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Auto Insurance
Jennifer Lobb
Jennifer Lobb
Verified by an expert
“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.
BLUEPRINT
Updated 9:19 a.m. UTC May 7, 2024
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Best for the military community
USAA
Blueprint Rating
Compare rates offered by participating partners
Average rate for good drivers
$1,364
What you should know
USAA offers some of the lowest auto insurance rates of any company we evaluated. Prices are particularly competitive for young drivers and senior drivers, two age groups that are typically notoriously expensive to insure. Drivers who have a record of a collision, a speeding ticket or a DUI may also see savings with USAA.
USAA was founded specifically to support the military community, and its insurance and financial products are available only to military members, veterans and their families.
Weigh the pros and cons of this insurer in our USAA car insurance review.
More details
Average rates:
| Driver profile | Average annual car insurance rate |
|---|---|
| Good driver | $1,364 |
| After an accident with injury | $1,958 |
| After an accident with property damage | $2,021 |
| After a DUI | $2,604 |
| After a speeding ticket | $1,661 |
| Parents adding a teen driver | $3,025 |
| Young driver (18 to 25) | $2,368 |
| Senior driver | $1,455 |
| Poor credit | $2,450 |
| After a gap in coverage | $1,556 |
USAA car insurance discounts:
- Good student.
- Loyalty.
- Clean record.
- Storage/garaging.
- Bundling.
- New vehicle.
- Anti-theft device.
Pros
- Low rates for young drivers, seniors and drivers with an accident, DUI or speeding ticket.
- Accident forgiveness and new car replacement coverage available.
- Rideshare coverage available.
- SafePilot usage-based insurance programs can help good drivers save.
Cons
- USAA membership and car insurance are only available to members of the military community and their families.
- Lower-than-average home and auto bundling discount compared to other insurers we evaluated.
Why trust our car insurance experts
Our team of experts evaluates hundreds of insurance products and analyzes thousands of data points to help you find the best product for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content. You can read more about our methodology below.
- 260 companies analyzed.
- 347 rates reviewed.
- 5 levels of fact-checking.
Does USAA have good car insurance?
Yes, USAA has good car insurance and is worth considering if you have or are eligible for USAA membership. USAA offers some of the most affordable coverage among insurers we’ve analyzed, particularly for teen drivers, senior drivers and drivers with an accident, DUI or speeding infraction on their record. Its rates are just one of the reasons USAA makes our best car insurance and cheapest car insurance ratings.
USAA also has a slightly below-average number of complaints to state insurance departments, according to data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
Despite competitive rates and a low complaints ratio, USAA isn’t right for everyone. USAA car insurance is only available to USAA members, and membership is limited to the military community and their eligible family members.
USAA compared to other top car insurance companies
| CAR INSURANCE COMPANY | AVERAGE ANNUAL RATE FOR GOOD DRIVERS | CUSTOMER COMPLAINT LEVEL | OUR RATING | LEARN MORE | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,436 | Low | Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||||
| ||||||||||
| $1,521 | Low | Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||||
| ||||||||||
| $1,364 | Low | Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||||
| ||||||||||
| $1,642 | Low | Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||||
| ||||||||||
| $1,597 | Low | Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||||
| ||||||||||
| $1,826 | Low | Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||||
| ||||||||||
| $1,855 | Very Low | Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||||
| ||||||||||
| $1,984 | Very Low | Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||||
| ||||||||||
| $2,025 | Low | Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||||
| ||||||||||
| $2,896 | Low | Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||||
| ||||||||||
| $3,093 | Low | Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||||
|
Who can get USAA car insurance?
Not everyone can get car insurance through USAA. Only members of the U.S. military — active, retired and separated veterans who have been honorably discharged — and their family members can get USAA car insurance.
Eligible family members include spouses, widows and widowers, former spouses who have not remarried and children of USAA members, including both biological and stepchildren.
Current USAA members can typically pass membership on to a spouse and children. They cannot, however, pass eligibility to their parents or siblings.
Types of coverages offered by USAA
USAA offers a range of car insurance coverage options, including:
- Liability car insurance.
- Collision and comprehensive car insurance.
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
- Nonowners insurance.
- Accident forgiveness.
- Usage-based insurance.
- Car replacement assistance.
- Rideshare insurance.
- SR-22s.
- Roadside assistance.
- Rental reimbursem*nt.
- Total loss protection, similar to gap coverage (some restrictions apply).
While USAA provides robust coverage, it’s missing a few unique options, including a vanishing deductible.
Featured partner offers
Other insurance products by USAA
In addition to car insurance, USAA offers other types of insurance, including:
- Flood.
- Homeowners.
- Life.
- Renters.
- Umbrella.
- Health.
- Condo.
- Mobile home.
- Motorcycle.
- ATV.
- RV and motorhome.
- Boat.
- Personal watercraft.
- Bicycle and e-bike.
- Classic and collector car.
- Aviation.
- Landlord.
- Valuable personal property.
- Long-term care.
- Farm and ranch.
- Collectibles.
- Cell phone protection.
- Business.
- Dental.
- Vision.
- Accidental injury.
Other services offered by USAA
USAA serves as a one-stop shop for financial products and services for eligible active and retired military members and their families.
