Nationwide Auto Insurance Review 2026

4.7

Jerry rating

Our take

Nationwide auto insurance rewards loyalty and good driving behavior. The insurer offers a mileage-based policy that may help those who don’t frequently travel far save on premium costs.

Pros

• Multiple discount options.
• Mileage-based policy option.
• Well-ranked in J.D. Power’s Auto Claims Satisfaction Study.

Cons

• Not available in all 50 states.
• Rates may be higher than some competitors.

Nationwide car insurance review

Jerry rates Nationwide car insurance 4.7 stars out of 5. This score is higher than many other insurers that Jerry rates and takes into account the insurer’s pricing, industry ratings, consumer ratings, financial strength and national complaint data.

Nationwide provides somewhat flexible car insurance, but most of its coverage options and discounts are available with other insurers. This insurance company rewards drivers who are loyal and bundle multiple policies with relatively low rates.

Nationwide lands on the good side of average with industry reports and consumers. The insurer scored average with repair professionals but has an excellent financial strength rating.

Nationwide is available in 46 states and Washington, D.C. Drivers can get a quote online, over the phone or via a local agent.

Who is Nationwide best for?

Nationwide is best for customers looking for an insurer they want to stick with, which is the best way to take advantage of the company’s perks. Bundling, a long history of safe or infrequent driving, and loyalty will get you far with Nationwide.

If you’re a high-risk driver looking for an affordable premium, Nationwide may not be your first stop. This insurer doesn’t file SR-22s on behalf of its drivers, according to a customer service representative, and you may find lower rates elsewhere.

It’s always wise to compare offers from multiple insurers to get the best deal on the coverage you want.

How much does Nationwide car insurance cost?

Nationwide offers its most affordable coverage to drivers with clean histories. DUI convictions, speeding tickets and at-fault violations may cause your Nationwide premium to rise significantly.

Your premium is determined by a number of factors, including your age, location, the type and age of your vehicle, your driving record, other drivers on your policy, and the amount of coverage you want.

Nationwide car insurance discounts

Nationwide policyholders have several ways to get a discount, including:

• Having multiple insurance policies with Nationwide.
• Completing a driver safety course.
• Adding anti-theft devices to your vehicle.
• Having an accident-free driving record.
• Insuring a student with a B or better grade average.
• Setting up automatic payments.

Does Nationwide offer insurance based on driving behavior?

Yes. Nationwide’s SmartRide program tracks drivers’ behavior behind the wheel and may give those with good habits a lower premium. Drivers get a discount just for signing up.

The program measures:

• Mileage per trip.
• Instances of braking and accelerating quickly.
• Trips between midnight and 5 a.m.

SmartMiles, Nationwide’s other usage-based program, gives drivers a base rate and adds a variable rate (pay-per-mile) on top of it. Your premium fluctuates each month, but the insurer says drivers who use the program save an average of 25% over the traditional policy.

Nationwide car insurance coverage options

Like most insurers, Nationwide offers collision, comprehensive, liability for bodily injury, liability for property damage, medical expense, personal injury protection and uninsured/underinsured motorist.

• Coverage definitions

  • Coverage Definitions

    Bodily injury liability (BI)

    • Who it pays: The other person, for injuries when you’re at fault in a crash.

    • What it covers: Medical bills, lost wages and legal costs for people injured in an accident you cause.

    • How it pays: Up to your policy limits, shown as two numbers. For example, 50/100 means $50K per person and $100K per accident.*

    • Do you need it? Required by law in every state except New Hampshire. Your state sets a minimum, but Jerry recommends considering limits of at least 100/300.

    Property damage liability (PD)

    • Who it pays: The other person, for property you damage in a crash.

    • What it covers: Costs to repair or replace another person’s car, fence, mailbox or other property you hit.

    • How it pays: Up to your policy’s limit. For example, $50K.*

    • Do you need it? Required by law in every state except New Hampshire. Your state sets a minimum, but Jerry recommends considering limits of at least $100K.

    *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.

    Collision

    • Who it pays: You, for damage to your own car.

    • What it covers: 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.

    Comprehensive

    • Who it pays: You, for damage to your own car.

    • What it covers: 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.

    Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM)

    • Who it pays: 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.

