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finder.com's rating: 4 / 5
★★★★★
States served | All 50 states & DC |
---|---|
Roadside assistance | Optional |
Accident forgiveness | Yes |
New car protection | Yes |
Pay schedule | 12 months, 6 months, custom |
Claims methods | Online, Phone |
Rideshare coverage | Yes |
SR-22 support | Yes |
Anti-theft device discount | Yes |
---|---|
Bundling discount | Yes |
Defensive driving discount | Yes |
Good student discount | Yes |
Loyalty discount | Yes, up to 10% |
Homeowner discount | Yes |
Military discount | Yes |
Safety device discount | Yes |
Special employment discount | Yes |
Usage-based discount | Yes |
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Military members and their families can get some of the highest-rated customer service in the industry. And you don’t need to have served in the military, though you need a direct family member in the military.
We like seeing USAA’s consistently high ratings for customer satisfaction, and customers praise its cheap rates and claims support. We also like that USAA offers help to those in the military, including flexible payment plans and discounts for storing your car.
Like any major company, we have seen negative customer reviews citing issues with claims or billing — but it’s balanced with a healthy complaint score and high business ratings.
Another plus: Our research shows that USAA offers some of the cheapest rates around for safe drivers. However, not everyone will qualify for a policy, and while online account management is great, the online quoting process is long. If you qualify, it’s worth a quote to potentially save hundreds of dollars a year.
finder.com's rating: 4 / 5
★★★★★
Category | Our rating | Why we gave this score |
---|---|---|
Coverage | ★★★★★ 5/5 | USAA steps outside the basics for car insurance coverage, including options for roadside assistance, accident forgiveness, rideshare insurance and more. |
Discounts | ★★★★★ 4.5/5 | It rewards you with the main discounts available at other companies. Those include bundling policies, rewarding a student’s good grades or tracking your driving through its SafePilot program. |
Customer service | ★★★★★ 3.3/5 | The company gets high J.D. Power and Better Business Bureau ratings. Yet customers leave low scores on Trustpilot and file an average number of National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaints. Those ratings bring down our overall score for USAA’s customer service. |
Financial strength | ★★★★★ 5/5 | It receives the highest financial rating of A++ from AM Best, which shows that it has strong finances to pay for claims. |
We got USAA quotes for state minimum coverage for a man and woman in the two most populated states, and we’ve found that these are some of the cheapest rates you can find, especially for younger drivers.
Since rates are based on how much you drive, chosen coverage and other risk factors, not everyone sees savings. So shop around to find the best value and coverage.
California | Texas | |
---|---|---|
18 year old man | $91 | $98 |
18 year old woman | $79 | $94 |
25 year old man | $41 | $65 |
25 year old woman | $43 | $64 |
35 year old man | $30 | $38 |
35 year old woman | $31 | $39 |
45 year old man | $29 | $37 |
45 year old woman | $35 | $38 |
55 year old man | $34 | $33 |
55 year old woman | $34 | $34 |
To enroll in USAA auto insurance, you first need to join as a USAA member. Joining and setting up your account takes a few extra steps than normal for a car insurance quote.
You’ll enter basic contact information about yourself, and you’ll need the personal information of whichever family member was in the military, including their Social Security number.
USAA’s discounts reflect its understanding of the unique needs of military members and their families. That includes its car storage discount that can cut your premium by over half.
USAA supplements its coverage with programs that offer extra support for the military or member rewards similar to AAA — but without paying for a membership.
USAA is the highest-ranking auto insurance company for customer satisfaction in the 2020 J.D. Power auto insurance study. The company also holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) for customer interactions as of April 2022, though it’s not BBB accredited. It scored 1.21 out of 5 stars from over 787 customer reviews.
Plus, USAA holds a 0.98 score from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index for private passenger car insurance. This rating is right at the national score of 1.00, showing that USAA receives about the average number of complaints for its business size.
However, Trustpilot and BBB customer reviews trend negative, though reviews cover USAA car insurance, banking and mortgages. On the car insurance side, customers complain about problems with getting claims resolved, connecting with customer service, billing or technical issues. Keep in mind that it’s common for major brands to see negative reviews, and many customers only give feedback after they have a negative experience.
