Nationwide has one of the most recognizable slogans in the insurance industry. They’ve been in business for some time and their ads are instantly recognizable. But while this brand recognition is important in terms of marketing, how do customers really feel when they actually purchase car insurance from Nationwide?

To find out, we can look to the folks at the J. D. Power Company, who survey consumers to get their opinions on a number of products, including car insurance. You’ll be please to know that, in these surveys, Nationwide gets pretty decent marks for their products and services. First time buyers of Nationwide car insurance rated their experiences as about average, with a score of three out of five possible stars. Drivers who purchased from an agency felt that their local agent was “better than most,” giving their local agencies a score of four out of five possible stars. Price and policy offerings where considered to be about average, with 3 stars out of 5 in this category.

For those who had to file a claim with Nationwide, the ratings were pretty consistent, with average – three out of five possible stars – ratings for the experience. The exception here was the company’s rental car coverage, which only scored two scores.

The company’s overall ratings were fine, though they’re nothing to write home about. Nationwide got three out of five possible stars as their overall rating, including policy offerings, pricing, billing and payment and convenience in contacting the insurance company.

These average ratings are perhaps the best objective ratings available. But when you take a look at the more subjective ratings, you get a glimpse into the reasons why Nationwide’s overall scores weren’t higher.

The consumers who made their voices heard at CarReview.com only gave Nationwide one star out of a possible five. In fact, out of 58 total reviews, there are only 2 five star reviews. Many of the complaints were typical – increasing premiums, delays in claim settlement, etc. – but there do seem to be a number of people who are upset at having Nationwide only cover the cost of used parts for the repair of their vehicles.

However, this is likely a feature of the particular policies that the reviewing drivers had purchased. Used parts are less expensive and keep down costs for everyone. Unfortunately, some people bristle at using used or reconditioned parts, thinking that they’re somehow inferior. In general, the type of parts that will be used in your repairs should be spelled out in your policy documentation. With this in mind, you can’t help but wonder if the problem is that Nationwide’s language needs to be less ambiguous or if people just need to read their policies more carefully.

Over at Epinions.com, the news is better. There, Nationwide scored 3 out of a possible 5 stars, over a total of 63 reviews. Generally, the reviews there are positive and it’s hard to explain the disparity between the two sites.

So, overall, if you’re shopping for car insurance, Nationwide deserves a place on your list of companies to contact. But whenever you’re buying any insurance policy – auto or otherwise – make sure you understand exactly what it will pay for before you sign on the dotted line.