Pros
- Competitive rates
- Solid policy discounts
- Nationwide availability
Cons
- Only available to AAA members
- Complaints about customer support and roadside assistance service
- Average claims support
- Confusing website
AAA Review Summary
AAA is a pretty good insurance company, earning a 3.4/5 rating from WalletHub editors and good scores from organizations like J.D. Power and the Better Business Bureau. AAA offers auto, homeowners and life insurance policies, in addition to coverage options for boats, motorcycles, pets and more. It’s also known for 24/7 roadside assistance, travel planning services, and generous discounts.
For those who aren’t familiar, AAA stands for “American Automobile Association” and is pronounced "Triple A." It is a group of private, not-for-profit regional motor clubs located throughout North America, though anyone can join the AAA organization for an annual fee.
In the sections below, you can learn more about AAA insurance and how it fares against popular competitors.
Summary: AAA Scores by Review Category
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| AAA Quotes / Pricing | 20/30 |
| Customer Service & Reviews | 10/30 |
| AAA Financial Stability | 3/3 |
| AAA Claims Process | 15/15 |
| AAA Types of Insurance and Additional Services Offered | 5/5 |
| AAA Discounts | 5/5 |
| AAA Transparency | 5/5 |
| OVERALL | 63/93 |
Now that you’re familiar with how AAA scores in each of our review categories, let’s see how it compares to top competitors in a handful of key areas. Hopefully, this will help you find the best insurance company for your needs.
AAA Car Insurance Pricing
Category Rating: 60% (20 out of 30)
| Driver Profile | Average Quote |
|---|---|
| 18-Year-Old | $136 per month |
| 21-Year-Old | $68 per month |
| 45-Year-Old | $44 per month |
| 45-Year-Old with a Speeding Ticket | $55 per month |
| 45-Year-Old with DUI | $153 per month |
| 55-Year-Old | $42 per month |
| 65-Year-Old | $48 per month |
AAA received a score of 20/30 in the cost portion of this review, as its premiums rank in the third quartile among the cheapest major car insurance providers that WalletHub evaluated. Learn more about WalletHub’s Methodology.
AAA Customer Service & Reviews
Category Rating: 30% (10 out of 30)
- Reviews on WalletHub: 2.3/5
- J.D. Power: 4.1/5
- NAIC: 15.46
- BBB: A+
AAA’s NAIC rating is 15.46, which means it has received more than the average number of complaints for an insurance company its size. Customers mostly complain about the company’s lackluster customer service.
AAA’s Financial Stability
Category Rating: 100% (3 out of 3)
- AM Best: A
When it comes to financial strength, AAA has an A rating from AM Best, one of the nation’s leading credit rating agencies for the insurance industry.
AAA Claims
Category Rating: 100% (15 out of 15)
AAA lets you file claims online or over the phone with its 24/7 support line, which you can reach at 800-672-5246. AAA’s accessibility has earned it full marks in this category, per the WalletHub grading criteria.
AAA’s Types of Insurance
Category Rating: 100% (5 out of 5)
- Auto insurance
- Home insurance
- Life insurance
- Condo insurance
- Renters insurance
- Travel insurance
- Small business insurance
- Boat & watercraft insurance
- Personal umbrella insurance
AAA offers a wide variety of insurance options in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, so it got the highest score possible in this category. With that being said, we’ll highlight how AAA measures up as an auto insurance provider, since it’s one of AAA’s most popular services.
AAA insurance policies offer all the standard coverage options required by state governments: liability coverage for bodily injury and property damage, coverage for medical payments, and personal injury protection. Comprehensive coverage is an option, too.
Also of note, AAA members are automatically enrolled in the company’s flagship emergency Roadside Assistance program, which offers free towing, fuel delivery, lock-out services and more.
Supplemental AAA Car Insurance Coverage Options:
- Enhanced Total Loss Replacement: Covers the cost to replace a vehicle with a new model if your car is totaled after a crash.
- Gap Coverage: Covers the difference between the actual cash value (ACV) that a car is currently worth and what you owe on a lease/loan if the car is totaled in an accident.
- Enhanced Exterior Repair Option: Covers the cost of original exterior parts from the manufacturer, rather than aftermarket parts. Doesn’t cover window glass/mechanical parts.
