Nationwide Car Insurance Review (With Quotes, 2023)

Nationwide is a large insurer that’s been in business for nearly 100 years. It offers many insurance products and coverage options. While car insurance policies may not be the cheapest when written by Nationwide, policyholders can reduce their rates by taking advantage of discounts. Bundling homeowners insurance with auto gets you two great products at a low cost.

Of course, if you’re looking to save money on car insurance, you should shop for your policy with Insurify. Fill out one confidential form to receive quotes from top insurance providers in your area. Adjust coverage options, review company stats, and pick the right insurer in the fastest way possible. Save your profile to receive updates any time there’s a price drop.

Nationwide Industry Rankings and Scorecard

Overall, Nationwide ranks average or better across many factors and from many organizations. The company has been in business since 1926 and has maintained good rankings since that time. Bear in mind that the company operates mainly through local agents, so the quality of service can vary by location. Look up reviews of local offices before you buy.

Insurify Composite Score Methodology

The Insurify Composite Score is a proprietary rating calculated by a team of data scientists at Insurify, weighing multiple factors that reflect the quality, reliability, and health of an insurance company.

Inputs to the score include financial strength ratings from A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch; J.D. Power ratings; Consumer Reports customer satisfaction surveys and customer complaints; mobile app reviews; and user-generated company reviews.

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Nationwide Car Insurance Quotes by Driver History

Your driving record is one of the biggest determinants for what you pay for your auto insurance. People with clean records pay the smallest monthly premiums. Drivers with speeding tickets pay more. And drivers with a history of DUI, at-fault accidents, or reckless driving will pay most of all. How does your car insurance premium compare to the averages below?

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Nationwide Car Insurance Quotes by State

Where you live has a big impact on the price you pay for your car insurance policy. Each state has its own requirements and laws about car insurance, and these differences make some states more expensive than others. The auto claim rates, crime rates, weather patterns, traffic patterns, and other factors affect the costs in your ZIP code. Below are the averages by state.

Nationwide offers their car insurance product in all states except Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Massachusetts.

Nationwide Car Insurance Pros and Cons

No matter what car insurance company you choose, there will be advantages and disadvantages. Nationwide is no different. When reviewing the big picture pros and cons below, be sure to consider how each affects you. If anything is a deal-breaker, you should move on and look for insurance elsewhere.

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Nationwide Car Insurance Discounts

There are many discounts available at Nationwide, and most of them offer a greater cost reduction compared to similar discounts at other companies. You can also stack discounts to receive the greatest benefit. You should also take advantage of the On Your Side Review, where a Nationwide agent ensures you get the auto insurance coverage limits and discounts you need.

Driver-Based Discounts

There are tons of discounts based on the drivers and vehicles attached to your policy. That includes the accident-free, good student, defensive driving, safe driving, and anti-theft device discounts. You can also take advantage of the telematics programs, SmartRide and SmartMiles, to get discounts based on your driving habits. All you need is your cell phone to sign up.

Policy-Based Discounts

There are several ways to set up your policy for savings. When you link your bank account to your policy, you save with the (one-time) easy pay sign-up discount. Going paperless—opting to get all your documents digitally—earns you a recurring discount every month.

Bundling or Multi-Policy Discounts

Bundling with Nationwide is one of the best discounts, usually around 20 percent off when you combine auto with a home insurance policy. You can also bundle with renters insurance, life insurance, motorcycle insurance, and business insurance. The more policies you bundle, the more you save. As all your policies are in one place, monitoring and managing your policies is easier.

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Nationwide Car Insurance Coverage Options

You can get all the basics with Nationwide car insurance. You’ll need state minimum liability insurance—bodily injury liability plus property damage liability. You can also get personal injury protection (PIP), medical payments coverage, and uninsured and underinsured motorist protection. Some of these may be required, and some may be optional depending on your state.

If your car is financed, you’ll also need collision and comprehensive coverage. In addition to providing insurance for average customers, Nationwide offers rideshare coverage for Uber and Lyft drivers. Remember that only you can decide if a coverage option is worth the added cost. But rest assured that most of the options below will only add a few dollars a month to your premiums.

Total Loss Deductible Waiver

Most of the time, car insurance works like this: when your car is totaled as the result of a covered loss, you get an insurance payout minus the deductible. The typical deductible is $1,000, which is $1,000 less that you have for replacing your car. With the total loss deductible waiver, you get the entire payout. This is worth it if you maintain a high deductible.

Rental Reimbursement Coverage

With rental reimbursement coverage, Nationwide offers you some or all of the cost for getting a rental car when your car is in the shop after a collision. Since a rental car can cost hundreds a week, this is great coverage. You choose the daily coverage (cost to rent a car per day) and the coverage limit (total amount you can claim). The higher the limit, the higher the premium.

