How to Choose (and Use) a Roadside-Assistance Plan

Over a life of pushing cars to their limits,
I’ve come to learn the value of roadside assistance: a tow truck, jumper cables connected to a strong battery, a couple of gallons of gas, and someone who’ll change a flat tire in the rain. Here’s what you should know about getting roadside assistance for your own car. 

The basics 

Roadside-assistance programs are available from a host of sources. Showing incredible confidence in their products, most carmakers now include at least two years of "free" roadside assistance. Some even offer it for certain used cars. Other no-extra-cost roadside assistance is included in the membership fee of warehouse clubs and other organizations, such as AAA. There are more than a dozen traditional auto clubs, which charge from around $50 a year for a very bare-bones program to about three times that for a vehicle-intensive family with motorcycles and a motorhome. 

Free is not the same as good 

The roadside assistance that carmakers, insurance companies, and warehouse clubs provide may not fit your needs. Your rescuer may not be an employee of the auto company and surely doesn’t work directly for the big-box club. Even if the help comes straight from the car company, you may not be allowed to have your car towed to an independent repair shop. (Service and parts make up a much larger portion of auto-dealership profits than do sales of new cars, so they want to do the work themselves. Roadside assistance might be free, but you’ve still got to worry about repairs.) 

When you need it 

Why do carmakers offer such assistance with their new vehicles? If you cut through the marketing benefit, there’s really very little cost to automakers since new cars just don’t break down like they used to. It’s when you’re driving that same car 10 years later with 170,000 on the odometer that you really need the assistance. If you take long trips in an old car, think hard about investing in a roadside-assistance plan. 

Are the extras worth it? 

Almost every auto club or roadside-service membership comes with a catalog of extras, from hotel discounts to glossy magazines. I haven’t picked up one of their free maps in years, thanks to my nav system, but the motel discount has saved me more than a few dollars. 

Your service may vary 

After extensive (and accidental) research, I discovered that the Automobile Club of Southern California and its counterpart in the northern part of the state provide rapid, efficient service. However, my limited experience with AAA’s Auto Club of the Carolinas was radically different. So, as with any product, use the power of the Internet to comparison shop. There are plenty of dissatisfied customers out there ranting online about their bad experiences. 

Take out your magnifying glass 

The fine print of a roadside-assistance arrangement will tell you if the service will actually be of help to you. Does it cover you in any vehicle, whether you’re a passenger or a driver? Or does it cover only you and only in your car? Does it cover motorcycles, motorhomes, trailers, or all-terrain vehicles? Are you covered in Canada? Is a nearby highway or area excluded? Does the lost-key service or reimbursement cover your newfangled keyless system or only keys that can by made by the hardware store? 

Once you know the fine details, think about your normal travel circumstances. For example: If your service provides a seemingly generous 75 miles of free towing, but you spend your time driving your Prius down lonely stretches of Interstate 70 in eastern Colorado, 75 miles is not going to get you to the nearest Toyota dealer, and Hoss at the repair shop in Limon may have never seen a hybrid drive system. 

Officer, don’t call Cousin Jake 

My motorcycle-riding son recently received two rude awakenings when he unwillingly used his helmet to break out the rear window of a minivan. (Distracted riding hurts.) His first surprise was when he regained consciousness to see a crashed motorcycle and a smashed van. The second was when he received a $300 invoice from the towing service. 

This accident happened in rural Virginia, and it seems that the cop called his cousin’s shop—not my son’s roadside-service provider. My son’s company reimbursed only a portion of the bill. If you’re in a crash that disables your vehicle, ask the police to call a tow service covered by your plan and not his relative’s shop. Good luck with that. 

I ain’t going there 

If you’re going off-road, you’d better be able to get yourself back on-road. Don’t expect any roadside service to leave the pavement, much less venture down a muddy trail to pull your new all-wheel-drive vehicle back to the pavement. 

Like tires or a warranty, the proper roadside-assistance package is different for everyone. You’ve got to get to know your car, your area, and to be realistic with yourself about your DIY skills. But if you’re out of gas on Interstate 5, or your spouse’s car won’t start at work, or you have a teen who "bumped" into a curb and collapsed the suspension, you’ll be happy you have the right roadside-assistance plan. 

Thanks To Popular Mechanics for this tip 

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