- Disappearing Deductible: Reduces the comprehensive and/or collision deductible by $50 for every policy period in which you remain claim-free (up to $500).
AAA members can choose to enhance their auto policies with additional coverage options at any time, but it’s important that you only choose extra coverage that makes sense for your personal situation and budget. Also, keep in mind that since AAA is organized regionally, not all supplemental coverage options are available in all states. Specialty insurance policies from AAA may be limited by region, too.
Specialty Types of AAA Car Insurance Policies:
- Rideshare insurance for drivers who use their personal vehicle to drive for a ridesharing company.
- Classic car insurance for classic/vintage vehicles. Coverage is provided through Hagerty Insurance.
AAA also offers insurance policies for boats, motorcycles and recreational vehicles. However, the availability of these insurance options varies by state.
AAA Discounts
Category Rating: 100% (5 out of 5)
- Multiple-vehicle discount
- Prior insurance tenure discount
- Multiple-policy discount
- Vehicle safety device discount
- Paperless discount
- Pay in full discount
- AutoPay discount
- AAA safety inspection discount
- Defensive driver discount
- Education/occupation discount
- New young driver discount
- Good student discount
- Student away discount
- Advance purchase discount
- New car savings discount
- Anti-theft device discount
- AAADrive™ discount
AAA offers many generous discount options to its members, so it got the a great score in this category. Just remember, eligibility criteria for insurance discounts vary by location.
Learn more about AAA Insurance discounts.
AAA Transparency
Category Rating: 100% (5 out of 5)
You can find key information on the AAA website quickly and easily, so it gets the best score possible in the transparency department. You can also contact your regional AAA club to get more information.
Bottom Line
AAA is a pretty good insurance company that offers a wide variety of budget-friendly coverage options and other benefits to its members. The company is also known for its 24/7 roadside assistance program and travel planning services. However, AAA didn’t score well when it comes to customer service.
AAA Car Insurance vs. Competitors
| Insurer | AAA | Geico | Progressive | State Farm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Premium* | $1,625 per year | $1,009 per year | $1,296 per year | $1,410 per year |
| Number of Car Insurance Discounts | 17 | 17 | 13 | 16 |
| Offers Home Insurance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Complaints Score (lower is best) | 15.46 | 1.23 | 1.45 | 1.18 |
| Editor’s Rating | 3.4 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 4.1 |
*Complaints Score represents the company's overall NAIC rating. Car insurance-specific rating may differ.
*Average annual premiums are based on a variety of driver profiles. Individuals premiums may differ, but these rates illustrate how costs from these insurers typically compare. Learn more about how these rates were calculated in the methodology section below.
For more car insurance research, check out WalletHub’s Cheap Car Insurance Study. And if you have experience with AAA that you think might help other consumers, you can also write a review of AAA insurance.
Video: AAA Insurance Review
Methodology
In order to provide fair, helpful reviews of insurance companies such as AAA that can lead consumers to the best insurance coverage for their needs, WalletHub rates each insurance company in seven major categories: Cost, Insurance Types, Customer Service & Reviews, Discounts, Claims, Financial Stability and Transparency. Below, you can find an overview of what each section in our scoring rubric entails.
- The “Cost” section includes information about how expensive the insurance policies are. AAA’s average premiums and quartile rankings are based on data from California, the largest state AAA operates in. Rate information is provided by Quadrant Information Services. Individual rates will be different.
- The “Insurance Types” section examines what types of insurance policies the company offers.
- The “Customer Service & Reviews” section measures the insurance company’s reputation as well user reviews and information from watchdog organizations.
- The “Discounts” section examines how many and what types of discounts the company offers. It also takes into consideration whether or not there are discounts for bundling policies.
- The “Claims” section examines the ways in which customers can make claims with the policy. It considers whether or not customers can make claims by phone or online, as well as whether or not the company has a 24/7 support line.
- The “Financial Stability” section considers the company’s status with credit rating agencies A.M. Best, S&P and Moody’s.
- The “Transparency” section measures how clearly the insurer discloses key information on its website.
The final score takes these seven categories into account and reflects how close an insurance company is to WalletHub’s definition of a 5-star insurer. For more information, please read WalletHub’s full insurance company methodology.
