. It earns top ratings for customer satisfaction, despite having higher-than-average insurance policy premiums and strict membership requirements to join.

Jerry

, we carried out a comprehensive nationwide study on car insurance with more than 18,000 policyholders across all 50 states. We surveyed attitudes on different companies, specifically how people felt about cost, claims handling, renewals, and more.

Data shows that USAA ranked 11th in its cohort when compared to companies of a similar size, with a solid 4/5 overall rating from its policyholders.

Here’s a breakdown of how our verified USAA policyholders ranked USAA:

4.1

346 Reviews

5 Stars

50%

4 Stars

22.54%

3 Stars

16.76%

2 Stars

4.91%

1 Star

5.78%

So, is USAA a good insurance company?

Yes, USAA consistently earns superior ratings for customer service, renewals, and claims processing—all of this despite not having the cheapest rates of the bunch.

71% of customer reviews were positive and only 10% were negative, which is better than the national figures. Many policyholders reported helpful and thoughtful service in times of crisis.

The good: USAA earned a 4.2/5 overall customer service rating. Other key features include:

Excellent at claims handling

Low rates for qualified customers

Lots of discounts and additional perks

Service-oriented agents

The other side: USAA is famous for having the cheapest rates of any insurance company—but customers revealed that that’s only true for some USAA policyholders, while others pay steep rates. There’s also no in-person service available, and membership is limited to military families.

Jump to:

USAA Car Insurance Reviews

USAA Pros and Cons

We asked USAA policyholders to rate this insurance provider on its affordability, claims experience, customer service, and renewal process.

See how USAA’s ratings compared to the national average of all companies surveyed below:

Criteria	USAA's Rating	Industry Average
Overall	4	4.1
Cost / Price	3.4	3.8
Claim Experience	4.3	3.5
Customer Service	4.2	4
Renewal Experience	4.3	4

In addition to hearing directly from customers, we wanted to see how experts ranked USAA. The table below shows USAA’s customer service and financial strength ratings from industry leaders like J.D. Power and AM Best.

Critera	USAA	Score Out Of
BBB Rating	A+	A+
NAIC Rating	n.a	6
Clearsurance	n.a	5
A.M. Best Rating	A++	A++
IOS App Store Rating	4.8	5
Google Play Store Rating	4.1	5

Please note* that a greater NAIC score indicates increased risk.

USAA car insurance reviews

In addition to cold hard numbers, we wanted to hear from USAA policyholders directly. Here’s a glimpse at real company reviews from USAA customers in their own words:

USAA pros and cons

We carefully analyzed our survey results and consulted third-party ratings to understand USAA’s value proposition. Here’s a summary of the pros and cons of getting car insurance from this company:

Pros

Excellent claims handling

High customer service ratings

Lots of insurance options

Many opportunities to save, beyond car insurance premiums

Shared values with other military members

Cons

Not the cheapest option for everyone

Not flexible on payment in times of need

Strict military-based membership requirements

Is USAA the right insurance company for you?

USAA could be the right choice for you if you fit one of these categories:

You or a family member are in the U.S. Armed Forces

Customer service matters to you

You want to purchase other insurance or open a bank account with the same company

You’d enjoy using the USAA mobile app to manage your policy

Overall, most USAA members feel that they get great value out of their policies. Many feel it’s worth going with USAA for the shared values and the supreme customer service experience.

Dive into our detailed analysis of this San Antonio-based company’s car insurance services below:

Is USAA car insurance expensive?

In general, USAA premiums are lower than average, but most policyholders in our survey reported that they felt like they were overpaying in recent years.

Our survey recipients rated USAA a 3.3/5 on cost satisfaction. Nationwide, the average cost satisfaction ranking is 3.8/5 for all auto insurance companies.

Of the 12% of USAA customer reviews that mentioned cost, 45% were positive and 37% were negative. On average, we found that most insurance companies received about 65% positive cost reviews—which suggests that cost is a sore spot with more USAA drivers than average.

Overall, however, we find that USAA is a strong contender for eligible drivers. Take a look at how USAA compared to other companies in our study:

USAA Policy Cost Rating	Ranking	Industry Average
3.4	15	3.8

These USAA car insurance costs listed here may not be your rates, as premiums are highly tailored to individual drivers. Like other insurance companies, USAA

calculates insurance premiums

based on:

Age

Gender

Driving record

ZIP code

Insurance history

Driving experience

Type and

amount of coverage

Vehicle make, model, and year

We can guess at how certain driver behaviors impact the cost of car insurance with USAA, even though companies keep their formulas secret. Here's how USAA's prices typically look:

MORE:

The average cost of car insurance in 2023

USAA cost reviews

Check out how real Jerry users rated USAA based on cost below:

Will USAA raise your rates?

