Geico auto insurance review: High quality & affordable
One of the most recognizable names in the insurance industry, GEICO offers high quality, low cost auto insurance coverage in all 50 states.
By
Rachael BrennanRachael BrennanSenior Editor & Licensed Insurance ExpertRachael Brennan is a licensed auto insurance expert and a former senior editor at Policygenius. Her work has also been featured in MoneyGeek, Clearsurance, Adweek, Boston Globe, The Ladders, and AutoInsurance.com.
Edited by
Anna SwartzAnna SwartzSenior Managing EditorAnna Swartz is a senior managing editor who specializes in home, auto, renters, and disability insurance at Policygenius. Previously, she was a senior staff writer at Mic and a writer at The Dodo. Her work has also appeared in Salon, HuffPost, MSN, AOL, and Heeb.
Our proprietary ratings methodology takes multiple factors into account, including customer satisfaction, cost, financial strength, and policy offerings. See the “Ratings methodology” section for more details.
4.7
AM Best rating
AM Best is a global credit rating agency that scores the financial strength of insurance companies on a scale from A++ (Superior) to D (Poor).
A++
Cost
Using a mix of internal and external rate data, we grade the cost of each insurance company's premiums on a scale from least expensive ($) to most expensive ($$$$$).
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The bottom line
GEICO covers over 18 million policyholders and 30 million vehicles across the country, making it the second-largest car insurance company in the U.S. GEICO is a top auto insurance company thanks to its accessible agents, affordable prices, and numerous discounts, which makes it a good choice for drivers in need of standard car insurance coverage.
But GEICO doesn’t offer gap insurance, which means drivers who are required by their lessor or lender to add gap coverage to their policies won’t be able to get it through GEICO. And, while you can bundle home, renters, or condo insurance with your GEICO car insurance policy, it doesn’t underwrite those policies too, so your home or renters insurance may actually be serviced by another insurance company.
Liability coverage: Covers the cost if you damage someone’s property or injure someone in an accident. Liability insurance is required in most states.
Personal injury protection: Also known as PIP or no-fault coverage, this pays for your medical expenses or lost wages if you or your passengers are injured in an accident (it’s also required in no-fault states).
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: Also known as UM/UIM, this covers the cost if you’re in an accident caused by a driver without insurance, or whose insurance doesn’t cover the full extent of the damage.
Collision coverage: Covers the costs of damage to your car after an accident, no matter who was at fault.
Comprehensive coverage: Covers the costs of damage to your car that isn’t caused by a collision, including damage from animals, extreme weather, floods, fire, falling objects, theft, and vandalism.
Additional coverages offered
GEICO offers several additional auto insurance coverage types that customers can add to their policy, like:
Roadside assistance: With this service added on to your coverage, you’ll have access to assistance when you need emergency help, like with a jump start or a flat tire.
Rental reimbursement: If you need a rental while your car is being fixed or replaced, this will pay you back for a certain amount of your rental car costs. If you rent from Enterprise, GEICO will be billed directly.
Medical payments: This is optional coverage in most states, and covers the costs of medical bills associated with a covered accident for you or your passengers.
GEICO also offers a wide variety of other types of insurance that can be bundled with your auto coverage, including:
We compared the average cost of a full coverage policy (50/100/50 coverage limits and a $500 deductible for comprehensive and collision coverage) to competitor rates for the same coverage with the same driver profile to get average rates for GEICO and see how they stacked up against other companies. We compared profiles for single drivers ages 30, 35, and 45, driving a 2017 Toyota Camry LE about 10,000 miles per year using Quadrant rate data.
Customer experience
4.2/5
GEICO scored 874 out of 1,000 on J.D. Power’s 2022 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, which is an above-average score (the average for the industry was 871). GEICO also scored a TK on the 2022 J.D. Power U.S. Insurance Digital Experience Study. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) National Complaint Index Report, GEICO also had a slightly above-average number of customer complaints in 2021.
Coverage options
2.6/5
GEICO offers 11 different types of auto insurance coverage, which means it has fewer coverage options than many of their competitors. However, GEICO offers a dozen different coverages that can be bundled with your auto insurance, making it a good choice for customers who need to insure other property as well, like boats, snowmobiles, and RVs.
Financial strength
5.0/5
GEICO has some of the highest financial strength ratings in the industry, scoring an A++ with AM Best, AA+ with S&P, and Aa1 with Moody’s. This means GEICO is in a good financial position to pay out its customers’ claims — and probably will be for a long time.
How much does GEICO auto insurance cost?
GEICO’s rates are more affordable, on average, than most other carriers. The average cost of a GEICO policy is $1,192 a year — which is 32% less than the national average of $1,638.
