- Available insurance products depend on your state or region.
- Financial strength is “excellent” or better for groups we looked at.
- Generally requires AAA club membership, which comes with perks.
AAA auto insurance comes from separate, regional insurance companies that operate under similar names and logos. AAA club membership works the same way, and you would likely need to become a member of your regional club to get the auto insurance. That comes with a fee, but the resulting discount on your auto insurance may just make it worth it.
AAA auto insurance
NerdWallet looked at the three largest AAA auto insurance companies by market share in the U.S.
| AAA Auto insurer | NerdWallet Rating |
|---|---|
| Auto Club of SoCal | |
| Automobile Club Group | |
| CSAA |
NerdWallet’s ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account pricing and discounts, ease of filing a claim, website transparency, financial strength, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and more. Based on these ratings, Auto Club of Southern California is among NerdWallet’s Best Car Insurance Companies.
Largest AAA auto insurance companies availability
| Availability* | |
|---|---|
| AL, AR, CA, HI, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MS, MO, NH, NM, OH, PA, TX, VA, VT, WV | |
| IL, IN, FL, GA, IA, MI, MN, NC, NE, ND, SC, TN, WI | |
| AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, ID, IN, KS, KY, MD, MT, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SD, UT, VA, WV, WY | |
To see specific counties in California served by CSAA and Auto Club of SoCal, see our Best Cheap Auto Insurance in California page. If there’s no AAA insurer serving your area, but you’re a member, your local club has a partner that can provide coverage.
AAA auto insurance coverage options and discounts
Since AAA insurance comes from separate companies operating in many states, coverage options will depend on where you live. All insurers are required to offer state-mandated coverage where they operate. Most, including the three AAA affiliates we reviewed, also offer uninsured motorist protection, medical payments coverage, rental car reimbursement, comprehensive coverage and collision coverage.
Also ask about the following discounts, which at least some AAA companies offer:
- Pet coverage in case your pet is injured or dies due to a crash.
- OEM exterior repair coverage, which pays for original equipment manufacturer parts for covered external body repairs. Restrictions apply.
- Gap insurance, which pays the difference between your car’s value and the balance of your loan or lease if the car is totaled or stolen.
- Custom equipment coverage, which pays to repair items installed after purchase, like stereos, cameras or rims, if you’re in a covered crash.
AAA’s auto insurance discounts:
Most customers with AAA auto insurance receive a discount for being a member of the motor club. Some AAA insurers also offer typical discounts that include:
- Education or occupation discount.
- Anti-theft device discount on comprehensive coverage for approved theft prevention devices.
- Safe driver discount.
- Student discount.
- Multiple-car discount.
- Multiple-policy discount.
- Discount for paying premium in full.
AAAdrive is a feature on the AAA app that looks at driving factors like speed, mobile phone distraction, time of day you drive and fatigue. Members receive a discount based on their driving habits in addition to a discount for signing up.
Like most insurers, AAA’s insurance companies offer many discounts, but they differ by state and company, so check with your local AAA club to see which are available to you.
» MORE: Car Insurance Quotes: What You Need to Know
AAA auto insurance complaints and customer satisfaction
NerdWallet looked at customer satisfaction and consumer complaint data for the three AAA auto insurance companies listed above and their subsidiaries.
Of the three AAA insurance companies we analyzed, Automobile Club Group had the fewest complaints to state regulators relative to its size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Auto Club of SoCal also had fewer complaints than the expected for auto insurance, while CSAA had close to the expected.
In J.D. Power’s 2019 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study, Auto Club of SoCal was rated “better than most,” while Auto Club Group and CSAA were rated “about average.”
In J.D. Power’s most recent Auto Insurance Claims Study, Auto Club of SoCal and Auto Club Group earned ratings of “about average” for claims satisfaction, while CSAA was rated below average.
More about AAA auto insurance
In addition to auto insurance, these AAA insurers offer life, home and renters insurance, and other AAA partner insurers may, too.
» MORE: AAA life insurance review
Website: When you go to AAA.com, you’re prompted to enter your ZIP code and redirected to your local chapter’s website. At that point, you can learn more about membership and insurance products, or you can find contact information for a local agent or representative to answer your questions.
Mobile apps: The Auto Club of SoCal insurance group and Automobile Club Group have an app you can use to manage your policy and AAA membership in one place — as long as you belong to a club served by that AAA insurer. The Automobile Club Group app is available in all states insurance is provided except for North and South Carolina (integrating later this year). Otherwise, AAA’s apps are restricted to membership needs like paying bills or summoning roadside assistance and include AAAdrive.
Recap: AAA Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Generally receive an auto insurance discount for being a member of AAA | Insurance products differ depending on where you live |
| Multiple insurance products offered | Requires AAA membership |
| Insurance company may not transfer if you move states |
