Cheap Roadside Assistance Companies in 2024

Roadside assistance can organize a tow, repair a flat tire, jump-start a dead battery, and provide other services if your car breaks down.

A plan may also pay all or part of the price for emergency roadside assistance.

What is roadside assistance?

When a driver’s car breaks down, roadside assistance is available to help them physically and financially. A yearly fee is often charged for this service or membership.

The table below will give you some idea of what you may pay, on average, for various roadside assistance programs.

Having a roadside assistance policy offers a few advantages. When a policyholder’s car breaks down, they first get emergency roadside assistance. If a problem cannot be fixed immediately, services could include towing to a service center, changing a flat tire, or delivering gasoline.

Additionally, roadside assistance lowers the expense of an unplanned breakdown. Policyholders pay a fee, or premium, to the service provider, similar to what is done with auto insurance. So it is important to know when your auto insurance covers roadside assistance.

If the motorist is within the insurance limit and a breakdown occurs, they won’t be responsible for paying out of pocket for the emergency services they receive.

To put that into perspective, imagine having your car towed to a mechanic after it breaks down. You might be able to get your vehicle towed for free if your roadside assistance package includes towing.

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What is covered by roadside assistance?

Roadside assistance insurance may also contain the following coverages:

• Towing
• Assistance with transportation for a driver and passengers that are stranded
• Start-up of a battery
• Delivery of gas
• Lockout assistance
• Tire swap
• Using winching to free a trapped vehicle

Your car insurance company may offer roadside assistance. Having this insurance add-on protects you in the event of a vehicle emergency, such as a flat tire, running out of gas, or locking yourself out of your vehicle.

Some roadside assistance plans even come with a 24-hour helpline. This coverage is typically included in your auto insurance plan for an extra cost.

The most affordable way to purchase coverage is typically through your insurance company.

While roadside assistance is typically available as an add-on to a car insurance policy, the rates and advantages vary from company to company. As a result, this add-on may not be the ideal choice for every driver, as some insurance companies only provide this service to drivers with comprehensive insurance and collision coverage.

What is not covered by roadside assistance?

It is essential to be aware of the limitations of your roadside assistance policy. Your emergency roadside benefits will generally cover the tow truck cost if your car breaks down and needs to be towed, but any further charges will be your responsibility.

Policy language may also limit the distance allowed for towing to a qualifed repair shop. For example, if you live in New York and your car breaks down on vacation in California, your roadside assistance policy will likely not cover towing your car back home to New York for repairs. But even if they won’t cover long-distance towing, if you’re wondering, “does auto insurance cover repairs?” the answer is that they do if you have full coverage.

Significant repairs required to get your car operating again are not covered by roadside assistance. Whether you have roadside help, you should be prepared to pay out of pocket for any emergency repairs.

Where to Find Roadside Assistance

According to Consumer Reports, if you buy a new car or a certified used vehicle, your car may have a roadside assistance plan that lasts for the duration of the warranty. Auto insurers also typically offer roadside assistance as add-on coverage, but it might only be accessible if you also purchase comprehensive and collision insurance.

While some policies, like State Farm’s roadside assistance, cover an unlimited number of events, others could only cover four.

Car Insurance Companies

Although not all insurance companies offer roadside assistance as add-on coverage, many do. However, every time it is used, an insurance claim is made.

Rare use won’t impact your insurance rate, but frequent claims can, depending on the insurer. Listed below is a list of insurance companies that offer a roadside assistance add-on.

Allstate

For as little as $25 a year per car, you can add roadside assistance to your insurance coverage.

If you don’t have an Allstate auto insurance policy or would prefer more services, there are two memberships available, with prices varying from $79 to $139 annually.

The policy includes three to five service calls each year, depending on the membership level. Allstate offers a pay-per-use alternative with a tow starting at $119 if you don’t want to commit to a plan.

Erie

If you have comprehensive or collision insurance, coverage costs $5 per year per vehicle. Benefits include a 20-mile tow to the closest service garage.

Farmers

According to a Farmers auto insurance review, there is no defined cap on the number of service calls, and coverage rates vary by state and policy. A benefit is towing up to $150.

Geico

For each vehicle, Geico roadside assistance costs $14 per year, which includes lockout services up to $100.

Progressive

Benefits like towing services to the closest repair facility or any place within a 15-mile radius are covered.

State Farm

There is no cap on emergency service calls, and roadside assistance costs roughly $8 per car annually. Additionally, State Farm auto insurance provides pay-per-incident insurance.

The AAA and Various Organizations

If you want to avoid filing a claim for roadside assistance with your insurance company, using a car club like American Automobile Association (AAA) can keep your insurance claims history and roadside assistance records separate.

Although membership organizations can cost more than other options for roadside help, they often offer advantages that are not included in insurance add-ons. You can receive benefits like travel assistance, hotel and car rental savings, and emergency road benefits from organizations like AAA or Better World Club.

Both Better World Club and AAA offer many membership tiers. The annual fee of the environment-friendly Better World Club is $58.95 for the basic plan and $97.95 for the premium plan.

Depending on the tier and area, AAA membership fees can range from $50 to more than $165 annually.