Coverage amount
Average annual rate for GEICO
Required state minimum
$402
Full coverage ($50,000/$100,000)
$1,192
Full coverage ($100,000/$300,000)
$1,261
You can work with an insurance expert to get a quote, and, as with all average rates, what you actually pay will vary from driver to driver.
What discounts does GEICO offer?
GEICO offers a wide range of car insurance discounts, including typical discounts for vehicle features like anti-lock brakes and anti-theft systems, and unique discounts, like savings for service members on emergency deployment and students who are away at school. Available discounts include:
Anti-theft device discount: If you have a car alarm or something similar installed you’ll save up to 25 percent.
Driver's education course: If you take and pass a certified driving class, you could lower your premium.
Emergency deployment discount: In the case that you are deployed unexpectedly, you could get a discount on your rate.
Federal employee discount: If you work for the government, you could be eligible for lower rates through what GEICO calls its “Eagle Discount.”
Good student discount: Full-time students between the ages of 16 and 24 are offered a discount if they maintain a B average or higher.
Military discount: Active duty and retired military personnel and members of the National Guard or Reserves can get a discount of up to 15 percent on their GEICO premium.
Multi-vehicle discount: Sign more than one car up with GEICO for a possible 25 percent discount.
Multi-policy discount: Get condo, homeowners, renters, or RV insurance through GEICO and get a discount on your car insurance for bundling your policies.
New vehicle discount: If you drive a car that’s three model years old or newer you could earn a 15 percent discount.
Air bag discount: If your car has airbags you could save up to 23% on the medical payments or personal injury portion of your car insurance.
Anti-lock brakes discount: If your car has a factory installed anti-lock braking system you could receive a 5% discount on certain car insurance coverages.
Daytime running lights discount: Vehicles that come with daytime running lights as standard equipment could save up to 3% on certain car insurance coverages.
Five-year accident-free good driver discount: If you go 5 years or more without being in an accident you could save up to 22% on most types of car insurance coverage with GEICO.
Seat belt use discount: Always wearing your seat belt could save you money on the medical payments or personal injury protection part of your GEICO coverage.
Defensive driving discount: Taking an approved defensive driving course can save you money on your car insurance with GEICO.
One of the things that separates GEICO from competitors is that it offers affinity discounts to more than 500 member and employer groups, which means drivers might be able to get a discount for being part of a fraternity, sorority, business association, professional association, or a Berkshire Hathaway employer group.
Don’t assume you aren’t qualified for an affinity group discount — even groups like Mensa and National Geographic Society offer a group discount through GEICO, so it is worth checking all of your group affiliations to see if you qualify.
GEICO and federal employees
Founded in 1936, GEICO was originally created to provide insurance specifically for government employees (the company name is an acronym for Government Employees Insurance Company).
Over the years GEICO expanded to offer coverage to everyone, but its special relationship to government employees hasn’t changed; GEICO offers a sizable car insurance discount for military members, and a discount for non-military federal employees G-7 and above (both active and retired). According to the company, its “Eagle” discount for federal employees could save you 12% off your GEICO policy.
GEICO auto insurance state availability
GEICO auto insurance is available in all 50 states and Washington D.C.
What to expect with GEICO auto insurance
How to get a quote: GEICO offers quotes online through the GEICO website or by calling 800-207-7847.
Customer service options: Customers can use the GEICO app for their customer service needs, or they can speak to a representative through a live chat function on the company website or by calling 800-207-7847.
How to file a claim: Claims can be filed through the GEICO mobile app, online through the GEICO website, or by calling the claims department directly at 800-841-3000.
How to cancel your policy: Unlike other insurance companies, GEICO requires customers to cancel their policy over the phone by calling 800-841-1587.
Yes, GEICO is considered a good insurance company by every measure. The company has above average financial ratings, good J.D. Power customer service scores, and a slightly above average number of complaints according to the NAIC complaint index.
Is GEICO good at paying claims?
GEICO has a J.D. Power claims satisfaction score of 874, which is slightly higher than the overall average rate of 871, which means customers are generally happy with their claims experience at GEICO.
Does GEICO raise rates after 6 months?
GEICO car insurance policies typically renew every six-months, although drivers who have at least three years of clean driving history can choose to have a 12-month policy. Your rates will likely change at renewal, but your rates might not go up; some things can cause your rates to go down, like improving your credit rating or having an accident or ticket fall off your record.
Rachael Brennan is a licensed auto insurance expert and a former senior editor at Policygenius. Her work has also been featured in MoneyGeek, Clearsurance, Adweek, Boston Globe, The Ladders, and AutoInsurance.com.
Anna Swartz is a senior managing editor who specializes in home, auto, renters, and disability insurance at Policygenius. Previously, she was a senior staff writer at Mic and a writer at The Dodo. Her work has also appeared in Salon, HuffPost, MSN, AOL, and Heeb.