Like all insurance companies, USAA can only increase your rates

upon renewal

Here are a few factors that could lead to an increase in your rate with USAA:

Recent violations or tickets

Recent accidents

Changing your address

Change in credit score

Adding a new vehicle to your policy

Adding a new driver to your policy

General rise in prices due to inflation

43% of USAA customers in our survey chose to renew their policies, and they gave high ratings (4.3/5) to the renewal process. That’s a higher rating than the national average in the insurance industry.

Does USAA resolve claims fast?

Yes. USAA earns top ratings for claims handling with regard to speed and customer satisfaction.

Our survey recipients gave USAA an impressive 4.3/5 rating for claims satisfaction, toward the top of its cohort. When you know that the national rating is just 3.5/5, it’s clear that USAA stands out in this category.

Policyholders said it was “fast to use the USAA app to file an auto claim” and that the reps were “always helpful.” Although USAA receives slightly higher than average complaints according to NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners), the rate is on par with its competitors.

Check out some of the reviews below to see how customers described their experience with USAA’s claims process:

USAA Claims Resolution Rating	Ranking	Industry Average
4.3	4	3.5

As a result, we ranked USAA as 11th overall when compared to insurance providers of a similar size. Here are some real customer reviews highlighting their experience with USAA’s claims process:

USAA claims reviews

See how real Jerry drivers rated USAA based on claim handling below:

Does USAA have good customer service?

Yes. The company earned a 4.2/5 rating for customer satisfaction ratings. Many of the customer reviews specifically mentioned how helpful and communicative the USAA reps were.

One policyholder said it felt like USAA “actually appreciated their clients, unlike most of the other insurance companies.” One even said USAA was “too communicative.”

The national average score for customer service is 3.9/5, so USAA is really exceeding expectations in this category.

On average, here’s how our survey respondents rated USAA’s customer service:

USAA Customer Service Rating	Ranking	Industry Average
4.2	10	4

USAA customer service reviews

Check out how real Jerry drivers rated USAA based on customer service below:

USAA car insurance discounts

USAA offers a huge variety of discounts, including many of the standard

car insurance discounts

car insurance discounts and a few extra special ones:

Newer vehicle discount

Multi-vehicle discount

Safe driver discount

Good student

discount

Bundle discount (with renters or homeowners insurance)

Anti-theft device discount

Garaged on a military base discount

Good student discount

Loyalty discount

Defensive driving discount

It’s worth calling out USAA’s mileage-based discount, which allows deployed service members or infrequent drivers to save a ton of cash on their premiums for low annual mileage.

Discounts can change at any time, so check with your USAA agent about eligibility.

Once you earn USAA membership, you can log into your online portal and learn more about discounts and other unique perks like discounts on moving boxes, flower delivery, and travel.

USAA coverage options

USAA offers all the typical

types of car insurance coverage

like minimum coverage for liability and full coverage, plus many valuable (and optional) coverages:

Liability insurance

: Drivers can buy

bodily injury liability

and

property damage liability coverage

as required by their state to cover insurance claims for other parties in at-fault car accidents.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage:

If the other driver's insurance can't pay enough to help you after a car crash, UM/UIM steps in to quickly help with paying for your medical bills and fixing your car.

Comprehensive coverage:

If your car gets stolen or damaged by things like fire, bad weather, or people, comprehensive coverage kicks in after you’ve paid the deductible. After a total loss, receive the cash value of the vehicle.

Collision coverage:

Collision insurance helps pay to fix your car when it's been damaged in a crash, such as a multi-car accident, a guardrail scrape, or a rollover.

Personal injury protection (PIP):

(Required in no-fault states) This coverage helps pay for things like doctor bills, money you didn't earn because you couldn't work, and other costs related to your health and the health of the people in your car if you're in a car accident.

MedPay

is also available, though its coverage is slightly different.

Add-on options include:

Roadside assistance

Rental reimbursement

Accident forgiveness

Classic car insurance

Rideshare Insurance

for driving Lyft or Uber (not available in every state)

You can also purchase other insurance products through USAA, like home insurance, renters insurance, and life insurance. Bundling your

home and auto insurance policies

could save you a significant amount.

