Roadside Assistance Program Comparisons.note¶
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Roadside Assistance Program Comparisons
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In this article, we compare the major roadside assistance services available from auto insurance
companies, clubs, manufacturers, and even your credit card. Each provider has a different menu of
features, access to a network of body shops, and cost. Then, we'll review the strength and cost of
each of the providers' roadside benefits. We've included the three biggest auto insurance companies,
the largest roadside assistance club, car manufacturers, two credit card issuers, and an on-demand
service so that prospective members can see how their service can differ. We've used the middle tier
of services or average across multiple plans where applicable, and the cost of individual services
from Urgent.ly, a smartphone app that suggests roadside service providers based on your location,
as a benchmark. Here are how the programs from the major roadside assistance providers stack up
on the major benefits.
AAA vs. Roadside Assistance from Auto Insurance Companies
If you drive as many miles as the average person (13,475 per year) and take advantage of the
benefits, AAA is the best roadside assistance option. We compared the middle-tier membership (AAA
Plus) to other roadside assistance options in the chart below and this was still the case. AAA Plus
members have services others do not as well. Out of the , GEICO's
roadside assistance program is the most competitive to the AAA Plus. It offers similar services for an
annual rate starting as low as $14, depending on someone’s driving history, state they live in and
other factors. What GEICO doesn’t have is an extremely long list of discounts and rewards available
to AAA members.
Here are how the programs compare to each other and Urgent.ly. Note that most of these providers
have an annual fee, while Urgent.ly is an on-demand road assistance smartphone app that charges
per incident.
AAA vs. Auto Insurers
Benefits
Costs
Vehicle Manufacturer
Credit Cards
best auto insurance companies
While AAA Plus members are not necessarily saving money (remember, there’s no guarantee they
will need any service), their out-of-pocket costs are more predictable because the majority of the
basic services are free to AAA Plus members or have reasonable limits. You do not need to have
AAA auto insurance to be a member and the enrollment fee is only $10. AAA Plus members pay a
$92 annual fee but even some of the basic roadside assistance services are better than the ones
offered by other programs.
Service/Co
mpany Towing Battery Flat Lockout Fuel
Delivery Winching
AAA Plus Up to 100
miles Yes Yes Services up
to $100
Free limited
supply to
nearest
station
Yes
State Farm
Emergency
Road
Service
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
GEICO
Emergency
Road
Service
Coverage
Up to 100
miles Yes Yes Limit up to
$100 Yes Yes
Allstate
Towing and
Labor Cost
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Progressive
Roadside
Assistance
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Farmers
Towing and
Road
Service
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Urgent.ly
$99 for 0-10
miles; tiered
pricing
$75 $75 $75 $75 $75
Towing:
For example, if an AAA Plus member needs a vehicle towed, the service will tow the vehicle up to
100 miles before the member is charged. In comparison, Allstate’s Emergency Roadside Assistance
program has no annual fee but charges $99 per tow and that rate can be more depending on the
circumstance. Most of the other providers will provide free towing up to 10 miles away. So even if you
needed your car towed only once in a whole year, you would be spending more with Allstate. State
Farm’s Emergency Roadside Service charges a $5 annual fee but covers only the first hour of labor
for a service call. Depending on where your car breaks down, that could result in a substantial
amount of out-of-pocket expenses. There’s no telling where the nearest service garage will be and
some garages will not work on every make and model of vehicle, especially luxury brands. If the
nearest service garage happens to be 45 miles away, a AAA Plus member wouldn’t pay anything out-
of-pocket to have their vehicle taken there. It would likely take more than an hour for the tow truck to
secure the vehicle and drop it off at the shop, in which case a State Farm policyholder would have to
pay for any service after that hour.
Fuel Delivery:
Something else that differentiates AAA Plus service from the others in the chart above is their fuel
delivery. AAA Plus members get a free limited supply of fuel delivered - enough to get them to the
nearest service station. Other roadside assistance services will deliver fuel to you, but you’ll be
charged the area market rate for the fuel. Even if a driver needed only a couple gallons, they would
be saving themselves at least a few dollars out-of-pocket with Triple A. Allstate’s Emergency
Roadside Assistance charges members $84 for any service other than a towing, including fuel
delivery.
Extrication:
Service/Company Cost Need Collision or
Comprehensive? Phone Number
AAA
Basic/Plus/Premier$52/$92/$129 N/A Depends on Area
State Farm Emergency
Road Service $4.56/year No 877-627-5757
GEICO Emergency
Road Service
Coverage
$15.60/year Yes 800-424-3426
Allstate Towing and
Labor Cost $125 per OccurenceNo 800-255-7828
Progressive Roadside
Assistance $16/year No 800-776-2778
Farmers Towing and
Road Service $23.2/year Yes 800-435-7764
Out-of-Pocket Costs on
Urgent.ly
No Annual Fee; paid
per incident N/A Depends on Area
AAA Plus members can worry less about the cost of being stuck somewhere too. Extrication or
winching - pulling a vehicle out of somewhere or something - can be complicated and expensive. If
your vehicle slides off the road and is stuck in grass, mud or a snowbank it might take more than one
service truck to pull it out. AAA Plus members get two drivers and two trucks free for the first hour.