These plans often include four service calls annually, depending on the business and membership level. Both companies charge an additional fee for the ability to add persons to your membership.

Several membership organizations besides AAA and Better World Club offer roadside assistance.

For instance, the Good Sam Club, geared toward RV owners, would be better if you own a recreational vehicle and care more about camping savings than travel. Good Sam offers auto-only coverage for $49.95 annually, and RV and auto insurance packages priced between $64.95 and $119.95.

Read more: AAA Rental Car Insurance Review: How good is the coverage?

Car Manufacturers

Recently bought a new car? You might already be covered for free roadside assistance. When you purchase a new car, some automakers include it by default. Typically, coverage is restricted to a set number of years or miles.

Roadside assistance programs offered by auto manufacturers are a terrific method to ensure you can continue driving if your car breaks down. Technicians that have been through professional training and certification will assist you in an emergency.

Roadside assistance programs offered by auto manufacturers are an excellent way to reduce the cost of auto repairs. The manufacturer will frequently give you a discount on their roadside assistance plan when you purchase a new car. Auto insurance discounts are more common than you may expect and are worth researching.

Cell Phone Companies

Some cell phone providers, such as Verizon and AT&T, offer emergency road services coverage. For four claims a year, a Verizon plan costs $3 per month per phone line. Depending on the service offered, a different maximum benefit per occurrence applies.

Winching, for instance, is offered with a $100 service cap. Verizon customers will be charged $89.95 per event without emergency roadside coverage.

AT&T charges $2.99 monthly for coverage, with the first month being free. There is a yearly cap of four service events and a $75 maximum benefit per event.

Anyone can use the roadside assistance services offered by Verizon and AT&T through Signature Motor Club, which is a division of Allstate. These services are accessible as long as customers have the enrolled device on them when needed.

Credit Card Companies

You may already have access to roadside assistance if you have a Mastercard or Visa credit card. Some credit cards offer pay-per-incident coverage, meaning you must make a payment each time you use the benefit but are not charged if you never use the service. There are other types of insurance discounts from credit cards you can look into as well, such as Capital One Card Member auto insurance discounts.

So it’s worth researching credit card company discounts.

Credit card insurance discounts for roadside help do not have a monthly or yearly price. However, the credit card may have an annual fee.

Depending on your particular card, Visa and Mastercard offer roadside dispatch at varied prices. For example, Visa Signature credit cards typically charge $69.95 per incident and have no cap on the number of uses.

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Does roadside assistance require coverage?

It’s up to you whether or not you want to purchase a roadside assistance plan. You might not want to pay for the extra protection if you only travel short distances or if your car manufacturer or credit card provider offers this coverage automatically.

Additionally, if you don’t frequently utilize roadside help, you might feel at ease paying out of pocket when necessary. An emergency road service plan, however, may help to reduce stress and ultimately save you money, depending on your situation.

Roadside assistance may be worthwhile if you:

• Have a road trip coming soon
• Desire the added advantages a membership group may provide
• Travel long distances
• Own an old vehicle
• Prefer having coverage for convenience
• Have no experience with mechanics or garage centers

If your car is new or in good condition, you may not need a roadside assistance policy. There’s a strong chance it can transport you to your destination without any issues.

If you’ve already had a breakdown on the side of the road, you may want to consider getting roadside assistance coverage.

How to Choose the Best Roadside Assistance Program

You might be unsure which roadside assistance program is best for you, given the variety of options. Although cost should not be ignored, it should not be your sole consideration. Roadside assistance programs offer different degrees of coverage and extra services, which are worth considering.

Even though it costs extra, standalone roadside assistance coverage from companies like AAA and AARP comes with a long list of benefits that can make the price tag worthwhile.

For instance, AAA gives its members discounts on travel, identity theft monitoring, and vehicle inspections.

In addition to providing travel discounts and a trip interruption guarantee, AARP provides emergency bonds if you are stopped and sent to the hospital while driving.

It’s simple to get emergency roadside coverage, whether you’re looking for a new insurance policy or adding it to your current insurance plan. Benefits are often good, and costs are low. However, you should still ask about any roadside assistance restrictions.

The roadside assistance plans with your credit card are often the least expensive. In case you ever need it, it’s a good idea to find out which of your current cards entitles you to roadside help. However, the limits on these plans are infamously low, so you may still have to pay for the majority of your service bill out of pocket.

What if I don’t have access to roadside help?

If your car breaks down, and you don’t have roadside help, you’ll need to call a towing service or technician. However, things might get complex if you find yourself stranded in an unknown location, have an emergency late at night, or are in bad weather.

Additionally, you will have to pay for any services you require out of pocket. A tow costs at least $99, while services like a dead battery, lockout, or flat tire may cost $75. That is significantly more expensive than a roadside assistance plan, which typically ranges from $10 to $60 annually.

Find out whether auto insurance covers a dead battery.

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Roadside Assistance Wrapped Up

Roadside assistance can organize a tow, repair a flat tire, jump-start a dead battery, and provide other services if your car breaks down. Roadside assistance lowers the expense of an unplanned breakdown.

Auto insurers typically offer roadside assistance as add-on coverage, but you can also look into membership programs like AAA. Finding the right roadside assistance option for you can be crucial in case of an emergency.

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