Customers reviewing on forums generally are satisfied with USAA’s cheap prices, claims and customer service.
Our car insurance experts rate USAA above average because of its consistently high customer ratings from J.D. Power, well-rounded coverage and discounts and its high business ratings. Its A rating from the BBB show that USAA quickly handles complaints.
And its A++ rating from AM Best is the highest financial strength rating that a company can receive, proving that USAA can back up its customers’ claims. Some average customer ratings bring its overall score down a touch.
AM Best financial rating | A++ |
BBB accredited | No |
BBB rating | A |
Trustpilot score | 1.3/5 out of 899 customer reviews |
Customer reviews verified as of | 28 June 2021 |
Adrienne Fuller
Head of Publishing
I’ve been a USAA member for more than 10 years, having held renters, personal property and auto insurance policies. USAA representatives are always friendly and available with little or no wait times when I call, though customer service is not open late.
I brought my policy to a friend who runs a local insurance agency to see if I could get a better deal. He told me, “Don’t bother — I won’t be able to get you this coverage for a better price.”
I’ve gotten two mortgage preapprovals through USAA, but didn’t end up using them because the rates weren’t as low as going through a broker.
At least as far as insurance goes, I fall into their tagline: It’s safe to say that I’ll be a USAA member for life.
Roslyn McKenna
Insurance Publisher
I applied for a quote with USAA when my policy was up for renewal. The quote process to become a member is quite lengthy, so be prepared with info on your military connection, such as a Social Security Number and details about your or your family member’s service. Also note that your family member will get an email or call to notify them that you’ve set up a membership.
After going through the entire process and getting a car insurance quote, unfortunately the rates I was quoted were roughly 30% higher than my current policy.
I know USAA is well known for having the best service, but I decided to stick with Geico because I like the online account management and cheap rates.
However, now that I’m a member, I can use my USAA membership to get other insurance quotes and get discounts unrelated to car insurance.
Interested to see how USAA compares to other top-rated insurers? Check the compare box for up to four companies to see how they stack up side by side.
Get a range of coverage to meet basic or unique needs like rideshare or nonowner insurance.
USAA offers standard options for bundling car and property insurance together. And taking advantage can turn into savings of 10% off your total premiums. Bundle these policies with car insurance to save:
Our editorial team grades every insurance company in four categories: coverage options, customer satisfaction, cost and financial strength. USAA scored the highest marks in customer satisfaction, according to the BBB and J.D. Power.
USAA also provides some of the cheapest rates available for coverage and discounts that fit many drivers’ needs. It includes unique military perks like support for buying a car overseas, discounts for storing your car on base and customized payment plans.
In our editorial opinion from comparing hundreds of car insurers, the only reason not to get a USAA quote is that you don’t qualify for membership. Otherwise, you could save hundreds of dollars each year and enjoy top customer service.
You don’t need to be in the military or pay a membership fee to qualify for USAA car insurance, but you need a connection with the military. You qualify if you meet one of these criteria:
USAA doesn’t sell insurance through local agents, but some specialty products like motorcycle or commercial auto insurance are sold through third-party companies. If you don’t live near a branch location, contact a representative by phone at 800-531-8722.
USAA has five branch locations nationwide. If you’re near one of these locations, you can meet with a representative about your insurance or financial needs. Contact or visit a location at:
Location | Phone number | Address |
---|---|---|
Phoenix, Arizona | 800-531-8722 | 1 Norterra Drive Phoenix, AZ 85085 |
Annapolis, Maryland | 410-919-9197 | 125 Prince George St Annapolis, MD 21401 |
Colorado Springs, Colorado | 719-244-9041 | 1855 Telstar Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80920 |
Highland Falls, New York | 845-839-7021 | 529 Main Street Highland Falls, NY 10928 |
San Antonio, Texas | 210-301-9947 | 10750 McDermott Fwy San Antonio, TX 78288 |
Visit the contact and support center for answers to popular questions. Otherwise, you can call the general customer service line at 800-531-8722.
If you get in an accident and need to file a claim, USAA makes it easy to get the claims process started online or in the app.
Cancel your policy with USAA anytime, and the company doesn’t charge cancellation fees for doing so.
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
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