having this coverage means you’ll receive the actual cash value of the car, plus an additional 20% of its value. You must have comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy to add this endorsement.
» MORE: Compare car insurance rates
Auto insurance discounts
Depending on where you live, you may be able to save money on your USAA car insurance by:
Going at least five years without an accident.
Completing a defensive driving or basic driver training course.
Meeting USAA’s standards for a good student.
Having a car that is three years old or newer.
Installing an anti-theft device.
Insuring multiple vehicles through USAA.
Driving relatively few miles in a year.
Storing your vehicle in a safe location and not driving it.
Being a former dependent on your parents’ insurance and taking over as the new policyholder.
Having continuous auto insurance coverage through USAA.
Garaging your vehicle on a military base.
Having multiple policies with USAA.
First time shopping for auto insurance? Unsure of where to start? Check out our guide on how to shop for car insurance.
Pricing based on tracked driving habits
Available in most states, USAA’s SafePilot program offers discounts up to 30% for good drivers. The SafePilot app tracks behaviors such as hard braking and using your phone while driving, plus when and how often you drive. You’ll get a 10% discount just for signing up.
Is USAA a good insurance company?
USAA received an overall satisfaction score of 80 out of 100 by a pool of its customers in a NerdWallet survey conducted online in June and July 2024. To put that in perspective, the average score among 11 insurers was 79, and the highest was 81.
Complaints and customer satisfaction
USAA had fewer than the expected number of complaints about auto insurance to state regulators relative to its size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Though evaluated, USAA wasn’t ranked in J.D. Power’s 2024 auto insurance studies because its policies aren’t available to all consumers. It's worth noting, however, that customers gave largely positive feedback about the insurer for auto insurance shopping and claims satisfaction.
See what you could save on car insurance
Easily compare personalized rates to see how much switching car insurance could save you.More about USAA auto insurance
Website: USAA’s site has information about coverage options, plus advice on topics such as how to live in retirement, prepare for natural disasters and buy a car. Planners and calculators help you determine your financial needs.
App: Available for Apple and Android devices, the USAA app provides secure account access. You can pay bills, get ID cards, request roadside assistance or file a claim.
Life, homeowners and renters insurance from USAA
USAA offers homeowners and renters insurance with all the standard features, plus a few useful extras. Learn more by reading NerdWallet’s USAA home insurance review and USAA renters insurance review.
USAA sells permanent and term life insurance. You can learn more in NerdWallet’s USAA life insurance review.
Other insurance from USAA
USAA also offers other insurance policies, including:
Condo.
Landlord.
Umbrella.
USAA partners with third parties to sell the following types of insurance:
Mobile home.
Farm and ranch.
Boat.
Motorcycle or ATV.
RV.
Small business.
Classic car.
Pet.
Travel.
Special event.
Supplemental health.
Methodology
Insurer complaints methodology
NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2021-2023. To assess how insurers compare to one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home (including renters and condo) and life insurance.
Auto insurance ratings methodology
NerdWallet’s auto insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including financial strength, consumer complaints and discounts. Our “ease of use” category looks at factors such as website transparency and how easy it is to file a claim. Using our editorial discretion, we also consider customer satisfaction surveys. These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines and full ratings methodology for auto insurance.
Average rates methodology
NerdWallet averaged rates based on public filings obtained by pricing analytics company Quadrant Information Services. We examined rates for men and women for all ZIP codes in any of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Although it’s one of the largest insurers in the country, Liberty Mutual is not included in our rates analysis due to a lack of publicly available information.
In our analysis, “good drivers” had no moving violations on record; a “good driving” discount was included for this profile. Our “good” and “poor” credit rates are based on credit score approximations and do not account for proprietary scoring criteria used by insurance providers.
These are average rates, and your rate will vary based on your personal details, state and insurance provider.
Sample drivers had the following coverage limits:
$100,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person.
$300,000 bodily injury liability coverage per crash.
$50,000 property damage liability coverage per crash.
$100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person.
$300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per crash.
Collision coverage with $1,000 deductible.
Comprehensive coverage with $1,000 deductible.
We used the same assumptions for all other driver profiles, with the following exceptions:
We changed the credit tier from “good” to “poor” as reported to the insurer to see rates for drivers with poor credit. In states where credit isn’t taken into account, we only used rates for “good credit.”
For drivers with one at-fault crash, we added a single at-fault crash costing $10,000 in property damage.
For drivers with a DUI, we added a single drunken-driving violation.
We used a 2021 Toyota Camry LE in all cases and assumed 12,000 annual miles driven. We analyzed rates for drivers of the following ages: 20, 30, 35, 40, 50, 60 and 70.
2025 auto insurance survey methodology
The opt-in survey of 7,503 U.S. adults ages 18 and older was conducted online by Russell Research on behalf of NerdWallet in June and July 2024. Respondents were asked to rate one auto insurance brand they obtained or renewed a policy within the past 12 months, with at least some changes to the original policy. These brands were rated on overall satisfaction, overall value, online experience, trustworthiness, mobile app experience, claims experience and customer support on a scale of 1-100.
Only brands with 100 or more qualifying respondents are reported. Of those respondents: 300 were State Farm customers, 300 were Progressive customers, 300 were Allstate customers, 300 were Geico customers, 100 were USAA customers, 157 were AAA customers, 100 were Liberty Mutual customers, 100 were American Family customers, 100 were Farmers customers, 100 were Travelers customers and 101 were Nationwide customers.
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