    Personal injury protection (PIP)

    • Who it pays: You and your passengers, for medical bills and lost income, no matter who caused the accident.

    • What it covers: Medical bills, lost wages, childcare, funeral costs and other expenses after an accident, regardless of fault.

    • How it pays: Up to your policy limit. There’s usually no deductible, though this varies by state.

    • Do you need it? Required in no-fault states. If available in your state, it’s worth considering.

    Medical payments (MedPay)

    • Who it pays: You and your passengers, for medical bills.

    • What it covers: 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.

The insurer also provides the following optional coverages:

• Gap coverage can pay the difference between the cash value of a financed or leased car and your remaining unpaid balance.
• Rental car coverage to pay for a rental car while your vehicle is in the shop.
• Accident forgiveness lets you avoid a rate increase after your first at-fault accident or minor violation.
• Roadside assistance covers the cost of help if you need a tire change, fuel or a tow when you’re away from home.
• Vanishing deductible gets you $100 off your deductible for each year of safe driving.

Nationwide offers a special coverage package for those who bundle auto and home or condo insurance, which includes:

• Up to $400 to replace a car key.
• Fender bender forgiveness.
• Up to $250 for emergency lockout services.
• Up to $5,000 waived from your deductible if your home is a total loss after a fire.
• Guarantees on repairs performed at a shop in Nationwide’s network for as long as you own or lease your vehicle.
• Pet coverage if your pet is injured in a car accident.

Industry ratings of Nationwide car insurance

Nationwide car insurance does above average with most industry reports, however, the insurer has a lower-than-expected consumer complaint index.

• NAIC details

  Nationwide’s private passenger policies had a lower-than-expected number of consumer complaints with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) for a company its size between 2021 and 2023. Some insurers have an above-average consumer compliant index, meaning they have many more complaints than expected for a company of their size, but Nationwide’s are much lower than some competitors.

  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 Network details

  CRASH Network, an automotive trade publication, gives Nationwide a C in its 2024 Insurer Report Card. The report card asks more than 1,000 collision repair professionals across the United States how well an insurer’s claims handling policies, attitude and payment practices ensure quality repairs and customer service for drivers.

  Nationwide is ranked No. 60 out of 88 insurers rated.

  For 2026, the CRASH Network’s survey received responses from 1,107 repair professionals. Insurers that received a grade from at least 35 respondents were included in the 2026 report card. Read more about the report card methodology on the CRASH Network’s website.

• J.D. Power details

  Nationwide performed below average in J.D. Power’s  2024 Insurance Shopping Study. The insurer received a score of 664 out of 1,000 and is ranked No. 13 out of 17.

  The company fared much better in J.D. Power’s 2024 Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, receiving a 728 out of 1,000 and ranking No. 4 out of 21.

  J.D. Power is a market research company that evaluates customer satisfaction and industry performance across multiple sectors.

• AM Best details

  AM Best gives Nationwide an A for financial strength, meaning the insurer has an excellent ability to pay out claims. The highest an insurer can get is an A++ and the lowest is a D.
  

  AM Best is a credit rating agency that specializes in insurers’ ability to meet their financial obligations.

Customer reviews of Nationwide

Hundreds of Jerry customers have used and reviewed Nationwide’s auto insurance and have given the insurer solid ratings. 

4.2

372 Reviews

Jerry customer reviews of Nationwide

5 Stars

58%

4 Stars

20%

3 Stars

14%

2 Stars

4%

1 Star

5%

How to contact Nationwide

Nationwide customers can log in to make bill payments or changes to their account. The company has a well-rated mobile app and an online chatbot.

These are the company’s phone numbers:

Auto policy sales and service: 1-877-669-6877.

File a claim: 1-800-421-3535.

Methodology

Statistics, rates and conclusions in this article are based on Jerry’s proprietary database of real-world car insurance quotes, not third-party models or estimates. As a licensed insurance broker in all 50 states, Jerry has firsthand visibility into how quotes are generated and validated, and all data is aggregated and anonymized to protect privacy. With millions of quotes delivered each year (often multiple offers per driver), our datasets are large enough to avoid bias toward any one region, insurer or driver type.

Unless otherwise indicated, quotes shown are from drivers with clean records in the last 12 months. Quotes involving accidents, violations or credit use the last 18 months to ensure a reliable sample.

