Nationwide Auto Insurance Review [New + Rates & Coverage]

Are you thinking of purchasing a Nationwide car insurance policy but aren’t sure if it’s the right policy for you? Picking the right provider is important, as you need to make sure you are getting the proper coverage for your hard-earned money.

You also need to make sure that a provider has reasonable rates, is financially stable enough to pay off claims, has good customer service, and much more.

Seem a little overwhelming? Don’t fear. We are going to go through everything you need to know about Nationwide.

Keep reading to learn if Nationwide is the right company for you.

If you want to start comparison shopping in your area today, enter your zip code in our FREE online tool above.

Ratings Agency

Quickly scanning through a few reviews isn’t enough to give you a complete picture of a company. Spending hours reading reviews, though, isn’t practical either.

To help you give an idea of Nationwide’s reputation, we have collected ratings from major review sites.

The table below shows ratings for financial strength and customer satisfaction — we will explain each rating in a moment.

Let’s start by looking at customer satisfaction ratings: Better Business Bureau, Consumer Affairs, Consumer Reports, J.D. Power, and the NAIC.

• Better Business Bureau — Since these ratings are based mostly on complaint data, a rating of A+ is great.
• Consumer Affairs — Nationwide Auto Insurance received a poor rating from Consumer Affairs, but this rating was created from only 70 customer reviews.
• Consumer Reports — Nationwide received a better rating from Consumer Reports, earning 88 out of a 100 points.
• J.D. Power — J.D. Power gave Nationwide a decent rating, which shows most customers are satisfied with Nationwide.
• NAIC Complaint Data — Nationwide has a complaint ratio that is lower than the average.

While Nationwide received a poor rating from Consumer Affairs, this rating was based on only 70 reviews. On websites designed to take complaints, like Consumer Affairs, unhappy customers are more likely to post reviews than happy ones.

The NAIC takes this into account, as it created a ratio that compares complaints to the number of actual customers.

Consumer Reports also based its rating on various factors, and you can see what Nationwide earned below.

Nationwide only received one grade of excellent, though very good is the second-highest grade available.

Let’s move on from customer satisfaction ratings to the financial ratings: A.M. Best, Moody’s, and S&P Global.

• A.M Best — An A+ rating is excellent, as it is just one rating below the highest (A++). This rating means that Nationwide has a superior ability to meet ongoing financial obligations (claims, etc.).
• Moody’s —  This rating ranks a company’s creditworthiness, and Nationwide’s A1 rating means the company has low credit risk and a strong ability to pay back its debts.
• S&P Global — Nationwide’s A+ rating is decent (it is not the highest rating), and it means Nationwide is more susceptible to changes in circumstances/economic conditions (but still able to meet financial commitments).

These ratings give the impression that Nationwide is above average, but isn’t the best insurer available financially. Still, Nationwide received decent financial ratings and seems secure for the future.

Nationwide also has decent customer satisfaction ratings, though Consumer Affairs gave Nationwide a poor rating.

Company History

Nationwide has been around since 1926, but just because a company is old doesn’t mean it will continue to succeed in the future.

While Nationwide has grown beyond selling insurance to Ohio farmers for their vehicles, we want to take a look at its history to make sure that Nationwide will continue to grow.

As a potential customer, you need to make sure the history of the company you are choosing has good market shares, awards, and more.

Looking at these aspects will tell you if a company will be able to provide you with great service in years to come — the last thing you want is to have to switch insurers after a year because your previous insurer went bankrupt.

So keep reading to learn about important aspects of Nationwide’s history to see how it will fare in the future.

– Market Share

The percentage of a company’s market share helps tell you how popular that provider is in the market. Below is the NAIC’s data on Nationwide’s market share over the years.

Nationwide has a larger market share in the auto insurance industry than its overall market share, but Nationwide’s market share in both categories has been decreasing.

This is not great, as it means Nationwide is dominating less of the market. This could be due to various factors, such as lack of customer satisfaction, lack of innovation, lack of affordable rates, and more.

Of course, it could also be due to other companies offering lower rates and innovative services, and not necessarily a reflection on Nationwide as a company.

 – Service Type

If sitting in an insurance building waiting to talk to someone about your policy doesn’t sound appealing, then it’s lucky that most companies have moved into the 21st century of technology.

