USAA Auto Insurance Review

1. USAA auto insurance is available to active military, veterans, and their families in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. 
2. AM Best awarded USAA a rating of A++, which is its highest-possible rating
3. USAA is the fifth-largest auto insurance company in the U.S.

In 1922, USAA was founded in San Antonio, Texas, by a group of U.S. Army officers who insured each other’s vehicles. As the fifth-largest auto insurer in the country, USAA offers a wide variety of insurance, banking, and investment products through USAA Federal Savings Bank.

If you’re specifically interested in USAA auto insurance, it is available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. but is limited to active military, veterans, and their families.

USAA’s J.D. Power rating is 4.5 out of 5, and its A.M. Best rating is an A++, the highest possible rating. Although J.D. Power and A.M. Best highly rate the company, its rating from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners is 2.27, meaning USAA has received more than the average number of customer complaints.

We’ll discuss the benefits and drawbacks of USAA auto insurance, available coverage options, and potential discounts to help you find a policy to fit your needs. Finding car insurance for veterans, military members, and their family comes with many choices and ways to obtain affordable coverage.

USAA Auto Insurance Pros and Cons

Here are the pros of USAA auto insurance:

• 24/7 claims reporting online
• No payment plan fees
• Mobile app allows access to auto insurance IDs and easy policy management
• Network of auto insurance agents available to assist customers with insurance purchases and policy updates
• Various auto insurance discounts
• Usage-based and pay-per-mile insurance are available
• Consolidation of banking, investment, and insurance needs into one company

Here are the cons of USAA auto insurance: 

• No branch or office locations
• Customer service not available 24/7 
• Insurance only available to active military, veterans, and their families
• Coverages and discounts not available in all states

Depending on what you are looking for, USAA may not be a good fit for you. Luckily, there are alternative auto insurance companies available, so you can compare quotes, coverage options, discounts, and more.

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USAA Auto Insurance Coverages

Like other major auto insurance companies, USAA offers drivers their choice of many types of standard auto insurance coverages and a few optional auto insurance coverages:

• Liability insurance: Pays for the other driver’s bodily injury expenses and the repair or replacement of their vehicle following an accident you caused. Liability auto insurance coverage is required by most states.
• Comprehensive insurance: Pays for the repair or replacement of your vehicle after it gets damaged by extreme weather, vandalism, fire, theft, falling objects, or collision with an animal. This type of coverage can be useful if you need to store your vehicle while overseas.
• Collision insurance: Pays to repair or replace your vehicle after it gets damaged in a collision with another vehicle or object.
• Uninsured and underinsured insurance: Pays for you and your passengers’ bodily injury expenses if you’re involved in an accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver. It may also pay for property damage depending on your state.
• Rental reimbursement coverage: Pays for a rental car, up to a certain limit, if your car is in the shop getting repaired following an accident.
• Personal injury protection: Pays for bodily injury expenses for the policyholder and passengers if they get injured in an accident, regardless of fault. 
• Roadside assistance: Pays for emergency roadside services, such as towing, fuel delivery, and lockout. 
• Accident forgiveness: Policyholders who remain accident-free for at least five years won’t see a rate increase after their first at-fault accident.
• Rideshare gap protection insurance: Fills the coverage gap between the rideshare company’s auto insurance and the rideshare driver’s auto insurance.
• Car replacement assistance: Pays out the cash value of your totaled vehicle plus an additional 20% of the vehicle’s cash value.
• Umbrella insurance: Pays for property damage and bodily injury beyond your coverage limit.

Depending on your location, you must carry liability, personal injury protection, and/or uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance. You can ask a USAA agent what insurance coverages your state requires.

Here’s a look at how USAA car insurance rates compare to its competitors:

Average Monthly Auto Insurance Rates for a 30-Year-Old Male with Full Coverage

Full coverage auto insurance will be more expensive than just purchasing a policy with the state-required minimum amount of coverage. Several factors impact your USAA auto insurance rates, which we’ll discuss later. 

USAA Auto Insurance Claims Process

Policyholders involved in an accident can file a claim with USAA when there are bodily injury and/or property damage expenses they want to be covered. Depending on fault and insurance coverage, filing a claim with the other driver’s auto insurance company may be an option. 

Here’s an overview of the USAA auto insurance claims process.