When compared to others, this could be a huge savings. For example, if the extrication takes longer
than one hour, a State Farm Emergency Road Service member would have to pay out-of-pocket for
however much time two trucks spent to dislodge their vehicle.
Battery Jump-Start:
In addition to battery jump-start service, AAA Plus members have mobile battery replacement. If a
battery is dead and cannot be jump-started using another vehicle, a service professional will bring a
new battery. If the vehicle still doesn’t start, they will provide a tow service.
Other Benefits:
All AAA members (Basic, Plus and Premier) are eligible for numerous discounts and rewards for
dining, hotels, shopping, car repairs and entertainment. Here's a random assortment: one free set of
passport photos and complimentary domestic and foreign maps are available to AAA Plus members.
They are also eligible for up to $1,000 of Delay Protection which is reimbursement for certain meal,
lodging and travel expenses incurred while a vehicle is disabled and the member is more than 100
mile from home. Members get a free membership to the car rental company Hertz and 600 Hertz
Gold Plus Rewards Points after their first rental - enough for one free rental day.
If you're having trouble choosing between large auto insurance companies like State Farm, GEICO
and Progressive, read our comparison .
Roadside Assistance Through Your Vehicle Manufacturer
Most vehicle manufacturers offer roadside assistance programs for new vehicles. The programs
generally provide lockout services, flat tire changes, fuel delivery, battery jump-start, and towing to
the brand’s dealership if needed. They can last anywhere from the first two to five years of the life of
the car or up to as many as 100,000 miles. You will typically be restricted to getting serviced by your
manufacturer's network of dealerships and auto shops, so you'll have to consider the geographic
coverage of your manufacturer's network. Remember that this service is only good for that specific
vehicle and will not travel with a driver. If you have an old car, or simply value flexibility and
convenience more, roadside assistance through a third party may be worth your while.
On the other hand, if you have a specialty car, such as a hybrid or electric vehicle, or even a Tesla,
there may be limited expertise and your best bet may be getting roadside assistance directly from
your manufacturer. Other auto shops simply may not be equipped to fix your roadside headaches
Our table below gives a snapshot of the roadside services for a major and a specialty manufacturer
for new vehicles models.
here
Roadside Assistance Through A Credit Card
Some credit cards have a roadside assistance feature that cardholders are already part of and do not
need to enroll in. We’ve broken down a couple below and determined whether or not someone with
one of the cards should consider purchasing additional roadside assistance.
American Express
AmEx provides Premium Roadside Assistance that can effectively serve as the primary and only
roadside assistance service for select cardholders. It's actually the best option aside from AAA's
service, since it's complimentary for the first 4 calls you make. Premium Roadside Assistance offers
essentially the same number and quality of services that would be available to an AAA Plus member
- only there is no annual fee to the card holder. One difference is the service will only cover the cost
of the first 10 miles of towing. The card member would have to pay any expense after that out-of-
pocket for towing, or any of the other services for the first 4 incidences during the year. Here are a
few examples of the cards whose members have access to Premium Roadside Assistance:
Tesla GM Vehicles
Annual Fee
None; complimentary for 50,000
miles or 4 years, whichever
comes first
None; Generally available for
4+ years or 70,000+ miles,
whichever comes first,
depending on model
Calls Allowed Per Year N/A No limit when appropriate
Roadside Assistance Yes Yes
Towing Yes Yes
Battery Jump-Start ServiceNo Yes
Flat Tires No Yes
Lockout Service No Yes
Fuel Delivery N/A Yes
Extrication No Yes
The following table describes how other credit card companies handle their roadside assistance
benefits compared to American Express:
Amex Cards with Complimentary Roadside
Assistance
American Express Gold Card for Ameriprise
Financial American Express® Business Gold Card
The Platinum Card® from American ExpressThe Business Platinum® Card from American
Express
Premier Rewards Gold Card from American
Express Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card
Delta Reserve Credit Card Corporate Gold Card
The Plum Card® from American ExpressCorporate Platinum Card
Type Coverage Cost Cards
American Express
Towing (10 miles), Tire
Replacement, Lockout,
Jump Start, Winching,
Fuel Delivery (2
gallons)
Free (for cards above)/
Whatever Price Quote
All American Express
Cards
Visa
Towing (5 miles), Tire
Replacement, Lockout,
Jump Start, Winching,
Fuel Delivery (5
gallons)
$59.95 per dispatch
(first $50 free for
Chase Sapphire
Reserve)
All Visa cards
Master
Towing, Tire
Replacement, Fuel
Delivery, Jump Start
Pre-negotiated, billed
to your card All Master Cards