Among USAA’s financial products and services are
- Checking accounts.
- Savings accounts.
- Credit cards.
- CDs.
- Auto loans.
- Home loans (including VA loans).
- Personal loans.
- Brokerage accounts.
- Mutual funds.
- IRAs.
- 529 education plans.
- Automated investing.
- Financial planning.
- Annuities.
USAA car insurance reviews
USAA has a slightly below-average number of complaints to the NAIC, though many insurers in our best car insurance review have a lower complaints ratio. NAIC complaints can be made for a variety of reasons, but USAAs generally focus on the provider’s claims process, specifically claim delays and unsatisfactory settlements.
When evaluating insurers, we also look at their CRASH Network score, which can provide insight into the insurer’s claims process. Insurers can score a letter grade from A+ to F, depending on the survey responses from over 1,000 collision repair professionals. USAA received a C- in the most recent CRASH Network car insurance report card.
If you’re shopping for USAA coverage, always compare rates, coverage features and USAA car insurance reviews before you purchase a new policy.
Methodology
Our insurance experts evaluated top car insurance companies in the nation to determine which offer claims the best-rated auto insurance based on average rates, coverage features, collision claims process and consumer complaints.
Each car insurance company was eligible for up to 100 points, based on its performance in the following key categories:
Cost: 50 points. We analyzed rates from Quadrant Information Services based on seven driver profiles for a policy with 100/300/100 in liability coverage, uninsured motorist coverage and comprehensive and collision coverage.
We awarded up to 50 points based on insurers’ average rates for:
- Drivers in various age groups.
- Drivers with bad credit.
- Good drivers.
- Drivers with infractions, such as speeding tickets, an accident or a DUI on their record.
Up to 10 bonus points were available for insurers that had low rates for teen and senior drivers, two demographics that typically have higher car insurance rates.
Consumer complaints: 20 points. We collected complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), which shows the volume of car insurance consumer complaints against each company. When a consumer lodges a complaint to their state’s department of insurance — often about an insurance company’s claims process, delays, denials or settlements — these complaints are logged and tracked.
Car insurance coverage options and features: 20 points. Car insurance policy features can help make coverage more affordable both before and after an accident or covered incident. We evaluated car insurance policies offered by each insurer and awarded points to insurers that offered these valuable options and features:
- Accident forgiveness (5 points).
- New car replacement (5 points).
- Vanishing deductible (5 points).
- Usage-based car insurance program (5 points).
Collision repairs score: 10 points. Every year the CRASH Network releases an “Insurer Report Card” survey. This annual survey asks repair professionals how well a car insurance company handles claims, specifically when it comes to payment practices, repair quality and customer service.
Each car insurance company receives a grade ranging from A+ to F, based on the survey results. Companies were awarded up to 10 points based on their CRASH Network score, with higher grades receiving the most points.
USAA car insurance review FAQs
Only USAA members are eligible for USAA car insurance. Memberships is available to:
- Active, retired and honorably separated members of the U.S. military.
- Spouses, widows and widowers, un-remarried former spouses and children (biological and stepchildren) of eligible U.S. military members.
Even if you are eligible for coverage through USAA, it’s a good idea to compare quotes and coverage options from various insurers to find the best car insurance company for you.
Yes, USAA receives 5 stars in our rating of the best car insurance. Most eligible drivers will find significant cost savings and a more affordable car insurance policy through USAA.
While USAA receives more customer complaints than some competitors, including Nationwide, Erie and Travelers, its complaint ratio is still below the national average.
USAA car insurance reviews and rates aside, this insurance is only available if you’re a USAA member, and membership is limited to eligible members of the military community and their families.
USAA may raise your rates after a no-fault accident. Car insurance providers like USAA raise rates for many reasons, including collisions, moving violations, new drivers and vehicles on the policy and moves to a new location.
Even though a no-fault accident is out of your control, your rates could go up. Multiple no-fault accidents can signal to insurers that you’re a high-risk driver.
Carrying accident forgiveness might keep your rates down after an accident. This optional coverage isn’t available in every state and could add to your premium payment. After five years of no at-fault accidents, USAA will waive the cost of this additional coverage.
If your car insurance rate increases after an accident, shop around and compare car insurance quotes to see if there is a more affordable car insurance option available.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
BLUEPRINT
Timothy Moore is a writer and editor covering personal finance, travel, autos, and home renovation. He's written financial advice for sites like LendEDU, LendingTree, Forbes Home and The Penny Hoarder; edited complex ROI analyses for B2B tech companies like Microsoft and Google; served as managing editor at a print magazine; led content creation for a digital marketing agency; and written for brands like Chime, Angi and SoFi.
BLUEPRINT
Jennifer Lobb is deputy editor at USA TODAY Blueprint and is an experienced insurance and personal finance writer. Jennifer served as an insurance staff writer and editor at U.S. News and World Report and deputy editor of insurance at Forbes Advisor. She also spent several years covering finance and insurance for various financial media sites, including LendingTree and Investopedia. For nearly a decade, she’s helped consumers make educated decisions about the products that protect their finances, families and homes.
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