Roadside assistance is a car insurance add-on that connects policyholders to the right professionals when their vehicle breaks down, runs out of gasoline, figures in an accident, or needs minor repairs. As roadside services can be expensive, roadside assistance coverage can help pay for these costs. Without roadside assistance coverage, you may want to try to fix your car troubles, like a flat tire or needed jump-start, on your own to save money. But this option only works for people with the knowledge required to complete various vehicle repairs. Plus, if you call a professional for assistance, you may end up paying more without roadside assistance coverage. When you have your roadside assistance plan through your car insurance company, the service will only be available to use on the car that coverage is listed. However, when you choose expert towing services, they may allow you to utilize it no matter whose car you’re driving.
There are other companies that may also provide roadside assistance either free of charge with their other services or as a membership option. You also might be able to get roadside coverage through an extended warranty on your car. Keep in mind, since your coverage is often tied to the vehicle, you will lose warranty coverage if you sell the car. If the cost of repair is over a certain amount, no work can actually be done until an independent assessor has checked it out. This can take longer because there aren’t as many assessors as there are vehicles. If this happens, and it is covered by your policy you will be given access to a loan vehicle.
Part of that is just the fact that nobody has to contact roadside assistance if they aren’t already in a jam or having some kind of problem with their car. This makes most contact with roadside assistance stressful by default.
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This immediately gives you an additional option for roadside assistance if you have trouble at no extra cost. Depending on the type of company that provides the coverage, you might have to pay for a service up front and submit receipts for reimbursement. This can be the case if you have roadside assistance through an extended car warranty or even through your auto insurance policy. This is usually not the case if you have roadside assistance from a specialty company like AAA. Many insurance providers allow you to add roadside assistance coverage as an add-on or rider to your existing policy.
What does Roadside Assistance Cover: Aid for Emergencies
These roadside assistance plans can be added to your insurance premium and will cover all insured drivers and cars. The cost may be lower than purchasing a plan from another provider, and the claims process may be streamlined if you end up needing to file one. Allstate, for example, will allow you to tack roadside assistance onto your existing coverage for as little as $25 per vehicle per billing period. These remain in effect for the length of the factory warranty, usually a minimum of three years.
Insurance companies offer roadside assistance as an insurance add-on for as low as $10 to $20 per year, while auto clubs like AAA can cost about $70 to $150 per year. Roadside plans from insurance companies may have lower coverage limits than plans from auto clubs. When you call roadside assistance, the company gets in touch with the nearest and most appropriate roadside assistance. You can contact your auto club, your credit card issuer or your insurance company.
Keep in mind that within most policies, a loan vehicle is USUALLY only provided for a maximum of 2 weeks. If the repair time will take longer than this there might be some additional costs to make sure you have a loan car.
Specifically, if you have a situation that you think requires assistance, you’d start by calling the company you have your coverage through. Some roadside assistance providers also have a mobile app you can use.
