Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

This device is too small

If you're on a Galaxy Fold, consider unfolding your phone or viewing it in full screen to best optimize your experience.

Skip to main content

Nationwide Auto Insurance Review: Lots of Rewards for Safe Drivers

Review Updated
Kailey Hagen
By: Kailey Hagen

Our Insurance Expert

Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.

This auto insurer is a good fit for: Drivers interested in reaping the rewards of their good driving habits and drivers who put a high value on claims satisfaction.

Nationwide

Logo for Nationwide
Best for bundling home and auto insuranceNationwide
Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars.
3.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor


Full Nationwide Auto Insurance review

Pros

  • Flexible customization options
  • Great rewards for safe drivers
  • Lots of discounts

Cons

  • Doesn't serve all states
  • Below-average customer satisfaction ratings
  • Finicky quote tool

Nationwide auto insurance at a glance

Monthly premium costs:

  • 35-year-old female with clean driving record: $162.67
  • 35-year-old male with clean driving record: $163.67

Coverage options:

  • Bodily injury liability
  • Property damage liability
  • Personal injury protection (PIP)
  • Uninsured motorist
  • Underinsured motorist
  • Medical payments
  • Collision
  • Comprehensive
  • Towing and labor
  • Rental car
  • Gap insurance
  • Accident forgiveness
  • Roadside assistance
  • Vanishing deductible
  • Total loss deductible waiver

Top perks

Easy to customize policies

In addition to the basic coverage options, Nationwide car insurance offers a variety of add-ons to help drivers customize their policies. These include gap coverage, which is great for drivers who still have a lease or loan on their vehicles, and accident forgiveness, which stops rates from going up after a driver's first accident.

Great rewards for safe drivers

Safe driver discounts are pretty standard with most auto insurers. But Nationwide is one of the best car insurance companies because it goes further, offering a SmartRide discount to drivers willing to demonstrate good driving habits. Then there's the Vanishing Deductible option, which reduces a policyholder's deductible for every year of safe driving. Drivers who go the extra mile and complete a state-approved defensive driving course may also qualify for an extra discount.

Many ways to save

Nationwide offers a variety of common auto insurance discounts, including paperless, multi-policy, and autopay discounts. There are also some less common options. The insurance provider has a SmartMiles program, which rewards drivers who put fewer miles on their vehicles. And, in certain states, its anti-theft device discount helps policyholders save on their auto insurance if they install applicable safety devices in their vehicles. Nationwide also offers a free annual On Your Side Review to help ensure drivers are getting all the discounts they qualify for.

What could be improved

Service area

Nationwide covers all but four states -- Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Massacusetts. Anyone who happens to live in one of these places will have to find coverage from a different insurance provider.

Customer satisfaction ratings

Nationwide's overall customer satisfaction ratings lag behind many of its competitors. According to J.D. Power's 2022 Auto Insurance Satisfaction Study, Nationwide fell below the national average in almost every region the car insurance company appeared in.

Quote tool

Nationwide's online quote tool isn't the most user-friendly to navigate. There isn't a way to go back and change information. So if a driver makes an error, they have to start the quote all over again. This can be a pain.

Alternatives to consider

When looking for an auto insurer with great customer service: Geico is worth a closer look. The company fared well in J.D. Power's customer satisfaction survey. It also scored above the national average for claims satisfaction. But it's missing some options Nationwide offers, like gap coverage.

When looking for other rare coverage options: Progressive is an industry leader in terms of offering rare protections, like ridesharing, custom parts, and pet injury coverage. Like Nationwide, it also offers a disappearing deductible for safe drivers. But unlike Nationwide, Progressive doesn't limit the amount drivers can shave off their deductibles.

Monthly premium costs

Nationwide's auto insurance rates fell near the middle of the pack compared to other insurers we reviewed. But everyone's rates are different, so drivers should get a quote to see how much a Nationwide auto insurance policy will cost. People with clean records and low annual mileage on their vehicles will score the most affordable auto insurance rates.

35y, female, clean record 35y, male, clean record
$162.67 $163.67
Data source: The Ascent's analysis of standardized personas

Annual National Costs Average Comparison

See how Nationwide car insurance rates compares to the national averages across the auto insurance industry. These rates are broken out by common driver profile but you're specific quote can vary.

Nationwide Insurance Average Rate National Average Rate
Clean Driving Record $1,958 $2,389
Accident on Record $3,122 $3,370
Speeding Ticket on Record $2,662 $3,032
DUI on Record $4,585 $4,380
18 Years OId - New Driver $5,621 $6,291
65 Years Old - Senior $1,657 $2,140
Military Service $1,964 $2,375
Minimum Coverage (Liability Only) $746 $787
Source: The Ascent's analysis of standardized personas

Discounts available

Nationwide is a good source for cheap auto insurance, thanks to a competitive selection of discounts. This includes some rare options like affinity discounts for members of certain organizations. Here's a look at all the ways drivers can save with this insurance company:

  • Multi-policy discount
  • Defensive driving discount
  • Safe driver discount*
  • Accident-free discount
  • Automatic payments discount*
  • Paperless discount
  • Good student discount
  • Affinity discount
  • Anti-theft device discount*
  • SmartRide discount
  • SmartMiles discounts

    *Discounts available in certain states.

Coverage options

Policy types

  • Auto
  • Classic car*
  • Motorcycle
  • Snowmobile
  • ATV
  • RV
  • Boat
  • Personal watercraft
  • Scooter
  • Golf cart

*Product underwritten by Hagerty.

Nationwide offers a good mix of vehicle insurance policies, including some options not seen with every insurer, like boat and personal watercraft coverage. But it is missing rideshare coverage, which many of its competitors now offer.

Coverage types

  • Bodily injury liability
  • Property damage liability
  • Personal injury protection (PIP)
  • Uninsured motorist
  • Underinsured motorist
  • Medical payments
  • Collision
  • Comprehensive
  • Towing and labor
  • Rental car
  • Gap insurance
  • Accident forgiveness
  • Roadside assistance
  • Vanishing Deductible
  • Total loss deductible waiver

Nationwide's policy options cover all the basics and then some. Its standout features include a vanishing deductible and total loss deductible waiver, both of which can save drivers money in the event of a claim. Nationwide's competitors lack many of these options.

Customer service and ratings

Nationwide didn't have the most impressive ratings in J.D. Power's latest Auto Insurance Satisfaction Survey, scoring below average in nearly every region it's featured in. It also has an above-average complaint ratio with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). This indicates that drivers have more problems with Nationwide than they do with other insurance companies of a similar size.

But Nationwide has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and is a BBB-accredited business.

This auto insurer is best for:

  • Drivers who hope to bundle multiple types of insurance
  • Drivers interested in rare coverage options and discounts
  • Drivers who want an insurer that rewards good driving

But drivers looking for an insurer that provides top-notch customer service may want to take a look at Geico. And Progressive might be a good choice for drivers who can't find certain optional coverages with Nationwide.

Our Insurance Expert