GEICO car insurance review 2026: 3.1 out of 5 stars

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The biggest strength of GEICO is its deep lineup of discounts, which can help offset premiums that skew a bit higher than average. Although it offers a good range of coverage types, it lacks some options like new car replacement, rideshare coverage, and a diminishing deductible.

The company also receives mixed reviews from customers and scores below average on several J.D. Power satisfaction surveys. Still, GEICO’s top-rated mobile app and strong financial ratings from AM Best help make up for it.

Learn more: Best car insurance companies in the U.S.

Here’s an overview of the cost, customer satisfaction scores, coverage, and available discounts for GEICO auto insurance.

Learn more: How does car insurance work? The basics explained

GEICO offers a full range of required and optional coverages, including:

The exact options available to you will depend on the laws of your state.

Learn more: Most common types of car insurance explained

Yes, known as “claim forgiveness,” GEICO allows customers to purchase this protection but only in some states. When you have claim forgiveness, GEICO waives the surcharge normally applied after your first qualifying claim, so your rates won’t increase. The protection is limited to one claim per policy, no matter how many drivers are covered.

Drivers can purchase or earn GEICO’s claim forgiveness protection. Those who earn the coverage free of charge receive it as a loyalty reward for being a good driver and remaining with GEICO over time. Once the claim waiver is used, GEICO automatically removes the coverage and any associated premium from the policy.

Learn more: Is accident forgiveness insurance worth it?

GEICO offers emergency roadside service coverage for cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, and RVs. The program includes limited towing and winching, battery jump starts, tire changes if you provide the spare, limited lockout services, and fuel delivery.

Drivers can request roadside service by calling, going online, or using the GEICO mobile app. GEICO says service providers usually arrive to help within 60 minutes. Covered services are provided free of charge. Drivers can also pay for roadside services directly and submit a claim for reimbursement.

Learn more: Do I need emergency roadside assistance coverage?

The average annual auto insurance costs from GEICO range from $1,440 for basic coverage to $2,424 for full coverage. This breaks down to $120 to $202 per month, according to Savvy Insurance Solutions’ data.

Basic coverage only satisfies the state’s minimum requirements. In most states, these minimums ensure you can pay for damages and injuries you cause. But basic coverage can leave you without protection for damage to your own car and insufficient protection for serious accidents. When financially possible, Yahoo Finance recommends increasing coverage beyond state-required minimums for increased financial protection.

Learn more: Cheapest car insurance in the U.S.

A typical monthly premium for GEICO full coverage car insurance is $202, while the average cost across 19 major insurance companies is $190.

The average cost of liability-only car insurance coverage with GEICO is slightly higher than average, compared to other auto insurers. A typical monthly premium for GEICO basic coverage is $120, while the average cost of basic coverage across 19 major insurers is $113.

GEICO has a full range of discounts available, including:

  1. Restraint device: A discount of up to 23% on medical payments or personal injury protection insurance coverage is available for cars equipped with air bags, seat belts, or another passive restraint system.

  2. Anti-lock brakes: Cars with factory-installed anti-lock brakes may qualify for a discount of up to 5% on certain coverage types.

  3. Anti-theft system: If your car has a built-in alarm or other anti-theft device, you can earn a discount of up to 23% on your comprehensive insurance.

  4. Daytime running lights: Cars with factory-installed daytime running lights may qualify for a discount of up to 3% on certain coverages.

  5. New vehicle: A new vehicle discount of up to 15% on certain coverages is available to cars three model years or newer.

  6. Clean driving record: Drivers who have been accident-free for one year or more may qualify for up to 22% savings on most GEICO coverages.

  7. Drive Easy: Drive Easy is GEICO’s telematics plan that uses a device to track your driving. Drivers with safe driving habits can save 5% to 15%.

  8. Defensive driving: Drivers who complete a defensive driving course may qualify for a discount. This discount is usually reserved for those aged 50 or older.

  9. Driver training course: Family policies may qualify for a discount if a young household driver completes a driver’s education course.

  10. Good student: GEICO offers a discount of up to 15% for full-time students with good grades.

  11. Student away at school: Students who live away from home to attend school full-time and don’t have regular access to a car may be eligible for an additional discount.

  12. Deployed driver: GEICO applies a discount of up to 25% for each driver deployed overseas for military service or work.

  13. Federal employee (Eagle discount): Active or retired federal employees may qualify for a discount of up to 12% on their total auto insurance rate.

  14. Membership and employee: Active membership with a GEICO partner organization can also earn a discount. Organizations include colleges, universities, Berkshire Hathaway companies, and some business, professional, federal, and military organizations.

  15. Military: Active-duty and retired military personnel and National Guard or Reserves members can save up to 15% on some coverages.

  16. Multi-vehicle: You can earn a discount of up to 25% on most coverages by insuring more than one car on the same policy.

  17. Multi-policy or multi-line discount: This discount is available if you bundle GEICO auto insurance with a homeowners or renters policy.

  18. Homeownership: GEICO offers an unspecified auto insurance discount to homeowners.

  19. Early shopper: Buying your new GEICO policy before your old policy expires could earn you a discount. The earlier you lock in the new policy, the bigger the discount available.

  20. Internet quote: Initiating your GEICO auto quote online may also earn a discount.

  21. Paperless: GEICO offers a discount for opting into paperless billing.

  22. Paid-in-full: The paid-in-full discount is available when you pay your policy in full instead of splitting the premium into payments.

