Provider review
USAA Car Insurance Review
USAA's evidence points to top-of-scale AM Best strength, publisher modeled premiums well below the national average, and distinctive military-specific discounts, all bounded by an eligibility rule that excludes most consumers from ever becoming customers.
USAA at a glance
YesWeSure Bottom Line
USAA's evidence points to top-of-scale AM Best strength, publisher modeled premiums well below the national average, and distinctive military-specific discounts, all bounded by an eligibility rule that excludes most consumers from ever becoming customers.
Strong at
Top-of-scale financial strength and low modeled premiums for the eligible group
AM Best affirmed USAA's FSR at A++ (Superior) and Long-Term ICR at "aaa" (Exceptional) on June 25, 2026, with a stable outlook. NerdWallet's September 2026 analysis puts USAA's modeled full-coverage rate at ~$1,587/yr against a $2,344 national average; U.S. News reports ~$1,492/yr against $2,510. Both are modeled rates for the eligible group, not personalized quotes.
Watch for
Eligibility, state availability, and J.D. Power exclusion
USAA is only available to active or former U.S. military members and specific qualifying family members. J.D. Power excludes USAA from official rankings in the U.S. Auto Insurance Study specifically because of the closed nature of its membership. SafePilot state availability varies; publisher summaries at audit noted California is not included. The June 2026 AM Best affirmation keeps USAA at the top of the FSR scale, but readers who are ineligible cannot access any of this upside.
Worth comparing if
Eligible households, deploying members, and drivers who value military-specific mechanics
USAA tends to be worth a quote if you are eligible and want a direct-to-consumer, mobile-first experience, if you are deploying or routinely park on base and want the associated storage / on-base garaging discounts documented on USAA's military page, or if a top-tier AM Best rating matters to you.
Quote-dependent
Profile, state rules, SafePilot geography, and which underwriting entity writes your policy
Your premium, whether SafePilot is available in your state, exact discount amounts (many are "up to" figures per publisher summaries), and which USAA underwriting subsidiary writes your policy in your state.
Key facts
Parent
United Services Automobile Association; reciprocal inter-insurance exchange serving current and former U.S. military members and their eligible families2
Availability
Eligibility-restricted: active-duty, National Guard and Reserve members, honorably discharged veterans, and specific family relationships2
Distribution
Direct-to-consumer through USAA's app, website, and phone; no exclusive-agent channel3
AM Best FSR
A++ (Superior); affirmed June 25, 2026; outlook stable1
AM Best Long-Term ICR
"aaa" (Exceptional); affirmed June 25, 20261
Market position
Approximately 6.19% share of NAIC 2025 private-passenger auto direct premiums written; fifth-largest U.S. personal auto insurer8
Modeled full-coverage premium
~$1,587/yr per NerdWallet September 2026 (national avg ~$2,344); ~$1,492/yr per U.S. News 2026 (national avg ~$2,510); modeled rates for eligible group, profile dependent6
J.D. Power
Not officially ranked in the U.S. Auto Insurance Study due to closed membership; publisher summaries describe USAA scoring at or near the top of every region unofficially10
NAIC complaint framing
Multiple separately rated underwriting subsidiaries; see Complaints11
Telematics program
SafePilot (USAA mobile app); publisher summaries describe up-to-10% enrollment discount and up-to-30% safe-driving discount tiers; not available in California per publisher summaries5
Strengths & considerations
Strengths
- Top-of-scale AM Best rating. A++ (Superior) FSR and "aaa" (Exceptional) Long-Term ICR, affirmed June 25, 2026 with stable outlook. Among R6-A baseline carriers, only GEICO also carries A++ (Superior); State Farm, Progressive, and Allstate currently sit at A+ (Superior).1
- Publisher modeled premiums well below the national average. Both NerdWallet's September 2026 analysis and U.S. News's 2026 analysis show USAA meaningfully below the national full-coverage average for the eligible driver group.6
- Military-specific discount menu. USAA's military page documents a vehicle-storage discount when the insured vehicle is not being driven, a deployed-driver discount, and an on-base garaging discount. Publisher summaries at audit describe caps in the up-to-60% (storage), up-to-25% (deployed), and up-to-15% (on-base) ranges. Publisher summaries flag North Carolina and Virginia as exclusion states for the storage benefit.4
- Unofficial J.D. Power leadership. Publisher summaries of the 2025 U.S. Auto Insurance Study describe USAA scoring above the ranked field in every region unofficially, though USAA is not eligible for the official ranking because of closed membership.10
- Direct-to-consumer efficiency. Mobile-first policy servicing, ID cards, and claim reporting through the USAA app.3
Considerations
- Eligibility gate. The vast majority of U.S. consumers do not qualify for USAA membership and cannot become customers regardless of driving record or vehicle.2
- No agent channel. Consumers who prefer a named local agent should read this alongside the State Farm and Allstate reviews.3
- Not officially ranked by J.D. Power. J.D. Power's U.S. Auto Insurance Study excludes USAA from its official rankings because of closed membership. The unofficial reporting is favourable, but the exclusion is worth naming rather than skipping over.9
- SafePilot geography. Publisher summaries at audit noted California is not included in SafePilot; other state carve-outs may exist and change over time.5
- Underwriting-entity complexity. USAA writes personal auto through separately rated underwriting subsidiaries; NAIC complaint indices are reported per company per state, so a single national number papers over meaningful variation.11
Coverage options
USAA writes standard personal auto coverages plus carrier-specific products listed below. State availability and endorsement limits vary; confirm at quote time.