Not only can you find information online, but you can also call or email a representative.

Below are the main methods you can use to find information or talk to someone at Nationwide.

• Online — You can visit Nationwide’s website to find FAQs and contact information. You can also sign in to your account to contact someone.
• Agents — You can find a physical agent to talk to, either over the phone or in-person.
• Phone — You can call 1-877-669-6877 for sales, 1-877-669-6877 for service, or 1-800-421-3535 to file a claim.
• Email/Mail — You can email Nationwide through its website or send a physical letter to the headquarters.

These service methods make it easy to find information and talk to someone, rather than be limited to driving to a physical building to purchase insurance or fix issues with your policy.

Of course, this is still an option, but it nice to be able to have options that can be used outside of agents’ work hours.

– Commercials

Every insurer has a message, a slogan, that it tries to make stick in viewers’ minds. If you hum the words “is on your side” automatically after you see the word Nationwide, then the company’s media campaign has already affected you.

Lately, Nationwide has been using famous singers and sports celebrities like Peyton Manning for its commercials. The appearance of celebrities that most people know is a common marketing tactic used by insurers, as well as the use of humor.

https://youtu.be/yuiw1Piazck

This set of commercials, called the “Jingle Sessions,” has become the trademark of Nationwide over the past few years. In addition to music, they use humor to stick in people’s minds.

https://youtu.be/m8E83NGOTJ8

The commercials appeal to country music fans and football fans, which is a large number of people in the U.S. So what is Nationwide trying to get across with these commercials?

Basically, Nationwide tells viewers that it is the best choice, as it has deductibles, bundling, and other discounts, but it is also a company that cares about its customers because it is on your side.

Later, we will dive into rates, coverages, and claims to see if Nationwide lives up to its promise.

– Community Service

As a long-standing insurance company, Nationwide has worked to involve itself in the community.

The Nationwide Foundation donated over $498 million to nonprofit organizations. In 2006, the Nationwide Foundation gave $50 million to Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

https://youtu.be/TMu0AHjGotI

Nationwide also matches Nationwide employees and retirees’ donations to the United Way and higher-education schools. As well, Nationwide encourages employees to volunteer with Community Connect.

With the help of logged hours from Community Connect, Nationwide names a volunteer of the year to encourage volunteering. Nationwide also gives employees paid time off for volunteering.

These examples of Nationwide’s philanthropy are important. A company that doesn’t volunteer or donates gives the impression that it doesn’t care about its community.

While this may not be necessarily true, most people want to choose a company that clearly gives back to the community.

– How is Nationwide Positioned for the Future?

Just because a company is doing well one year doesn’t mean it will continue to succeed in the future. This is why it’s so important to look at the company’s history to get an idea of its success.

Unfortunately, Nationwide’s market share has decreased slightly over the years. While the change isn’t drastic, it is prudent to keep an eye on a company’s market share to make sure it is keeping up with the times and staying a competitor.

If a vast majority of customers are picking a different insurer over Nationwide, the company will need to make sure to update itself to remain a competitor.

Nationwide did receive decent financial ratings, though, which shows it has a fairly steady future ahead of it as long as nothing drastic happens in the economy.

The company also had okay customer ratings, though they could be better. As we said, Nationwide needs to make sure to work hard to maintain and improve its reputation, otherwise, it could be at risk of losing customers to other insurers.

Of course, this is true of any company in a competitive market.

– Employee Experience

While it may seem obsessive to care about a company’s work environment beyond how it serves customers, a number of disgruntled employees probably means an equal number of dissatisfied customers.

That’s why we want to look at how Nationwide employees feel about the company they work for.

https://youtu.be/0KWZhINpo-8

Let’s take a quick look A Great Place to Work’s information on Nationwide employees’ average ages and tenure before we go into their experiences at Nationwide.

The largest age demographic at Nationwide is Generation X, followed by Millennials. Let’s now take a look at how long most of these employees have stayed at Nationwide.

Most employees at Nationwide stay two to five years, though 15 percent have been at Nationwide for over twenty years. So what do employees rate Nationwide on A Great Place to Work?

88 percent of employees say Nationwide is a great place to work.

This percentage is great. Below, you can see Nationwide’s A Great Place to Work’s rating broken down further.

