9 Best Roadside Assistance Plans You Need To Consider

The best roadside assistance plans generally cover the same basic services — such as towing, jumpstarts and tire changes — and may provide additional discounts or perks, all for an affordable yearly price. Of course, many roadside assistance companies offer unique benefits, so the best plan for you may depend on factors like what type of vehicle you want to cover and how you plan to use that vehicle.

Continue reading for more information to help you choose the best roadside assistance plan for your needs, including overviews of nine options that may be worth considering.

Best Roadside Assistance Plans

Depending on your circumstances, you may get the greatest value out of a roadside assistance plan from one of the following nine providers:

• Best for RVs: Good Sam Roadside Assistance
• Best for road trips: AAA
• Best for motorcycles: Motorcycle Towing Services
• Best for EVs: Better World Club
• Best policy endorsement: Erie Insurance
• Best for seniors: AARP
• Best for military families: USAA
• Noteworthy mention: Your car warranty
• Noteworthy mention: Your credit card company

Best for RVs: Good Sam Roadside Assistance

Good Sam offers one of the most comprehensive roadside assistance plans available, covering recreational vehicles (RVs), cars, vans, trucks, motorcycles, trailers and more. The company stands out from its competitors through perks like providing emergency medical, dental or legal referrals while you travel and allowing you to add your spouse, domestic partner or dependent child under the age of 25 to your plan at no extra cost.^[1]

All Good Sam Roadside Assistance plans provide unlimited towing to the nearest independent service station, while the Platinum+ RV plan also covers up to 100 miles’ worth of towing to any destination of your choice. Additionally, the Platinum Complete RV plan can provide repatriation services, emergency medical evacuation and up to $1,500 per year for tire or wheel replacements after they are damaged by road hazards.^[1]

Standard RV plans from Good Sam Roadside Assistance start at $64.95 per year for new customers. However, you should note that your prices will go up at renewal. The most expensive Good Sam Roadside Assistance plan — Platinum Complete RV — costs $239.95 annually after the first year.^[1]

Best for Road Trips: AAA

American Automobile Association (AAA) roadside assistance is a valuable option for road trips because premium AAA plans offer numerous travel benefits. For example, a Premier membership can provide up to $1,500 to cover transportation, food and hotel expenses if you get into an accident or your car breaks down. It may also contribute up to $500 toward returning your vehicle home and $500,000 for medical treatments if you’re injured during your trip.^[2]

In addition, premium AAA members may have access to benefits like digital travel planning tools, expedited passport services and concierge services. On top of all that, AAA members can claim a huge array of discounts, including reduced rates for rental cars, luggage, shopping, dining, tickets, gym memberships, pet insurance and more.^[2]

AAA does not operate as a single, unified organization; it consists of multiple independent motor clubs. As a result, prices and coverage details can vary from location to location. In general, you can expect to pay anywhere from $38 to $74 per year for a Classic plan, $60 to $124 per year for a Plus plan or $77 to $164 per year for a Premier plan.^[3]

Best for Motorcycles: Motorcycle Towing Services

For roadside assistance benefits specially tailored to motorcycles, consider Motorcycle Towing Services (MTS). Premiums range from $30 to $180, depending on the type of plan you select and whether you want coverage for your entire family.^[5] All plans automatically cover two motorcycles, and you can secure more coverage for only $5 per motorcycle per year.^[6]

Rather than setting mileage limits for towing, MTS uses dollar limits. The Economy plan sends someone to tow your motorcycle but doesn’t cover the cost of the tow, while the Premier plan covers up to $300 worth of towing.^[5] Meanwhile, the Emergency Service Plan can pay $100 toward replacing electric motorcycle or scooter batteries and cover 100% of the replacement cost for nonelectric batteries, tires and cables while you travel at least 100 miles from home.^[6]

Best for EV Drivers: Better World Club

Better World Club (BWC) promotes environmental sustainability, promising carbon-neutral roadside services; fittingly, hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) owners qualify for a 10% discount on Better World Club memberships.^[8] BWC’s Basic Auto plan costs about $57 per year for EV drivers and only covers five miles’ worth of towing, but you can upgrade to a Premium Auto plan that covers 100-mile tows for about $47 extra.^[9]

For $41.95 per year, you can purchase a Bicycle Only plan from BWC that covers tows of up to 30 miles.^[9]

While there is a significant cost increase when you upgrade to a Premium Auto plan, Better World Club does offer a price match guarantee — so you may be able to negotiate a better deal if you can find a different provider that offers the same coverage at a lower price. By paying more, you can also secure coverage for Associate members and extra vehicles, such as RVs and motorcycles.^[9]

Best Policy Endorsement: Erie Insurance

Erie Insurance policyholders may be able to add a roadside assistance endorsement to their car insurance for as little as $5 to $10 per vehicle per year, making it one of the most affordable options for securing roadside coverage. Despite its low price tag, Erie covers towing to the nearest service garage plus an additional 20 miles — a noteworthy increase compared to the five to 15 miles covered by many other cheap roadside assistance options.^[10][11]

Naturally, Erie’s roadside assistance program is a great fit for existing Erie Insurance policyholders and anyone interested in switching to a new insurance carrier. However, if you’re already getting a good deal on auto insurance from a different insurer, it may not make sense to drop that policy just to secure slightly cheaper roadside assistance through Erie.