- Bodily injury and property damage liability: State minimum limits vary.3
- Comprehensive3
- Collision3
- Uninsured / underinsured motorist: Required or optional depending on state.3
- Personal injury protection (PIP) and medical payments: Availability and required amounts are state specific.3
- Roadside assistance and rental reimbursement: Common optional add-ons.3
- Rideshare gap coverage in some states: Availability varies.3
- Accident forgiveness: Availability and eligibility vary by state and driving history.3
- Vehicle-storage coverage during deployment or non-use: Documented on USAA's military page. Amounts, terms, and state availability vary; publisher summaries flag North Carolina and Virginia as exclusion states for the storage benefit.4
Discounts
- SafePilot: Publisher summaries describe an up-to-10% initial enrollment discount and up-to-30% continued safe-driving discount tiers for USAA's telematics program. (up to 10% enrollment / up to 30% safe-driving (per publisher summaries))5
- Vehicle-storage discount: USAA offers a storage-mode discount when the insured vehicle is not being driven for an extended period (for example, during deployment). Publisher summaries put the cap at up to 60%; publisher reporting flags NC and VA as exclusion states. (up to 60% (per publisher summaries))4
- Deployed-driver discount: A discount specifically for members deployed overseas through military service, per publisher summaries. (up to 25% (per publisher summaries))4
- On-base garaging discount: A discount when the vehicle's garaging address is on a military installation, per publisher summaries. (up to 15% (per publisher summaries))4
- Multi-vehicle: More than one qualifying vehicle on the policy.3
- Bundle savings: When qualifying USAA homeowners or renters is bundled with auto.3
- Good student: Available for full-time student drivers meeting USAA's academic criteria.3
- Defensive driving / driver training: Available where state rules allow.3
SafePilot (telematics)
SafePilot is USAA's smartphone-based telematics program. The app tracks hard acceleration, hard braking, hard cornering, time of day driven, total mileage, phone use while driving Publisher summaries describe SafePilot as a discount program (up-to-10% enrollment, up-to-30% safe-driving) with no documented rate-increase mechanic in the materials fetched at review. Treat the no-increase framing as derived from publisher summaries rather than a direct USAA statement; state program materials in your state are the source of truth. State availability per publisher summaries: 47 states plus Washington, D.C.; California NOT included. State availability changes over time as USAA files or withdraws products by state; confirm with USAA before enrolling.5
- Enrollment discount: Up to 10% initial enrollment discount per publisher summaries5
- Max renewal discount: Up to 30% continued safe-driving discount per publisher summaries5
- Can it raise your rate? SafePilot is reported as a discount-only program; the headline savings are the only published outcome. Confirm your state's rules at enrollment.5
- Not available (or no discount offered) in: CA5
Pricing
Every USAA quote is personal. What follows are modeled premiums for defined driver profiles from reputable publisher analyses — not personalized quotes. Use them to calibrate what to expect, not to replace a real quote in your state.
NerdWallet (September 2026): NerdWallet September 2026 modeled full-coverage analysis for the USAA-eligible driver group. Modeled rates, not personalized quotes.6
- Full coverage (eligible group): $1,587 per year
Publisher national benchmark: $2,344/yr
U.S. News & World Report (January 2026): U.S. News 2026 modeled full-coverage analysis for the USAA-eligible driver group. Publisher divergence from NerdWallet in the exact dollar figures reflects different sample profiles and data vendors.7
- Full coverage (eligible group): $1,492 per year
Publisher national benchmark: $2,510/yr
How to read these numbers. Different publishers model different profiles and may use different underlying data (Quadrant Information Services is the most common dataset). Your quote depends on your driving record, credit-based insurance score where allowed, vehicle, garaging ZIP, mileage, prior insurance history, age, household composition, telematics participation, and the coverages and deductibles you select.