Based on these ratings, employees view Nationwide as a great place to work. Let’s look at another employee rating site, Payscale.

Nationwide received 3.7 stars out of five on Payscale, which is a great rating. Payscale created this overall rating based on the following categories.

These ratings are good and show that most employees are happy with their jobs at Nationwide. The only factor that received less than three stars was the pay policy at Nationwide.

– Awards and Accolades

It’s no surprise that a company who has been around for over 80 years will have the awards to show for it. Let’s take a look at the long list of the most recent awards Nationwide has earned.

• 100 Best Companies to Work For – Nationwide has been on this list for five years
• 100 Best Workplaces for Diversity
• 50 Best Companies for Latinas to Work – Won this award every year since 2013
• 50 Best Companies for Diversity – Won this award every  year since 2011
• Top 100 Women Impacting Supplier Diversity 
• Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality Won 13 years in-a-row
• Best Places to Work in IT – Won every year since 2013
• Catalyst Award
• C. Everett Koop National Health Award
• Companies Providing Most Opportunities for Latinos – Won three straight years
• Corporate Equality Index – 100 percent score for 14 years in a row
• Corporate Leadership Award
• Diamond Leadership Award
• Gallup Great Workplace Award – Won award every year since 2011
• Inspiration Award
• Learning Elite Award – Won award every year since 2011
• Silver Torch Award 
• Training Top 125 Company
• Watts S. Humphrey Software Process Achievement Award
• 2017 Best Place to Interview (Glassdoor award)

These are just some of the most recent and most important awards that Nationwide has won. This extensive list is promising, at it shows that Nationwide has put effort into making the company a great place for employees.

Cheap Car Insurance Rates

We know how important price is when picking out a new insurer. Since insurance is a requirement in Texas, you are legally required to pay for car insurance every month.

This doesn’t mean that car insurance has to eat into your grocery or mortgage bills. If a company has high rates, don’t choose it unless the coverages offered are worthwhile.

To see how expensive Nationwide is, we are going to cover everything you need to know about Nationwide’s rate changes.

From Nationwide’s rates in Texas to how credit history and driving records change rates, we will cover it all here.

Let’s jump right into Nationwide’s prices.

– Nationwide Availability and Car Insurance Rates in Texas

Nationwide does not operate in every U.S. state, though it’s available in all but four states. This means that you have a good chance of being able to keep Nationwide as a provider if you move.

Nationwide is not available in the following states: Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Maine.

A company’s rates do change from state to state, based on factors like natural disasters and crime. Check the table below to see how expensive Nationwide’s average rates are in Texas.

Nationwide is only slightly cheaper than the Texas state average, but it is still cheaper. In fact, Nationwide is cheaper than the state average in most of the states it sells in.

This means Nationwide is striving to be an affordable option for drivers by charging less than most providers.

– Nationwide Compared to Top 10 Companies

While we know Nationwide is cheaper than the state average, we want to see how its lower rates compare to other major providers.

Three insurers are cheaper than Nationwide: GEICO, State Farm, and USAA. Since three insurers are also more expensive than Nationwide, the company falls squarely in the middle of pack price-wise.

Don’t just pick a different company based solely on price, though. Make sure to research customer service, financial standings, rate changes, and other important information.

– Commute Rates

The good news is that Nationwide doesn’t charge based on commute distance in Texas. This means that no matter how far you drive every day, you’ll have the same price.

If you have a longer commute in Texas, most insurers will charge you around a hundred extra a year.

– Coverage Level Rates

We never really expect accidents to happen, even though we pay for car insurance every month in case of accidents. When that accident does happen, though, people with low coverages may find themselves paying more for the accident than they did for car insurance each year.

High coverage at some companies, however, simply isn’t affordable.

The table below shows how much Nationwide costs for each coverage level.

While the increase between low and medium coverage is minuscule, the difference between medium and high coverage is about $400.

This actually isn’t bad, as other companies can charge almost a thousand between low and high coverages. In comparison to other companies, Nationwide’s rate increase is economical.

– Credit History Rates

Texas is one of the top 10 states with the lowest credit scores (656), which is lower than the national average credit score (675).

In Texas, the law allows insurer to check your credit score and use this information to adjust your rates.

This means that if your credit score is at the state average or lower, you will be charged more. Take a look at Nationwide’s price increases based on credit score below.

