Geico Auto Insurance Review 2023

Kayda Norman
By Kayda Norman 

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Our Take

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

The bottom line:

With nationwide availability and a raft of discounts, Geico is a popular, and often affordable, choice for car insurance.

Geico Auto Insurance
NAIC complaints
Close to expected
Ease of use
Average
Discounts
Great set of discounts

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Above-average customer satisfaction for auto insurance claims in a recent J.D. Power study.
  • Robust website and mobile app.
  • Many discounts available.

Cons

  • Doesn’t offer gap or rideshare insurance.
  • Limited network of local agents.

Full Review

Geico earned 4.5 stars out of 5 for overall performance. NerdWallet’s ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account consumer experience, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and financial strength ratings.

Geico is the nation’s second-largest auto insurance company, known primarily for low rates offered directly to consumers online and over the phone. It is available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Why you can trust NerdWallet: Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage so you can choose the insurance policy that works best for you. These carrier ratings are specific to auto insurance — a company's rating for other products may be different on our site. See our criteria for evaluating auto insurance companies.

In our auto insurance reviews, our editorial team considers both the customer and the insurer. These are some of the factors we take into account:

Financial strength. We use A.M. Best ratings to confirm an insurer’s long-term financial stability and ability to pay claims. NerdWallet does not recommend companies with a rating lower than a B. 

Complaints. These ratings are based on complaints to state regulators relative to a company’s size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The best auto insurance companies have fewer than the expected number of complaints.

Ease of use. This category looks at how easily consumers can interact with an insurer through its mobile app and website. This includes how much coverage information is offered online, whether a user can start and track a claim online and get a quote and mobile app scores based on the Apple and Google Play store ratings.

Discounts. We look at both the kind of discounts a company offers and the total number of discounts available.

Where Geico stands out

Geico offers plenty of discounts and may be an affordable choice for many drivers. The company regularly appears as one of the cheapest options in recent NerdWallet cheap car insurance analyses.

The company also offers a variety of ways to digitally manage your auto insurance policy, including through its website and mobile app. In fact, Geico received an online experience score of 77 out of 100 by a pool of its customers in a NerdWallet survey conducted online in June 2022. To put that in perspective, the average score among ten insurers was 75, and the highest was 80.

Where Geico falls short

Geico doesn’t offer gap or rideshare insurance. And if you prefer to work directly with an agent, you might have difficulty finding one near you. The company has a limited number of local agents depending on the state you live in.

Geico doesn’t rank as high for customer satisfaction compared to some other auto insurers. The company has close to the expected number of complaints you’d expect for a company of its size, and in J.D. Power’s 2022 study of overall customer satisfaction, Geico was ranked the seventh insurer out of eight.

Compare to other insurers

Geico

Progressive

State Farm

Star rating

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

NAIC complaints

Close to expected.

Fewer than expected.

Fewer than expected.

Discounts

Great set of discounts.

Great set of discounts.

Average set of discounts.

Ease of use

Average.

Above average.

Above average.

Bottom line

With nationwide availability and a raft of discounts, Geico is a popular, and often affordable, choice.

Progressive offers a variety of discounts and insurance products to cater to most people, though there’s room for improvement when it comes to customer satisfaction.

State Farm is a popular insurer with fewer complaints compared to other large competitors.

Read our detailed reviews

Geico auto insurance coverage

When you're shopping for car insurance coverage, it's important to understand what car insurance coverage you want and what you’re required to buy. For instance, most states require a minimum amount of car insurance to drive a vehicle. Alternatively, if you want extra protection, you may be interested in full coverage insurance. Read about the most common types of car insurance coverage to see how they work.

In addition to typical car insurance coverage choices, Geico offers mechanical breakdown coverage. This covers repairs to all mechanical parts of a new or leased car, less than 15 months old and with fewer than 15,000 miles, except problems caused by wear and tear. There’s a $250 deductible.

Mechanical breakdown coverage is renewable for up to seven years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first, and does not pay for regular maintenance, such as tuneups.

Auto insurance discounts

Geico has a long list of car insurance discounts, so there’s a good chance you can find a price break that applies to you. Although details vary by state, you may be eligible for discounts for:

  • Having safety equipment, like air bags, anti-lock brakes, daytime running lights or an anti-theft system.