Complaints and regulatory record
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners publishes a complaint index that normalizes complaint counts against a company's share of premium written. A value of 1.0 represents the baseline expected complaint volume for a company of that size; lower is generally better.
USAA writes personal auto through separately rated underwriting subsidiaries. Each subsidiary can appear differently in each state's NAIC complaint index, which is reported per company per state and adjusted for market share. There is no single national aggregate that fairly summarises the record across every state; use NAIC's Consumer Information Source to look up the specific USAA subsidiary in your state.11
To look up the current complaint index for the specific USAA underwriting entity that writes policies in your state, use the NAIC Consumer Information Source or your state Department of Insurance. The entities most commonly rated for USAA are:
- United Services Automobile Association
- USAA Casualty Insurance Company
- USAA General Indemnity Company
- Garrison Property and Casualty Insurance Company
Complaint index measures regulator-filed complaints, not overall service quality; treat it as one input among several. Index values vary by underwriting entity and by state and can shift year over year, so pull the current number for your state before signing.
Financial strength
AM Best affirmed USAA at Financial Strength Rating A++ (Superior) and Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating aaa (Exceptional) on June 25, 2026 with a stable outlook1. On June 25, 2026, AM Best affirmed the FSR of A++ (Superior) and the Long-Term ICR of "aaa" (Exceptional) of United Services Automobile Association and its property/casualty and life/health subsidiaries, with a stable outlook. AM Best cited improved operating performance in recent years supported by rate increases and other underwriting and claims actions, and assessed risk-adjusted capitalization at the strongest level as measured by BCAR. A++ is the top tier on AM Best's FSR scale; "aaa" is the top tier on the Long-Term ICR scale. Among the four other R6-A baseline reviews, only GEICO also carries A++ (Superior); State Farm, Progressive, and Allstate currently sit at A+ (Superior).
What these ratings mean and do not mean. A high financial-strength rating indicates the insurer has the resources to pay claims under a wide range of adverse scenarios. It is not a guarantee of any specific claim outcome, service quality, or price competitiveness in your quote. Ratings can change; check the affirmation date.
Material news (last 24 months)
- AM Best affirmed USAA FSR A++ (Superior) / "aaa" (Exceptional) ICR; outlook stable (June 2026): Affirmation cited improved operating performance in recent years supported by rate increases and other underwriting and claims actions; BCAR assessed at the strongest level. A++ remains the top tier on the FSR scale and "aaa" the top tier on the Long-Term ICR scale.1
YesWeSure Fit Check
Is USAA a fit worth quoting?
USAA tends to fit if you
- You are eligible under USAA's membership criteria (military service or qualifying family relationship).
- You prefer a direct-to-consumer, mobile-first experience over a named local agent.
- You are deploying, routinely park on base, or otherwise fit the military-specific discount menu on USAA's military page.
- You value a top-tier AM Best rating on the policy behind you.
- You live in a state where SafePilot is available and are comfortable with the app-based mechanics.
Look carefully if you
- You are not eligible for USAA membership. In that case USAA is not a viable option regardless of price or ratings.
- You prefer working with a named local agent for policy servicing and claim handoff. USAA is direct-to-consumer.
- You live in a state where SafePilot is not available and were counting on the up-to-30% telematics discount.
- You rely heavily on official ranking bodies. USAA is excluded from J.D. Power's official U.S. Auto Insurance Study rankings due to closed membership.
- You have edge-case eligibility (unremarried former spouse, adult child of a service member who never joined USAA, etc.). Confirm with USAA before building a quote.
This is decision-support reasoning, not personalized advice. Your real decision depends on your quote in your state, current regulator data, and how much of your total budget an incident could disrupt.
Ready to compare USAA against alternatives?
Compare car insurance quotesCommon questions
Who can get USAA auto insurance?
Active-duty members of all U.S. military branches; National Guard and Reserve members who are serving or have previously served; honorably discharged veterans; spouses and widows/widowers of USAA members; unremarried former spouses in defined cases; and children (including stepchildren) of a parent who established USAA membership. Consumers without a qualifying service or family connection are not eligible.
Can I get USAA if my parent served but never joined?