USAA’s additional tools and services

Telematics: USAA offers a nifty

telematics

program called

SafePilot

. Through this program, you get a 10% discount for enrolling and up to 30% off for safe driving (only available in 37 states)

Retail discounts: Next, there’s a lengthy list of discounts that USAA members unlock by joining. For instance, you could save money on your next flower delivery, moving truck rental, and even cruises.

Car buying support: Finally, USAA offers car-buying tools and auto loans.

FAQs

Who qualifies for USAA insurance?

You must be an active duty or retired member of the military or an immediate family member to qualify for USAA insurance. This includes the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, National Guard, Reserves, veterans, and former members with an honorable discharge as well as cadets and midshipmen in service academies, officer candidates, and ROTC individuals.

What proof do you need to join USAA?

You may need to provide a copy of an acceptable military document and government-issued ID to prove your eligibility. If you are a family member, ask their help to open an account for auto insurance coverage.

Can veterans’ family members get USAA?

Yes, veterans’ family members are covered and eligible for USAA.

Can I keep USAA after divorce?

Yes. However, if you get remarried, you could lose your membership.

Does USAA auto insurance go up after 6 months?

Like all car insurance companies, USAA sometimes raises car insurance rates at renewal. If you have a 6-month policy with USAA, your rates could go up at your renewal date.

Read all USAA Car Insurance Reviews

Methodology

The Insurance Research Team analyzes insurance products and services to drive insights and help consumers make informed purchase decisions. Insurance research: We analyzed over 25 million car insurance quotes; conducted the largest insurance shopping survey (over 18,000 customers surveyed and 120 carriers reviewed in the past 18 months). We surveyed insurance policyholders for their experience with their insurers in the following areas: (1) insurance cost (2) customer service (3) insurance buying experience (4) insurance renewal experience (5) claim experience. In addition, we asked people what they like about their insurers and what areas in which their insurers could improve. The driver characteristics used in calculating average rates for auto insurance include: single driver, single car, currently insured, clean driving record. For the quotes and sold policies included in this article, please note that personal information has been hidden. Not all customers find savings. Team: The team consists of licensed insurance agents, insurance industry veterans, and data scientists.

Meet Our Experts

R.E. Fulton

Licensed Insurance Agent —Senior Content Writer

R.E. Fulton is an expert insurance writer specializing in car ownership topics from car shopping and loan advice to insurance and repair guides. R.E.’s mission is to create unique and accessible content that helps readers to become more successful and independent car owners. R.E. has written and edited over 900 high-performing articles for Jerry, with an average of 1 million+ views.

As a senior writer on Jerry’s editorial team, R.E. draws on over 10 years of experience as a professional writer and digital publishing specialist. Prior to joining Jerry’s editorial team in 2021, R.E. worked as a writing coach at Columbia University, the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and the University of Rochester. They serve as a managing editor for peer-reviewed history publication Nursing Clio, where their work has appeared regularly since 2015.

Lina Zhang

Licensed Insurance Agent

Licensed in 50 states and Washington DC

Lina Zhang is Vice President of Operations at Jerry. She helped to found Jerry in order to take the confusion and mystery expenses out of car ownership and help drivers achieve financial success. Leading a global team responsible for operations, talent acquisition, legal, and content, Lina has been a key contributor to the AllCar™ app’s 10x growth in its first year of operation. Prior to Jerry, Lina and her Jerry co-founders, Art Agrawal and Musawir Shah, created YourMechanic, the largest on-demand car repair services provider. In one year, Lina built and scaled YourMechanic operations from just five markets to more than 50. The trio left YourMechanic to incubate Jerry at Y Combinator in 2017. Lina’s previous roles include intellectual property attorney at Morrison & Foerster LLP and a biomedical researcher at Stanford University.

Josh Damico

Head Of Insurance Operations

18+ Years Experience in Insurance

Josh Damico is Jerry’s vice president of insurance operations and a licensed insurance professional with nearly two decades of experience in the industry. Previously, Josh held executive roles at Geico, where he had vast regional oversight and leadership opportunities. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Medaille College, and has appeared on news channels including FOX and CBS to offer insurance expertise and tips to drivers across the country. His work has appeared in Business Insider, Kelley Blue Book, and Digital Insurance and been quoted in The Balance, GOBankingRates, and Inspiring Workplaces.

*Illustration only. For all the pricing information presented in this article (including various tables), please note that not all customers find savings and the information is for illustrative purposes only. Savings depend on type of car, location, policy features, driving history and other factors. Drivers who switch through Jerry save over $70/month on average.