1. File your claim. Log into your USAA online account or mobile app to begin the claims process. You can provide details about the incident, upload photos, schedule a vehicle inspection, and confirm your rental vehicle, if necessary.
2. Receive an estimate. Policyholders receive their estimates for vehicle repairs. If photos were submitted, you can expect to receive the estimate within four hours.
3. Schedule vehicle repairs. You can choose your own repair shop or one of USAA’s Streamlined Appraisal Repair Service (STARS) providers, which may have an onsite Enterprise Rent-A-Car location. If you opt for a STARS shop, USAA will coordinate repairs for you.
4. Pay your deductible. Following the completion of repairs, you pay your deductible to the repair shop, and USAA will pick up the rest of the bill. USAA can recover the deductible from the other driver’s insurance company if you weren’t at fault for the accident.
5. Claim closes. USAA closes the claim. Additional USAA claims, such as bodily injury, will remain open.

According to the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, which measures customer satisfaction with recently settled auto insurance claims, including repair time, USAA received a score of 890 on a 1,000-point scale. 

USAA Auto Insurance Discounts

All drivers have the chance to save money on their policy which can often include finding military discounts for auto insurance. USAA offers a variety of common and unique auto insurance discounts to its policyholders. 

Here are the auto insurance discounts offered by USAA:

• Newer vehicle discount: Available to drivers who insure a vehicle no more than three years old. 
• Anti-theft devices discount: Available to drivers with anti-theft devices installed in their vehicles.
• Safe driver discount: Available to drivers who maintain a good driving record for at least five years. 
• Defensive driver training discount: Available to drivers who complete a defensive driver training course. 
• Basic driver training course discount: Available to drivers who complete a basic driver training course. 
• Good student discount: Available to drivers who are enrolled in high school or college and have good grades.
• Loyal member discount: Available to drivers who continue to insure their vehicle with USAA. 
• Automatic payments discount: Available to drivers who set up automatic payments for their premiums. 
• Legacy discount: Available to drivers with parents insured by USAA. 
• Military on-base discount: Available to drivers garaging their vehicle on a military base. 
• Deployment discount: Deployment and auto insurance options go hand in hand. Available to drivers who are deployed or storing their vehicles. 
• Bundle and save: Available to policyholders with property and auto insurance.
• Multi-vehicle discount: Available to drivers who insure two or more vehicles with USAA. 

Read more: Best Affordable Insurance for College Students

USAA offers similar discounts to other major insurance companies. However, the legacy discount, deployment discount, and military on-base discount set USAA apart because these discounts aren’t typically available through other insurance companies.

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USAA Auto Insurance Customer Service

USAA customer service is available to assist customers with policy management, billing, filing claims, and more.

Here’s how to contact USAA customer service: 

• Mail: 9800 Fredericksburg Rd., San Antonio, TX 78288
• Phone: 1-800-531-USAA (8722)
• Email: Online form 
• Twitter: @USAA

Overall, USAA customer service has received positive ratings; however, it does have higher-than-average complaints. 

Getting a USAA Auto Insurance Quote

Many companies offer auto insurance quotes for veterans and military members. The good news is that USAA quotes are available online. To receive an auto insurance quote from USAA, the driver must provide the following information: 

• Name
• Address
• Phone number
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Marital status
• Each driver’s license number
• Vehicle info (make, model, year, and vehicle identification number)
• Previous accidents or tickets that may be on your driving record

After receiving your quote, the actual cost of your policy may change if you adjust coverage or auto insurance deductibles.

Does USAA have a mobile app?

Yes, USAA has a mobile app. Policyholders can log into their accounts and complete the following tasks:

• View insurance cards
• Request roadside assistance
• Report claims
• Review the accident checklist
• Get proof of insurance
• Update vehicles and drivers
• Change auto insurance coverage
• Pay your bill
• File and manage claims

The USAA mobile app is available to Android and iOS users.

Does USAA offer pay-per-mile auto insurance?

Yes, USAA offers pay-per-mile auto insurance, which helps drivers access low monthly premiums. If you drive less than 8,000 miles per year, pay-per-mile insurance may be a good fit for you because you get standard and optional coverages for less than the cost of a traditional policy.

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Does USAA offer a usage-based auto insurance program?

Yes, USAA offers a usage-based auto insurance program. SafePilot allows drivers to save up to 30% on their premiums for their safe driving habits, which are tracked through the mobile app. 

