It’s best to check with your manufacturer and credit card company to confirm before you purchase additional roadside coverage from your insurance provider or a third-party club.
Many carmakers and credit card companies will offer free roadside service with certain perks and limitations. You might want to think twice about roadside assistance if you already have it through your car’s manufacturer or credit card.
Who is offering you roadside assistance coverage?
Without this coverage, having a mechanic come out to your location can easily be more expensive than you had anticipated-as much as $200 per incident. Surprisingly, paying the increased premium or membership fee for roadside assistance will end up saving you money in the long run. How much money do I want to spend in the long run?
Mechanical skills are great to have, but nothing beats having a professional coming to you in a time of need with a quick fix. If your patience quickly wears thin, you might benefit from roadside assistance. How much time do I want to invest in repairing my car? When driving in new locations, it would be comforting to have a professional take care of these matters for you. If your daily commute tends to stay close to home, you’ll most likely be aware of where local body shops are and which ones you can call when in need. The less you drive, the less need you’ll have for roadside assistance. Even if your car is not under warranty, any problem you run into will be cheaper to handle individually instead of paying for an optional coverage you may never need. Your new vehicle will most likely be running well and generally is covered under the manufacturer’s emergency roadside service for the first few years or up to a certain amount of mileage. The older the car, the higher the need for additional service. Adding roadside assistance coverage to your insurance policy can cost anywhere between $20 to $180 per year, depending on your policy.īefore you decide whether or not you can go without the extra coverage, ask yourself these five questions about yourself and your car: 1. In comparison, many auto club memberships only cost between $75 to $250 per year or $6 to $21 per month. Towing without membership or insurance can cost anywhere from $75 to $200 per incident. That means you’ll end up paying massive amounts out of pocket. However, if you find yourself in a situation where you need professional help and don’t have a reliable service on hand, like AAA or your insurance company, you could become vulnerable to towing company or auto body fraud.
If you’ve never experienced mechanical troubles with your vehicle before, it can be tempting to go without roadside assistance coverage to save a few dollars a month. The following services are usually included in a roadside assistance visit: Roadside assistance service typically involves a professional mechanic driving out to you and your stalled vehicle and either fixing it on-site or providing towing services to your auto repair shop of choice. What services do roadside assistance plans provide? Whether you purchase a roadside assistance plan through your auto insurance provider or a separate company, you’re usually guaranteed multiple services depending on the plan…and you should always be assured peace of mind.īefore we get into the pros and cons of a AAA membership and a similar coverage through your insurance company, let’s go over roadside assistance basics. Roadside assistance prices depend on your current insurance policy and state Starting cost of roadside assistance coverage per yearįree with collision and comprehensive or pay-per-use Signing up for a AAA membership includes a new-member fee that can cost anywhere from $10 to $20 depending on your state.