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
Why you can trust NerdWallet: Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage so you can choose the insurance policy that works best for you. These carrier ratings are specific to auto insurance — a company's rating for other products may be different on our site. See our criteria for evaluating auto insurance companies.
How we review auto insurance companies
In our auto insurance reviews, our editorial team considers both the customer and the insurer. These are some of the factors we take into account:
Financial strength. We use A.M. Best ratings to confirm an insurer’s long-term financial stability and ability to pay claims. NerdWallet does not recommend companies with a rating lower than a B.
Complaints. These ratings are based on complaints to state regulators relative to a company’s size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The best auto insurance companies have fewer than the expected number of complaints.
Ease of use. This category looks at how easily consumers can interact with an insurer through its mobile app and website. This includes how much coverage information is offered online, whether a user can start and track a claim online and get a quote and mobile app scores based on the Apple and Google Play store ratings.
Discounts. We look at both the kind of discounts a company offers and the total number of discounts available.
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 products, but 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. |
Compare Quotes | Compare Quotes | Compare Quotes |
How much does USAA car insurance cost?
USAA car insurance costs $1,432 per year on average for full coverage insurance. That is more than $500 a year less than the average national annual rate of $1,982. Compared to other large insurers, USAA’s average annual full coverage rates are cheaper than other companies. However, USAA sells policies only to active and former military members and their families.
Company | Average annual rate with a clean record |
|---|---|
Travelers | $1,681 |
American Family | $1,791 |
Geico | $1,846 |
State Farm | $1,976 |
Allstate | $2,665 |
Progressive | $2,112 |
Nationwide | $2,279 |
Farmers | $3,106 |
USAA* | $1,432 |
*USAA auto insurance is available only to active-duty military members, 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, and 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 drop down below.
🤓Nerdy Tip
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, Massachusetts and Michigan don’t allow insurers to use credit when determining car insurance rates.
Here are USAA’s average annual auto insurance rates compared to 2024 national averages for full coverage insurance and four driving profiles.
Driving profile | USAA average rate | National average rate |
|---|---|---|
Good driver, good credit | $1,432 | $1,982 |
Recent at-fault accident, good credit | $2,041 | $2,936 |
Recent DUI, good credit | $2,621 | $3,693 |
Good driver, poor credit | $2,650 | $3,222 |
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 types of auto insurance coverage to its customers in addition to:
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 endorsem*nt.
» 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.
Be a former dependent on your parents’ insurance and take over as the new policyholder.
Having continuous auto insurance coverage through USAA.
Garaging your vehicle on a military base.
Having multiple policies with USAA.
🤓Nerdy Tip
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.
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.
USAA received an overall satisfaction score of 81 out of 100 by a pool of its customers in a NerdWallet survey conducted online in June and July 2023. To put that in perspective, the average score among seven insurers was 78, and the highest was 82.
Though evaluated, USAA wasn’t ranked in J.D. Power’s 2023 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
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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:
Methodology
Insurer complaints methodology
NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2020-2022. 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 endorsem*nt 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.
2024 auto insurance survey methodology
The opt-in survey of 7,514 adults age 18 and older was conducted online by Russell Research on behalf of NerdWallet in June and July 2023. Respondents were asked to rate one auto insurance brand they obtained or renewed a policy with within the past 12 months. 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: 301 were State Farm customers, 300 were Progressive customers, 300 were Allstate customers, 300 were Geico customers, 140 were USAA customers, 125 were AAA customers, 105 were Liberty Mutual customers, 103 were American Family customers, 104 were Farmers customers, 104 were Travelers customers and 104 were Nationwide customers.
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 L 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.