Not through the parent's prior service alone. Family eligibility flows through an established USAA member. If your parent served but never joined USAA, the family pathway does not apply. Your own eligibility can still exist independently through your own service or through a different qualifying relationship.
Is USAA cheaper than other insurers?
For the eligible group, publisher analyses put USAA's modeled full-coverage rate meaningfully below the national average (NerdWallet September 2026: ~$1,587 vs $2,344; U.S. News 2026: ~$1,492 vs $2,510). These are modeled rates, not personalized quotes, and your specific quote depends on profile. Consumers with poor credit and consumers in specific states may find different carriers cheaper.
How does USAA rank in J.D. Power?
USAA is not officially ranked in J.D. Power's U.S. Auto Insurance Study because of the closed nature of its membership; the study's methodology excludes closed-membership brands from official rankings. Publisher summaries describe USAA scoring at the top of every region unofficially.
What discounts apply during deployment or on-base garaging?
USAA's military page documents a vehicle-storage discount when the insured vehicle is not being driven (for example, during deployment), a deployed-driver discount, and an on-base garaging discount. Publisher summaries at audit put the caps at up to 60% (storage), up to 25% (deployed), and up to 15% (on-base). Publisher summaries flag NC and VA as exclusion states for the storage benefit. Actual savings depend on state and specific policy.
Can I use SafePilot in every state?
Publisher summaries at audit noted SafePilot was live in 47 states plus Washington, D.C., with California not included at that time. State availability changes as USAA files or withdraws products by state, so confirm before enrolling.
Does USAA have local agents?
No, USAA is direct-to-consumer through the USAA app, website, and phone; there is no exclusive-agent channel comparable to State Farm or Allstate.
Is USAA financially strong?
Yes, as of the June 25, 2026 AM Best affirmation. AM Best affirmed the FSR at A++ (Superior) and the Long-Term ICR at "aaa" (Exceptional), with a stable outlook. A++ is the top tier on AM Best's FSR scale; "aaa" is the top tier on the Long-Term ICR scale.
How we make money. If you request a quote through a partner link on this page we may be compensated by the carrier or an aggregator. Our editorial judgment, ratings and the facts on this page are determined independently of any commercial relationship. See How we make money and Editorial standards.
Methodology: How YesWeSure reviews insurance providers. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.
- Head to headGEICO vs USAA
- Head to headState Farm vs USAA
- Head to headProgressive vs USAA
- Head to headAllstate vs USAA
- Head to headAmica vs USAA
- Head to headHartford vs USAA
- Head to headCalifornia Casualty vs USAA
Sources & methodology
- AM Best via Business Wire: Affirms Credit Ratings of United Services Automobile Association, Its Subsidiaries and USAA Capital Corporation (June 25, 2026); FSR affirmed at A++ (Superior); Long-Term ICR affirmed at "aaa" (Exceptional); outlook stable (AM Best via Business Wire)
- USAA: Membership eligibility page (active-duty and former U.S. military service; qualifying family members; documentation required at sign-up) (USAA)
- USAA: Auto insurance overview (coverage types; SafePilot; direct-to-consumer distribution) (USAA)
- USAA: Military car insurance page (vehicle-storage discount, deployed-driver discount, on-base garaging discount, overseas coverage) (USAA)
- USAA: SafePilot telematics program (app-based enrollment; tracked behaviors; enrollment and safe-driving discount tiers; state availability) (USAA)
- NerdWallet: USAA Auto Insurance Review (September 2026 modeled full-coverage rate ~$1,587/yr against a $2,344 national average) (NerdWallet)
- U.S. News & World Report: USAA Car Insurance Review (2026 modeled full-coverage rate ~$1,492/yr against a $2,510 national average) (U.S. News & World Report)
- Agency Checklists: NAIC 2025 Market Share, Top 25 Private Passenger Auto Insurers (secondary reporting of NAIC 2025 direct-premiums-written data; USAA ~6.19% share, fifth) (Agency Checklists)
- J.D. Power: 2025 U.S. Auto Insurance Study (press release landing page; USAA excluded from official ranking due to closed membership) (J.D. Power)
- Insurance.com: J.D. Power 2025 Auto Insurance Study recap (USAA ineligible for official ranking because of closed membership; USAA regional scores reported unofficially) (Insurance.com)
- NAIC: Consumer Information Source (complaint index methodology; per-company, per-state complaint indices) (National Association of Insurance Commissioners)
Every material claim on this page traces to a source listed above. Modeled rate figures are premiums produced from Quadrant Information Services or publisher proprietary data for defined driver profiles; they are not personalized quotes. Last reviewed .