AAA Auto Insurance Review 2023

AAA may be best known for its auto clubs, but it’s a better insurance carrier because it understands the day-to-day risks you face while driving your car. In some cases, you might only need a tow, while in other cases, you may need to file a claim for a serious accident. AAA can help its customers regardless of their situations.

Who It’s Best For

• Anyone with a good driving record seeking competitive rates.
• Those who want the added support of AAA Auto Club service.
• Drivers who want to bundle auto, life and home insurance under one roof.

Who It’s Not Best For

• Drivers with poor driving records.
• Those who like to complete the purchase process online.

• Bodily injury: The bodily injury portion of liability coverage pays for the injuries of drivers or passengers in a vehicle you have struck.
• Property damage: The property damage portion of liability pays for the damage to vehicles or property you damage in an accident.
• Personal injury protection (PIP): Often referred to as no-fault coverage, PIP is available in no-fault states and pays for the injuries you or your passengers may incur, regardless of who was at fault in the accident.
• Excess medical payments: This optional coverage pays for reasonable and necessary medical expenses of you or your passengers that your other insurance doesn’t cover.
• Uninsured motorist: Uninsured motorist coverage pays for repairing your car if a motorist that doesn’t have insurance hits you, or if you are in a hit-and-run accident.
• Underinsured motorist: This pays for bodily injury claims at costs exceeding the responsible driver’s liability limits.
• Accidental death and dismemberment: This optional coverage pays benefits up to policy limits should you or a family member die or lose a foot, hand, finger, or eyesight.
• Comprehensive: Comprehensive coverage is an optional coverage that pays for damages to your car if you experience a fire, theft, vandalism, glass breakage, or contact with an animal.
• Collision: Collision insurance is an optional coverage that pays to repair your car when you cause an accident.
• Rental reimbursement: This option allows you to pay for a rental car to use while an auto body shop fixes your car in a covered claim.
• New car replacement coverage: This optional coverage pays for a new car of the same make, when possible. This coverage is only good for new cars under three years of age damaged in claims other than theft, larceny, or fire.
• Gap insurance for loaned or leased vehicles: Gap insurance is optional coverage to satisfy the outstanding loan or lease value if there is a total loss of the car, meaning the insurance company won’t repair it.
• Custom equipment cost: This is optional coverage for vehicles with custom furnishings or permanently installed equipment.

AAA customizes your auto insurance rate based on your coverage choices, location, age, and driving history. On average, customers pay $1,903 per year for AAA auto insurance coverage.

• Auto and home: This discount combines home insurance with auto insurance and is good for up to 15 percent savings on auto insurance and 20 percent off on home insurance.
• Auto and condo: The auto and condo discount allows condo owners to save up to 10 percent on auto insurance and 20 percent on condo insurance when combining policies.
• Auto and renters: If you combine auto insurance with renters insurance, you can save up to 8 percent on auto insurance and 20 percent on your renter’s policy.
• Multi-vehicle: AAA’s multivehicle discount allows drivers to save up to 20 percent on select coverage.
• Paid in full: When you pay your policy in full, you can save 5 percent.
• AAA membership: AAA auto club members get up to a 15 percent discount on select coverage.

AAA sells auto insurance in every state, Washington, D.C., plus Puerto Rico. However, the confusing part is that AAA sells insurance in different affiliate businesses under the AAA parent company.

For example, if you live in Northern California, Nevada, Utah, Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, or Arizona, you’ll buy insurance from AAA Northern California, but if you’re from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, or Rhode Island, you’ll buy from AAA Northeast, and so on.

If you need servicing for your AAA auto insurance policy, you’ll call or email your agent, or call the customer service number listed on your policy. Your representative can help you with the following tasks:

• Getting a quote
• Changing your address
• Making a payment
• Filing a claim

J.D. Power and Associates did not include AAA on its list of highly rated companies for customer service. AAA doesn’t necessarily have terrible customer service, but like any organization, it may be subject to which representative you speak with on the phone.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Complaint Index for AAA is lower than average, meaning it has fewer complaints than expected for its size. Fewer complaints suggest that customers have a good experience when they buy insurance through AAA.

AAA does not have an app for its insurance services, but it has an app for the roadside assistance side of the company.

AAA maintains strong ratings from third-party rating companies.

• NAIC Complaint Index: AAA had 30 customer complaints filed in 2021 resulting in a 0.85 complaint index. This index is below the average rating of 1.0, which means AAA has fewer complaints as expected for a company of its size.¹
• AM Best: AM Best has affirmed AAA with an A rating or higher since 1937. This rating means that AAA is a highly solvent company with assets that can handle catastrophic claims.²
• Better Business Bureau: The BBB has not accredited AAA. There are no reviews or customer complaints about AAA on file with the BBB.³

Nine local motor clubs with more than 1,500 members founded AAA in 1902. The original goal was to advocate for better traffic safety and road conditions. The need for new traffic safety became important when horse-drawn buggies far outnumbered motorized vehicles, which had to endure the harsh conditions on unpaved roads.

AAA introduced roadside assistance to members in 1915 to help stranded motorists. The company added auto insurance shortly after to make sure that motorists had the protection they needed while driving. Today, AAA has more than 61 million members with 32 motor clubs across the country.

• Homeowners insurance
• Condo insurance
• Renters insurance
• Life insurance

You can cancel an auto insurance policy with AAA at any time by contacting your agent or calling the customer service number on your policy. When you cancel the policy, you will receive a prorated amount of the policy premium back that you have already paid. There are no cancellation fees to halt the policy and change carriers.

• Compare GEICO vs. AAA.