  • Owning a vehicle that is three model years old or newer.

  • Driving for five years with no accidents.

  • Using seat belts.

  • Completing a defensive driving course, or driver’s education for a young driver.

  • Having good grades, if you or someone on your policy is a full-time student.

  • Participating in an emergency deployment with the U.S. military.

  • Being an active or retired military service member or a member of the National Guard or Reserves.

  • Being an active or retired federal employee.

  • Insuring more than one vehicle with Geico.

  • Buying a homeowners, renters, condo or mobile home policy through Geico.

  • Being a member of organizations, such as alumni associations or sports groups.

🤓Nerdy Tip

First time shopping for auto insurance? Unsure of where to start? Check out our guide on how to shop for car insurance.

Pricing based on tracked driving habits

In many states, Geico offers a program called DriveEasy, which uses a smartphone app to track habits such as speeding, hard braking and using your phone while driving. You can get a discount for safe driving, but in some states you may end up paying more if the app finds you to be a riskier driver.

Complaints and customer satisfaction

Geico had close to the expected number of complaints about auto insurance to state regulators relative to its size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Geico received an overall satisfaction score of 76 out of 100 by a pool of its customers in a NerdWallet survey conducted online in June 2022. To put that in perspective, the average score among seven insurers was 77, and the highest was 82.

Geico ranked just above average in J.D. Power’s 2022 auto claims insurance study, but was below average in its 2022 auto insurance shopping study.

2022 J.D. Power study

Geico ranking

Auto insurance shopping

No. 7 out of 8 companies.

Auto insurance claims satisfaction

No. 9 out of 21 companies.

More about Geico insurance 

Website: You can learn about and get a quote for many types of insurance through Geico’s website, and you can also submit a claim or make a payment. Additionally, the site has a feature to help you find the cheapest gas station near you.

App: Geico’s mobile offering for iOS and Android helps you keep track of your policy and billing details, access your digital auto insurance ID card, pay bills and submit claims. You can also use the app to request roadside assistance and track your car’s maintenance history.

Voice assistance: Geico’s virtual assistant is a feature of its mobile app that can answer your insurance questions and provide specific policy information. Your Geico account is also accessible through Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant.

Life, homeowners and renters insurance from Geico

Geico offers home insurance through partner companies. To learn more about the coverage options available, read our Geico homeowners insurance review.

Geico also offers renters insurance through its partners. To read about this program, see NerdWallet’s Geico renters insurance review.

Other insurance from Geico 

Geico sells the following types of insurance:

  • Motorcycle insurance.

  • Insurance for all-terrain vehicles.

  • Recreational vehicle insurance.

  • Boat or personal watercraft insurance.

  • Commercial auto insurance.

  • Umbrella insurance (some policies sold by a third party).

Geico offers other policies through third parties, including:

  • Collector insurance for classic cars.

  • Condo and co-op insurance.

  • Mobile home insurance.

  • Pet insurance.

  • Life insurance.

Methodology

2022 auto insurance survey methodology

The survey of 7,755 adults age 18 and older was conducted online by Russell Research on behalf of NerdWallet in June 2022. Respondents were asked to rate one auto insurance brand they obtained or renewed a policy with within the past 12 months, and the policy had to be in their name at the time of the survey. These brands were rated on overall satisfaction, overall value, online experience, trustworthiness and customer support on a scale of 1-100.

Of those respondents: 300 were Progressive, 300 were State Farm, 299 were Allstate, 299 were Geico, 121 were USAA, 116 were Liberty Mutual, 105 were American Family, 105 were Farmers, 105 were Travelers and 101 were Nationwide.

The results have been weighted to be nationally representative. Additional subgroup sample sizes may be available upon request. Any differences noted between subgroups have been tested at 95% confidence level.

Insurer complaints methodology

NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2019-2021. To assess how insurers compare to one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home (including renters and condo) and life insurance.

Auto insurance ratings methodology

NerdWallet’s auto insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including financial strength, consumer complaints and discounts. Our “ease of use” category looks at factors such as website transparency and how easy it is to file a claim. Using our editorial discretion, we also consider customer satisfaction surveys. These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines and full ratings methodology for auto insurance.

Frequently asked questions