AAA is a group of regional motor clubs through which members can purchase car insurance. Because AAA does not offer a single insurance policy across the United States, offerings and customers’ experiences can vary widely by region.
Pros:
Some AAA groups are rated positively in industry reports.
Easily accessible customer service representatives.
Cons:
Regional clubs mean offerings and customer experiences differ by location.
Must be a AAA member.
AAA car insurance review
Jerry has not rated AAA because it provides insurance via regional insurance companies, which means consumers’ experiences can vary widely depending on their locations.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) is a group of separate regional motor clubs that provide auto insurance and other services. AAA auto insurance costs, coverages and discounts vary by region, meaning your perspective on AAA’s quality may depend on your location. It also means that if you move to another region of the country, you may have to change insurers.
You need to be a AAA member to buy auto insurance in any region, according to a AAA customer service representative. AAA usually charges a fee for membership.
It’s wise to compare quotes from multiple insurers when you’re shopping for auto coverage to find the right policy for you.
Does AAA offer insurance based on driving behavior?
AAA has multiple apps that use telematics to track driver behavior and may help drivers with good habits save money. These programs go by AAADrive, SMARTtrek and OnBoard, depending on your area of the country. Contact your local AAA club to determine what’s available.
AAA car insurance coverage options
Most states have basic car insurance coverage requirements, but you can buy additional insurance for extra security. Because AAA uses a patchwork of insurers across the United States, your required coverage and what AAA can offer will depend on your region, state and possibly even county.
Costs to repair or replace your own car after a crash with another car or object, like a guardrail or pole.
You pay a deductible first, then insurance covers the rest, typically up to your car’s current market value.
Required if you’re financing or leasing your car. Optional otherwise, but recommended if your car is worth more than $5,000. May not be worthwhile for older, lower-value cars.
Damage from non-crash events like theft, vandalism, hail, flooding, falling trees, fire or hitting an animal.
You pay a deductible first, then insurance covers the rest, typically up to your car’s current market value.
Required if you’re financing or leasing your car. Optional otherwise, but recommended if your car is worth more than $5,000. May not be worthwhile for older, lower-value cars.
You and your passengers, for injuries and property damage.
Your own injuries and property damage when the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough to cover your costs, including hit-and-runs in many states.
Up to your chosen limits, which often match your BI limits. There’s usually no deductible for UM, but UIM may have one.
Required in some states, but Jerry recommends every driver get it, since about 1 in 8 drivers does not have car insurance.
Costs to repair or replace your own car after a crash with another car or object, like a guardrail or pole.
How it pays
You pay a deductible first, then insurance covers the rest, typically up to your car’s current market value.
Do you need it?
Required if you’re financing or leasing your car. Optional otherwise, but recommended if your car is worth more than $5,000. May not be worthwhile for older, lower-value cars.
Damage from non-crash events like theft, vandalism, hail, flooding, falling trees, fire or hitting an animal.
How it pays
You pay a deductible first, then insurance covers the rest, typically up to your car’s current market value.
Do you need it?
Required if you’re financing or leasing your car. Optional otherwise, but recommended if your car is worth more than $5,000. May not be worthwhile for older, lower-value cars.
You and your passengers, for injuries and property damage.
What it covers
Your own injuries and property damage when the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough to cover your costs, including hit-and-runs in many states.
How it pays
Up to your chosen limits, which often match your BI limits. There’s usually no deductible for UM, but UIM may have one.
Do you need it?
Required in some states, but Jerry recommends every driver get it, since about 1 in 8 drivers does not have car insurance.
Medical expenses after an accident, regardless of fault.
How it pays
No deductible. Pays up to your policy’s limit.
Do you need it?
Optional in most states, but can be valuable if you don’t have health insurance or have a high-deductible health plan.
*Bodily injury liability and property damage liability are typically shown as three numbers on your policy, like 100/300/100. The first two numbers represent your bodily injury limits per person and per accident, while the third number represents your property damage limit.
Here are some coverages that an AAA club may offer:
Gap insurancecovers the difference between what you owe on a totaled vehicle that you’ve leased or financed and its cash value.
Rental car reimbursement pays for a rental car while your vehicle is in the shop.
Enhanced total loss replacement pays to replace your totaled vehicle with a new model.
Enhanced exterior repair covers original exterior parts from the manufacturer.
Rideshare insurance is coverage for those who drive for ride-hailing and delivery services while they’re waiting for a request.
Industry ratings of AAA car insurance
Many industry reports examine three of AAA’s major auto insurance groups: CSAA Insurance Group, the Auto Club Group and the Auto Club of Southern California, which is affiliated with other AAA groups.