Here’s how SafePilot works:

1. Enroll in SafePilot. Drivers enroll in SafePilot online through the USAA account. Participants also receive an initial 10% discount.
2. Download the USAA SafePilot app. Download the SafePilot app, which is available for iOS and Android users.
3. Start driving your vehicle. The SafePilot app will automatically track your driving trips and monitor your driving habits, including hard brakes and phone usage. 
4. Renew your USAA auto insurance policy. Upon renewal of your policy, if you’ve earned a discount, it will be applied to your premium. You can continue having your driving monitored to earn another discount on your next renewal. 

Drivers who don’t earn a discount don’t have to worry about their rates increasing. If you improve your driving habits and stay enrolled in SafePilot, you could earn a discount on your next renewal. 

Save Money on USAA Auto Insurance

Here’s how you can save money on your USAA auto insurance: 

• Bundle insurance policies. You’ll get a discount if you purchase multiple policies, such as home and auto insurance.
• Adjust coverage. Review your policy and auto insurance needs to confirm that you are only paying for the coverage you need. 
• Adjust deductible. You can increase your deductible to lower your premium, meaning you’ll have a higher out-of-pocket expense in the event of an accident.
• Improve your credit score. A higher credit score can get you access to a lower premium. 
• Review available discounts. Confirm with USAA what discounts you qualify for and if they were applied to your premium.

If your USAA insurance is still too expensive, comparing rates from different auto insurance companies to see which offers more affordable coverage doesn’t hurt.

How do auto insurance rates get calculated? 

Below is a list of factors insurance companies consider when setting auto insurance rates:

• Vehicle: Vehicle year, make, model, safety features, and repair costs get reviewed. 
• Mileage: Drivers who don’t get behind the wheel often are less likely to cause an accident, so their rates tend to be lower. 
• Age: Younger drivers between 16 and 25 see higher rates due to inexperience. 
• Gender: Between males and females, male drivers tend to be more likely to file a claim, so female drivers see lower rates. 
• Credit score: Drivers with low credit scores are more likely to file a claim, so insurers see you as a responsible driver if your credit score is high.
• Location: Companies consider vandalism, theft, accident rates, where you park the vehicle, and whether your area is urban or rural.
• Driving record: Auto insurance companies will check driving records, which provide details about the driver’s history, including traffic violations and accidents.
• Coverage type: Insurers also consider auto insurance coverage types, coverage limits, and deductible amount. 

All auto insurance companies consider these factors, but since rating systems vary, so will premiums.

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What to Consider When Choosing an Auto Insurance Company

If you’re shopping around for auto insurance, you may unsure of which company to choose. Whether USAA or another auto insurance company is your top choice, here are a few things to consider when comparing auto insurance companies:

• Coverage options: Can you purchase standard and optional insurance coverage?
• Coverage amounts: Purchasing the state minimum coverage amount is a good start, but it wouldn’t hurt to have the option to select a higher limit for added protection.
• Cost of policy: How much does your preferred auto insurance cost, and is it the most affordable coverage available?
• Deductible: Certain coverage types, including comprehensive and collision, have a deductible, so consider how much the deductible impacts your insurance premium.
• Discounts: Discounts are how customers can lower their insurance rates, so you could save more with a company offering various discounts.

Ultimately, your goal should be to get the necessary coverage for you and your vehicle. For example, you may need to know if you’ll need auto insurance while deployed. Even if you’re paying a few more dollars with USAA, it might be worth it if you get the best coverage and have financial protection in an accident.

Additional USAA Insurance Products

In addition to auto insurance, USAA offers the following insurance products: 

• Motorcycle insurance
• ATV insurance
• RV and motorhome insurance
• Boat insurance
• Personal watercraft insurance
• Bicycle and e-bike insurance
• Classic and collector car Insurance
• Aviation insurance
• Renters insurance
• Homeowners insurance
• Condo insurance
• Landlord insurance
• Valuable personal property insurance
• Flood insurance
• Mobile home insurance
• Farm and ranch insurance
• Collectibles insurance
• Cell phone protection
• Life insurance
• Health insurance
• Umbrella insurance
• Pet insurance
• Travel insurance
• Special event insurance
• Personal cyber insurance

If you have multiple USAA insurance policies, you could receive a bundling discount. 

Bottom Line: USAA Auto Insurance

Between its coverage options and discounts, USAA is a good auto insurance company with much to offer drivers. While it’s only available to active military, veterans, and their families, it’s the fifth-largest auto insurance company in the country. If you have access to its many insurance products, it could be a good fit for you.