Accident Forgiveness

Accident forgiveness is a popular program available with several insurers. Its popularity is due to the fact that you can avoid a rate hike after you cause an accident. To qualify, you must not have any accidents in your recent driving history. It comes with an additional cost, but the added peace of mind alone is worth it for many. If you do cause an accident, this option pays for itself.

Vanishing Deductible

This option is fairly unique among car insurance companies. With the vanishing deductible option, you can reduce the cost of your deductible for every year you go without a car accident. You get $100 off per year, up to a $500 reduction, without a corresponding raise in your premiums. And this extends to your collision and comprehensive coverage deductibles, too.

Towing and Labor Coverage

Emergency roadside assistance is available through this coverage option. You get 24/7 service any time your vehicle is disabled. Jumpstarts, flat tire change, gas delivery, towing, winching, accident response, and lock-out services are available up to coverage limits set over the year, e.g., $100 for lock-out services. It doesn’t offer as much as AAA, but it costs less per month.

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Nationwide Car Insurance Reputation

Nationwide has been in business for 96 years and has a good reputation for auto insurance. It’s one of the biggest auto insurance companies in the U.S., claiming 2.1 percent of the market or 5.7 million auto policies, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III). As its NAIC score indicates, there are proportionately fewer complaints with Nationwide than with other insurers.

You can feel confident that Nationwide is sticking around. The company has had a great financial standing for many years. The company’s claim process also has a good reputation for paying out claims quickly, usually within two weeks from the day of the claim. The company’s website and app are well-regarded by customers as easy to use and valuable.

Nationwide Customer Service

Nationwide’s customer service is generally well-regarded by policyholders. It’s available online or over the phone—1 (800) 669-6877—every day during business hours. Claims service is open 24/7. You can also complete many simple tasks online or with the mobile app, such as paying a bill, managing payment methods, tracking a claim, and updating your personal info.

Nationwide Claims Filing Process

Filing a claim is pretty easy with Nationwide. Be sure to take photos, file a police report if required, and get the contact information of all parties involved. File a claim quickly online, or call 1 (800) 421-3535 to file with an agent. The company will set up a visit with an adjuster, who will make an estimate of the repair. Policyholders report receiving reimbursement quickly.

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Nationwide SmartRide

Most major car insurance providers offer their customers a telematics program that promises to reward safe driving habits. If you’re interested, learn more about how Nationwide’s SmartRide program works, what customers think of it, and more by reading this page. Pair this information with Insurify’s quote-comparison tool for the best results in finding the provider perfect for you.

How does Nationwide SmartRide work?

After enrolling for free on Nationwide’s website, customers receive a telematics device in the mail to plug into a port near their car’s steering wheel and set up the corresponding mobile app. The evaluation period lasts from four to six months, and the telematics device is returned to Nationwide when complete. Based on their driving, customers earn up to 40 percent in savings.

Throughout the evaluation period, the SmartRide device records a number of data points related to the customer’s driving habits. This includes the number of miles driven, acceleration, braking habits, and time of day. Altogether, the program tracks your habits to determine your SmartRide discount for safe driving.

Nationwide SmartRide Costs and Discounts

Nationwide customers enrolled in the SmartRide program earn between 10 and 40 percent on their auto insurance premiums. Policyholders sign up without any additional costs attributed to their policy. Ultimately, the size of discount a customer receives depends on their recorded driving habits. For this reason, good drivers save the most with SmartRide.

Safe driving telematics programs work for some, but others struggle to meet the desired safe driving habits. If you’re someone who often drives at night, for instance, these programs may not match your driving habits. Many affordable insurance rates that match specific insurance needs exist and can be compared using Insurify’s quote-comparison tool.

Nationwide SmartRide Reviews

Reviews for Nationwide’s SmartRide program vary based on individual experience. In general, policyholders appreciate the ease of inserting a telematics device that does the work for them, but some feel the device’s sensitivity does not account for all scenarios. Some also note dissatisfaction with the app’s user-friendliness. Of course, discounts are always appreciated.

How to Cancel Nationwide SmartRide

Customers who decide to cancel their participation in the SmartRide program are free to do so without any additional charge or influence on existing insurance policies. A Nationwide insurance representative can be reached at 1 (877) On Your Side, or 1 (877) 669-6877.

Nationwide: Is it right for you?

The only way to know if any car insurance company is the right fit is to compare your options. When you use Insurify, you can compare real quotes from 6+ insurers in two minutes. Adjust coverage options, and review each company’s profile to fully understand your options. The process is 100 percent confidential and free to use. Only buy when the price is right. Try it now!

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