Nationwide doesn’t charge much for the drop from good to fair credit, but the drop from good to poor credit will cost customers over a thousand dollars.

This is a lot of extra money to be paying, especially if you are actively trying to fix your credit score by paying off credit debt.

– Driving Record Rates

Your driving record is another important factor that Nationwide will look at to determine rates. Below are the price increases for your first incidents at Nationwide.

Nationwide has accident forgiveness, which is why rates won’t increase for your first accident at Nationwide. A speeding violation will cost you a few hundred, but a DUI is by far the worst offense to have at Nationwide.

A DUI at Nationwide will cost you over $1,500, and remember, this is just for the first offense.

This means that if you commit more than one offense at Nationwide, your increased rates will be higher than the ones shown above.

Coverages Offered

While we know Nationwide is cheaper than most providers in Texas, we want to make sure that customers are still receiving a proper amount of coverage.

An insurer should have basic coverages as well as add-on coverages to provide customers with a full range of protection options.

To see if Nationwide offers a complete enough policy plan, we are going to look at what coverages Nationwide offers, as well as discounts.

This way, you can determine if Nationwide is worth the price you’ll pay for a policy.

– Types Besides Car Insurance

Nationwide offer multiple types of insurance beyond vehicle insurance. Even its vehicle insurance goes beyond cars.

Nationwide covers ATV’s, classic cars, snowmobiles, motorcycles, RVs,  boats, personal watercrafts, scooters, and golf carts.

Below are the types of insurance and services that Nationwide offers, many of which can be bundled to save money.

• Home Insurance — Homeowners, Renters, Condo, Private Client, and Flood.
• Insurance for Life — Life, Pet, Dental, Umbrella, Identity Theft, Accident Medical, Specialty Liability, Travel, and Wedding.
• Investing and Retirement — Annuities, Mutual Funds, Traded Funds, and Retirement Plans.
• Banking and Borrowing 
• Business Insurance 

Nationwide’s wide range of insurance options means you can get all the insurance you need — home, auto, and life — from one provider. Bundling policies also means that you can earn a discount.

– Types of Car Insurance

What we really care about, though, is what types of car insurance Nationwide has to offer beyond the basics. Let’s take a look at Nationwide’s auto insurance coverages.

Nationwide offers the basic insurance types that Texas law requires, as well as a complete list of extra coverages, so you can build a comprehensive coverage plan for your vehicle that also works to protect you and your passengers.

– Additional Coverages

Nationwide also has additional services and coverages.

• Accident Forgiveness — Your first accident won’t result in increased rates, which will save you thousands over the years.
• Commercial — Nationwide offers commercial coverage for vehicles used for work.
• Ridesharing — Currently, Nationwide is working on providing as-needed ridesharing insurance, which should be available soon.
• Roadside Assistance — 24/7 help for emergencies such as flat tires or towing.
• Total Loss Deductible Waiver — If your car is totaled, the physical damage deductible for comprehensive or collision is waived.
• Vanishing Deductible — Earn $100 off your deductible for every year you have safe driving (up to $500).

These additional programs are mostly designed to help customers save money, as long as the customers have good driving records.

https://youtu.be/cjEqAKhCPvE

– Discounts Offered

Discounts are important in getting an economical price on a car insurance policy. Below is a complete list of Nationwide’s discounts, as well as the standard percentage saved (when available).

Nationwide has a higher than the average number of discounts available, as most insurers’ discounts range from 20 to 30 discounts. In fact, only Liberty Mutual and Metlife offer a higher number of discounts (38 discounts) than Nationwide.

This means that Nationwide is a top provider of discounts.

Nationwide also has an On Your Side Review program, where you can talk to someone to make sure you are receiving all the discounts you are eligible for.

Some of these discounts are easy to get, such as signing up for paperless billing. If you take full advantage of the discounts Nationwide offers, your policy can become even more affordable.

– What Stands Out and What’s Missing

As we go through this review, a few things stand out about Nationwide — what it offers and what it doesn’t.

• What Stands Out — Nationwide has cheaper than average rates and a higher than the average number of discounts. With careful planning, Nationwide is an affordable option. Nationwide also has a wide range of coverages available for cars. 
• What’s Missing — Nationwide is missing a few common discounts, such as a military discount. 