An AAA insurance group may not be available in all ZIP codes in the state where it’s offered. The insurer in your region may have scored differently on — or may not be included in — these reports.
NAIC details
The AAA groups CSAA, Auto Club Group and the Auto Club of Southern California have average or below average 2023 consumer complaint scores, according to the most recent data available from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). This means those groups had fewer complaints than other insurers.
Qualitative rating
3-year consumer complaint index
High
Above 1.5.
Moderately high
1 to 1.5.
About average
Near 1.
Moderately low
1 to 0.5.
Low
0.5 to 0.
The NAIC is the member group for state insurance commissioners in the United States. It makes recommendations, analyzes insurer financial filings, maintains reporting and more for insurance regulators.
CRASH Networkdetails
CRASH Network, an automotive industry trade publication, gives insurers a grade based on how repair professionals evaluate “how well an insurer’s claims handling policies, attitude and payment practices ensure quality repairs and customer service for motorists.”
Four AAA clubs that provide insurance were graded in 2024 and all received a grade higher than C. Here’s how they fared.
Insurer
Grade
Rank
Auto Club of Southern California
B
16
AAA Texas
B
18
CSAA
B-
33
Automobile Club
C+
56
In 2024, the CRASH Network’s survey received responses from 1,134 repair professionals. Insurers that received a grade from at least 35 respondents were included in the 2024 report card. Read more about the report card methodology on the CRASH Network’s website.
J.D. Powerdetails
J.D. Power ranked the Auto Club of Southern California, CSAA Insurance Group and Automobile Club Group in its auto insurance shopping and claims satisfaction studies. The Auto Club of Southern California and CSAA Insurance Group ranked above average in both reports, while the Automobile Club Group landed slightly below average.
The 2024 Auto Claims Satisfaction Study measures consumer satisfaction with an insurer’s handling of their claim. Here’s how each company performed.
J.D. Power is a market research company that evaluates customer satisfaction and industry performance across multiple sectors.
AM Best details
The AAA insurance groups CSAA, Automobile Club of Southern California and Automobile Club Group all have financial strength ratings of A (excellent) or A+ (superior). The highest rating an insurer can receive is A++ and the lowest is D, meaning these AAA insurers are financially strong and able to pay out claims.
AM Best is a credit rating agency that specializes in insurers’ ability to meet their financial obligations.
AAA auto insurance customer reviews
Hundreds of Jerry customers have used and reviewed AAA’s auto insurance and have given the company a good overall score.
4.2
848 Reviews
Jerry customer reviews of AAA
5 Stars
58%
4 Stars
17%
3 Stars
16%
2 Stars
4%
1 Star
4%
How to contact AAA
The contact information for your region’s AAA insurer can be found at AAA.com. The website will prompt you to enter your ZIP code. Once you enter the site, you can navigate to the “Contact us” tab or link to find phone numbers, email addresses and branch locations.
FAQ
Does AAA have car insurance?
Yes. AAA itself is not a car insurance company, but members have access to car insurance via AAA’s regional clubs.
Is AAA good car insurance?
Some of AAA’s largest car insurance providers are rated well by consumers and industry reports alike. AAA car insurance varies by region, however, so your experience may vary.
Is AAA car insurance legit?
Yes, car insurance that’s offered via AAA’s regional clubs is legitimate. To find the AAA club that offers car insurance in your region, type www.aaa.com into your web browser and enter your ZIP code.
Methodology
We looked at over 400,000 actual policies quotes from real Jerry customers during 2024 across 24 different insurance companies. The pricing data included both those with clean driving records as well as those with a violation.
How we rate car insurance companies
Jerry’s team of car insurance expert writers and editors analyze real customer ratings and industry reports to get a holistic view of an insurer’s performance. Our rubric emphasizes the shopping and claims experiences, customer complaints and reviews, repair shops’ evaluations of insurers, policy and quote pricing, and state availability.
We regularly reassess insurers’ star ratings and fact-check these reviews to ensure they’re accurate and up-to-date. These individual factors roll up into one weighting system as follows: 20% Financial strength. 20% Complaints. 20% Industry ratings. 20% Customer ratings. 20% Cost and discounts.
Not all customers find savings. Savings depend on state, policy features, coverage, driving history and other features.
Editorial Note: This article was written by a paid member of Jerry’s editorial team. Statements in this article do
not constitute advice or recommendations. You should consult with an insurance professional about your specific
circumstances and needs before making any insurance decisions.