Best for Seniors: AARP

AARP members enjoy discounted rates on most roadside assistance memberships through Allstate. The Roadside Assist plan costs $7 less during the first year for AARP members than for other Allstate customers. However, the renewal price for Roadside Assist plans is actually $5 higher for AARP members.^[13][14]

Conversely, the higher-tiered Roadside Advantage plan is always cheaper through AARP, costing $13 less for the first year and $16 less for subsequent years.^[13][14]

Your roadside assistance coverage through Allstate will extend to rental cars, and you can add one family member to your plan for free — even if they are not an AARP member. If you choose the premium Roadside Advantage plan, you may qualify for additional perks, like a $1,500 trip interruption benefit and up to $200 per year to cover tire repairs and replacements.^[13]

Keep in mind that, to qualify for this discounted roadside assistance plan, you will need to pay for an AARP membership separately — standard rates start at $15 for the first year and $20 for subsequent years. Of course, an AARP membership comes with several other perks, especially for individuals over the age of 50. That said, anyone who is at least 18 years old can join AARP.^[15]

Best for Military Families: USAA

Roadside assistance is also available as a car insurance add-on through USAA, which only serves active and retired military personnel and their families. USAA doesn’t specify a towing limit, instead covering tows to the nearest repair shop — regardless of mileage — in most places. Even if you haven’t added this coverage to your policy, you can still request help from USAA and pay less than if you had contacted a roadside service provider directly.^[16]

Noteworthy Mention: Your Car Warranty

When you buy a new car, you may automatically qualify for roadside assistance through your manufacturer’s warranty. Depending on the make and model of your vehicle, your roadside assistance will likely expire after two to six years or 25,000 to 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. That said, some automakers — like Hyundai — only set a time limit on roadside assistance coverage, which is ideal for high-mileage drivers.^[17]

Since the cost of a limited warranty is already built into the price of your car, this type of roadside assistance is essentially free whenever you purchase a brand new vehicle. However, your warranty may only cover tows to a dealership or manufacturer-approved repair facility rather than an independent auto shop or other destination of your choice.^[18]

Noteworthy Mention: Your Credit Card Company

Many credit card companies offer roadside assistance benefits. These services typically don’t require any sort of annual membership fee — instead, you will have to pay for roadside assistance on a pay-per-use basis. Your credit card company may have negotiated rates with certain providers, so it may be cheaper to connect with a roadside service provider through your credit card company than to contact the same provider on your own.^[19]

That said, the per-service fees may still be quite high. For example, a single service call through a Visa credit card from Bank of America costs $59.95, which is more than you might pay annually for some roadside assistance memberships that cover multiple service calls.^[19] Nevertheless, this may be a viable option if you find yourself stranded on the side of the road and don’t have an active roadside assistance plan.

What Does Roadside Assistance Cover?

Roadside assistance plans usually cover the following six services:

• Towing: If your car experiences a mechanical breakdown, you can contact your roadside assistance company, and it will send somebody to tow your vehicle to your house or a nearby repair shop.
• Winching: The technician who responds to your service call may also be able to winch your vehicle out of a ditch, mud, snow or anything else it is stuck in.
• Jumpstarts: Your roadside assistance provider can send someone to jumpstart your car battery if you are stranded because the battery is dead and your car won’t start.
• Tire changes: After popping a tire, you can request roadside assistance so a professional can replace the flat tire with your spare. Keep in mind that your car may need to be towed to a repair shop if you don’t already have a spare tire.
• Lockout assistance: You can also ask your roadside service provider to send a locksmith to help unlock your vehicle if you accidentally lock your keys inside or are otherwise unable to get in.
• Fuel delivery: Roadside assistance technicians may be able to bring gasoline to you if you run out of fuel and need help getting to the nearest gas station. However, you may have to pay for the fuel out of pocket.

You may qualify for additional benefits if you opt for a premium roadside assistance membership. For example, several premium plans offer trip interruption coverage, which can help you pay for food, lodging and other expenses that may come up if your vehicle experiences a breakdown or you are involved in a car accident. This coverage may only apply if you are traveling a certain distance from home — such as 100 miles or more.

What Isn't Covered?

There will usually be some restrictions on the services covered by your roadside assistance plan. For example, winching may not be covered if your car is too far away from a paved road. In addition, most plans set a maximum number of covered towing miles, after which you will have to pay for the excess miles out of pocket.

Many plans also limit how many covered service calls you can make per year. While you should still be able to contact your provider for roadside assistance after reaching the service call limit, you may have to pay full price for any services you request. Finally, certain vehicles may be excluded from coverage, meaning you won’t necessarily be covered when you’re riding a motorcycle or in a friend’s car, depending on your plan details.

How Much Does Roadside Assistance Cost?

A roadside assistance endorsement for your car insurance policy will typically add $15 to $30 per vehicle to your annual premium, while standalone membership plans cost about $50 to $180 per year on average.^[20] If you instead opt to go through a pay-per-use service provider, you can generally expect to pay $60 to $150 per service call, depending on the type of help you need.^[21]

Where Can You Purchase a Roadside Assistance Plan?

Besides the providers mentioned previously, you can also purchase a roadside assistance plan or policy endorsement from insurance companies like the following:

1. American Family
2. Direct Auto
3. Esurance
4. Farmers
5. GEICO
6. The Hartford
7. Liberty Mutual
8. Nationwide
9. State Farm
10. Travelers