For the most part, what Nationwide offers lacks little. Its variety of insurance types also means customers can bundle and save on more than just auto insurance.

How to Make a Claim

While most companies have made it easy to make a claim, this doesn’t mean that a company will approve your claim. This can be frustrating, especially because you’ve paid a significant amount each year for car insurance.

Because of these potential bumps in the road when filing a claim, we want to look at Nationwide’s claim process.

We will look at Nationwide’s premiums written and loss ratio to see how many claims Nationwide is paying out, as well as the ease of making a claim at Nationwide.

This way, we can form a picture of how reliable Nationwide is when you need it most.

– Premiums Written and Loss Ratio

The number of premiums Nationwide writes gives us insight into if the company is growing. As well, a company that has more customers generally means a lower premium.

If a company has a low number of premiums but a high loss ratio, this means that there will be higher-priced premiums because the money for claims will partly come from the customers.

A high loss ratio (over 100 percent) also means a company is at risk of going bankrupt because it is spending too much on claims.

Vice versa, a low loss ratio (generally under 50 percent) isn’t great either. If you are at a company with a low loss ratio, it isn’t paying out many claims.

With this in mind, let’s look at Nationwide’s loss ratios and written premiums for both Nationwide’s overall lines and auto insurance.

Nationwide’s auto insurance (private passenger) loss ratio spiked in 2016 before dropping in 2017. While the loss ratio is still decent, it did take a significant drop. While this could be due to fewer accidents that year, the bottom line is that Nationwide was writing fewer claims.

The good news is that overall, Nationwide’s insurance loss ratio and written premiums have steadily increased. So even though Nationwide’s auto insurance may have decreased, overall Nationwide is doing well.

– Ease of Making a Claim

While Nationwide is paying out a decent amount of claims, we want to make sure that it is easy to file a claim. No-one needs more stress in his or her life after an accident.

Below are the main ways you can file a claim with Nationwide.

• Online — You can file a claim online at Nationwide’s website.
• Phone — You can also file a claim by calling 1-800-421-3535 or calling your agent directly.
• App — You can file a claim if you have Nationwide’s app on your phone.

These methods make it easy to file a claim, as you can pick a filing method that works best for you.

https://youtu.be/f20sXhLeMZ4

Remember to take pictures of the accident, which can be submitted easily through Nationwide’s insurance app. Having pictures as evidence will also help the claims process move along faster.

How to Get a Quote Online

Since you’ve stuck with us this far, you are probably seriously considering Nationwide as a provider. One of the best ways to help you choose is to get a quote online.

This will help you compare rates to other providers so that you can decide if Nationwide’s rates are the best for you.

Let’s take a look at Nationwide’s online quote process.

The first thing you’ll need to do is visit Nationwide’s website.

Unlike other insurance websites, Nationwide doesn’t have a quote box clearly visible at the top of the page. You will have to scroll down a bit until you see a large, maroon quote box.

Simply click auto insurance, enter your zip code, and click start your quote. You will be taken to a new page that begins the quote form process.

The form will begin by asking basic questions about you, such as your name, address, and birthdate. You will also see options for a live chat on the bottom right of the screen, as well as a phone number to talk to an agent at the top right.

Nationwide will also ask for information about the following.

• Information about all the drivers who will be on your policy.
• Information about the vehicles you need to be insured (make, model, and year).
• Information about the distance you commute to/from work and the type of travel.
• Information going back five years on violations, accidents, or claims.
• Information about your previous insurance (coverages, lapses, and minimums).

This information will help Nationwide calculate rates and discounts so that you can get a more accurate quote. For example, information about violations and accidents will depend on if your basic rate is increased or not.

Vehicle information also let’s Nationwide know if your car makes you eligible for discounts, such as if your car has vehicle safety features.

As a reminder, you’ll need the following for a quote.

Design of Website/App

Most insurers have done a good job of sticking with the times and updating their websites and apps. Let’s take a look at how easy it is to navigate Nationwide’s website and find information.

If you click on the personal tab and then the insurance and protection tab, you will see auto insurance pop up beneath “for your ride.” Clicking on this will take you to a page with information about Nationwide’s auto insurance coverages.

You may have also noticed that suggested articles pop up at the bottom that relate to the topic you are looking at. In the upper right side of the screen, there is also a search bar.