  23. Auto pay: If you do pay your premium in installments, you can earn a discount for setting up automatic payments.

Learn more: Car insurance discounts: 17 ways to save

You can file claims with GEICO by phone, online, or through the GEICO mobile app. Follow the steps below for an efficient claims experience.

  1. Know your coverage and deductibles: Depending on the type of coverage you have and your deductibles, it may not be helpful to file a claim. For example, if you don’t have collision insurance, GEICO won’t pay to repair your vehicle after you hit a mailbox. Consider keeping a copy of your policy declarations page in your car’s glovebox for quick reference.

  2. Gather documents and evidence: Collect basic accident information before notifying GEICO of the potential claim. You will at least need the accident date, location, and contact and insurance information for other drivers involved.

  3. Contact your insurance company: You can contact GEICO immediately from the accident scene — after verifying that anyone who needs medical attention is getting it. Your GEICO contact may have recommendations for additional information to gather at the scene, such as photographs and witness contact information. Do not discuss the accident details with the other driver or the other driver’s insurance company.

  4. Respond to information requests: While your claim is being processed, your GEICO adjuster may reach out with additional questions or information. Respond promptly to requests. It is helpful to keep a communication log, where you document conversations and important information.

  5. Get your car repaired or receive your payment: Your adjuster will direct you on next steps for getting your car repaired or receiving a reimbursement. Note that GEICO allows you to choose your own repair shop, but you can also opt to use a GEICO partner shop. GEICO offers a lifetime guarantee on work done by Auto Repair Xpress locations.

Learn more: How to file a car insurance claim

GEICO recommends filing claims promptly. State law and situational factors may demand a more specific filing deadline.

GEICO pays some claims in as fast as 48 hours, but the timeline can be longer for anything but the simplest situations.

Drivers can use GEICO’s mobile app for making payments, submitting and managing claims, requesting roadside assistance, quoting new coverage, and accessing digital ID cards. The app also has a virtual assistant that answers policy and billing questions around the clock.

GEICO has high credit ratings, indicating the company is financially sound. The risk of a claim not being paid due to a lack of resources is very low.

GEICO has a below-average claims satisfaction score from J.D. Power. Customer reviews about the claims process are mixed. Some reviews note slow response times from claims adjusters and unfair claims denials, while others note quick, helpful service.

More GEICO customers report negative experiences vs. positive ones on sites like TrustPilot and Consumer Affairs. Some negative reviews mention difficulty reaching customer service over the telephone and a poor claims experience.

When writing this GEICO auto insurance review, Yahoo Finance attempted to verify several coverage details, but was unable to reach a representative. We waited on hold for 40 minutes before ending the call.

State Farm has very similar rankings on TrustPilot and ConsumerAffairs to GEICO. State Farm also earned an above-average ranking on the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Survey, while GEICO was below average.

Tim Manni and Jamie Young edited this article.

We researched the coverage details and prices for 20 auto insurance plans. We then weighted categories, and each auto insurer was scored relative to the others to find the best auto insurance companies. Here are the factors we incorporated.

Coverage types: 20% of score. We examined all the coverage options available, and assessed whether each insurer offered the following: new car replacement (5%), GAP insurance (5%), accident forgiveness (5%), and diminishing deductible (5%).

Average cost: 40% of score. The average cost was generated by Savvy Insurance Solutions in-house machine learning models based on over 3 million data points, and includes more than 20 of the largest insurance companies in Savvy’s nationwide data set. These estimates are for policies with full coverage for the average policyholder who owns one car. Average policyholder here is defined as a 48-year-old driver, driving a 13-year-old car, in an average-income ZIP code with full coverage.

Customer satisfaction: 20% of score. We factored in information from two major sources: 1) National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaints (10%), in which we took the total number of complaints each company had over a three-year period (2022-2024) and 2) CRASH scores (10%) from the Crash Network which share how well each company ensures quality repairs and customer service.

Discounts: 10% of score. We gave points for each type of discount that each auto insurer offers.

App ratings: 10% of score. We included the average ratings for each company’s apps across both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. All app ratings were accurate at the time of publication.

Unless stated otherwise, the estimates above are provided by Savvy Insurance Solutions (“Savvy”). Savvy operates a marketplace for home and auto insurance, plus an agency licensed in all 50 states. Estimates are generated using Savvy’s in-house machine learning models based on over 3 million data points, and include more than 15 of the largest insurance companies in Savvy’s nationwide data set. This includes data from more than 2 million insurance accounts connected through Trellis Connect, an in-house technology allowing consumers to “link” their insurance accounts before searching for insurance, and tens of thousands of policies bound by Savvy’s own agents. It takes into account a myriad of factors to create predictions, such as:

Savvy creates estimates by running models against multiple inputs to the parameters of interest. For instance, the “teen driver” estimates were created by adjusting the policyholder age input into the pricing model while keeping all other variables steady from the baseline for “full coverage.” The models enable hyper-personalized estimates that take into account a plethora of user attribute permutations (e.g., teen drivers in specific states, teen drivers with new vehicles, teen drivers in specific states with new vehicles) to provide individuals with a unique and tailored experience. The charts above are a subset of the kinds of personalization Savvy can do.

The following are definitions used by Savvy when providing its rate estimates for various types of coverage.

Full coverage car insurance: A policy with comprehensive, collision, and liability coverage.

Average policyholder: A 48-year-old driver who owns a 13-year-old vehicle and lives in an average-income ZIP code.

Senior driver: A 70-year-old policyholder with full coverage car insurance.

Good driver: Drivers across all coverage types, vehicle types, and locations who have no tickets, accidents or DUIs.

 

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