How we rate car insurance companies

Jerry’s team of car insurance expert writers and editors analyzes real customer ratings, regulatory data and industry reports to evaluate each insurer across the factors that matter most when shopping for and using auto insurance: claims handling, customer satisfaction, complaint volume, coverage breadth, cost and discounts, financial stability and direct customer feedback from Jerry shoppers.

To calculate our 2026 Jerry Score rating, we analyzed over 1,200,000 actual policy quotes for real Jerry customers last year, across 100+ different insurers. This was used alongside data from independent industry sources covering financial strength, claims handling, customer satisfaction and customer complaints to create a proprietary score for our top insurance companies.

We regularly reassess insurers’ star ratings and fact-check these reviews to ensure they’re accurate and up-to-date. Each factor rolls up into a weighted composite score on a 1 to 5 scale.

What we measure

• Claims and repair experience (16%)
  • J.D. Power Auto Claims Satisfaction Study (5%)
  • CRASH Network Insurer Report Card — collision repair professionals’ ratings of how well insurers’ practices support quality repairs (4%)
  • J.D. Power U.S. Auto Insurance Study — regional customer satisfaction with policy experience (7%)
• Customer complaints (11%)
  • NAIC Complaint Index — current complaint volume relative to industry average (8%)
  • NAIC three-year trend — direction of complaint volume over time (3%)
• Cost and value (11%)
  • Loss ratio — share of premium dollars paid out in claims, with scoring tuned to identify insurers in the healthy 65% to 78% middle ground (5%)
  • Discount and program density — count of available discounts and savings programs (6%)
• Financial stability (15%)
  • AM Best Financial Strength Rating (12%)
  • AM Best Outlook (3%)
• Coverage and features (13%)
  • Breadth of optional coverages, telematics programs and rider availability
• Customer experience (24%)
  • Clearsurance peer reviews — aggregated policyholder ratings (10%)
  • Mobile app — availability and average rating across iOS and Android (7%)
  • Better Business Bureau rating (7%)
• Jerry customer reviews (10%)
  • Direct feedback from Jerry customers who hold or have held a policy with that insurer

Insurers must have data coverage of at least 60% across these measures to receive a composite score.

Editorial integrity

We’re all about balanced, unbiased and helpful content at Jerry. None of our articles are sponsored by advertisers or insurance companies, so you can trust the information we provide. As a comparison platform that works with 100+ insurers, Jerry has no reason to favor one insurer over another. Our job is to help you find the best fit for your situation.

Jerry does earn a commission from insurers when you purchase a policy through our platform. This does not affect our editorial ratings or insurer assessments, though, which are determined independently by our insurance experts. Click to read more about Jerry’s data gathering and verification processes.

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Why you can count on Jerry’s articles

Why you can count on Jerry’s articles

Our goal is clear, trustworthy information.

Our content is created, edited and fact checked by a team of licensed insurance agents, automotive pros and experienced journalists who know the industry inside and out. Facts are thoroughly researched, verified and kept current, and our editorial team is separate from our business partners, so our opinions & tips are unbiased. All insights drawn from Jerry’s proprietary, aggregated customer auto insurance quotes data provide unique, real-world guidance.

Our experts

Annie Millerbernd

Annie is a writer and editor at Jerry with more than a decade of experience writing and editing digital content. Before joining Jerry, she was an assistant assigning editor at NerdWallet. Her past work has appeared in the Associated Press, USA Today and The Washington Post. Her work has been cited by Northwestern University and Harvard Kennedy School. Annie served as a spokesperson for NerdWallet during her time at NerdWallet and has been featured in New York Magazine, MarketWatch and on local television and radio stations.

Previously, she worked at USAA and newspapers in Minnesota, North Dakota, California and Texas. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota.

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Kevin Berry

Kevin Berry is the Senior Director of Content at Jerry and has been working in the digital content space since 2011 across the car insurance/repair, personal finance, travel and sports industries. Prior to Jerry, Kevin was a content team lead at NerdWallet overseeing the Multimedia Production and Travel Rewards teams. Previously, he worked for NBC Sports, Comcast Cable and Nike. He has a Master`s Degree from Arkansas State and a Bachelor`s from Oregon State University.

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