You can use this search bar to research a specific question you may have that isn’t readily found in the tab menu.

Based on these features, it is safe to say that Nationwide has a relatively easy website to navigate, making it easy to find the information you are seeking.

Nationwide also has a basic mobile app that you can download on your smartphone or iPad.

The app received 4.2 stars out of five (based on 1.2k ratings), which is a decent rating. Common complaints with the app include the following:

• Problems with auto pay
• Card won’t update on the app

As with any app, Nationwide has had bugs to work through. Based on the number of positive reviews, though, most customers are happy with the app.

With the Nationwide mobile app, customers can do all of the following.

• Set up auto-pay or view/pay bills
• Chose a repair shop or rental car during a claim
• File a claim and check the claim progress
• Upload pictures of an auto accident
• Get insurance quotes
• View insurance ID card (without logging in)
• Find your agent’s contact info
• Call roadside assistance

https://youtu.be/5LPmXbmdQtQ

Nationwide also has a driving app, but its driving app hasn’t done nearly as well as its basic app.

The app has earned 1.9 stars out of 106 ratings. Less than two stars isn’t a ringing endorsement, and common complaints are as follows.

• Incorrectly records driving data
• Have to tell the app when you are a passenger
• Low amount of savings

The main problem people seem to have with the app is that it is recording incorrect information, such as hard braking. This is actually a common problem with most driving apps, and hopefully, it will improve in the future.

 Pros and Cons

We’ve covered quite a lot in this review, which is why we want to take a moment to recap by looking at the main pros and cons of Nationwide.

While Nationwide does have cheaper than the average rates, you should get a quote to make sure your rates won’t be astronomically higher than the average rate at Nationwide.

The Bottom Line

Here’s the deal. Nationwide is a decent choice for an insurer, but you still need to make sure it is the right company for you before purchasing a policy.

While Nationwide has lower than average rates and a great selection of coverages, some of its discounts may be harder to earn than you think. Mainly, Nationwide’s driving app discount.

Since customers are finding problems with the app’s inaccuracy, it could be difficult to earn the full discount Nationwide offers.

Nationwide does have decent customer reviews, though, and a solid financial rating. While these ratings may not paint Nationwide as the best of the best, Nationwide still has a good standing among its competitors.

This means that if you chose Nationwide as a provider, you bear little risk of Nationwide going bankrupt and leaving you stranded without insurance.

And as long as you take advantage of Nationwide’s On Your Side Reviews, you can make sure to get all of the Nationwide’s discounts you are eligible for to help keep costs low.

FAQ

Do you still have questions about Nationwide? We’ve answered some frequently asked questions about Nationwide below, so keep reading.

Does Nationwide have accident forgiveness? Yes, Nationwide offers accident forgiveness as an add-on to your policy. You will have to pay for it, and it only applies to the first accident on your policy.

Because accidents raise your premium by hundreds of dollars, though, accident forgiveness will pay itself off after your first accident by not raising your premium.

How do I qualify for Nationwide’s good student discount? If you want to get a student discount at Nationwide, you’ll need to have a B average or higher.

You’ll also need to be between the ages of 16 to 24, which is bad news for older students going back to school or pursuing higher education.

Will Nationwide cover my rental car? Nationwide will likely only cover your rental car if you have collision, comprehensive, or liability insurance.

Since most people don’t like paying extra for a rental company’s insurance, make sure to ask your Nationwide representative if Nationwide covers you.

Are there exceptions to poor credit score at Nationwide? The good news is that even though poor credit raises rates, Nationwide may exempt you from increased rates in the following circumstances:

• A catastrophic event
• Divorce/dissolution of marriage
• Death of a spouse, child or parent
• Serious illness or injury
• Temporary and involuntary loss of employment
• Military deployment (overseas)
• Identity theft
• Home uninhabitable due to a total loss

You will have to provide proof of the event and proof that it led to your poor credit score. This is generous, as most insurers don’t take these circumstances into consideration when calculating your premium.

Picking an insurer is an important choice, and it can be difficult to decide. Now that you’ve read our comprehensive review of Nationwide, you are ready to make an informed decision about if Nationwide is the right provider for you.

If you want to start comparing rates in your area today, enter your zip code in our free online tool below.