Everything You Need To Know About USAA Roadside Assistance

You can secure coverage for every major roadside assistance service by purchasing a towing and labor car insurance add-on from USAA. That said, USAA predominantly serves active and retired military members and their families, so you may want to evaluate your eligibility before diving into our USAA roadside assistance review.

If you think USAA roadside assistance could be a good fit for you, keep reading to learn what services it covers and what other benefits may come with your USAA membership.

USAA Roadside Assistance Overview

Our Thoughts on USAA Roadside Assistance

Adding towing and labor coverage to your USAA car insurance policy is a great way to secure coverage in case you experience a breakdown that leaves your vehicle stranded. USAA’s commitment to serving military families shines through in its roadside assistance product — for example, support is available regardless of whether you’ve purchased an endorsement, and you may even be able to request assistance while you’re stationed outside of the United States.^[1]

If you need to request roadside services through USAA, you should note that the insurer’s roadside assistance coverage generally comes with a $100-per-incident coverage limit.^[2] For example, if the service provider charges $250 for a long-distance tow, USAA would cover the first $100, and you would be responsible for paying the remaining $150 out of pocket.

The good news is that you won’t have to pay a deductible before your coverage takes effect.

USAA Roadside Assistance Cost

Annual premiums for USAA roadside assistance add-ons usually span from $12 to $24, according to Elizabeth Rivelli, a personal finance and insurance writer for BestMoney. As a result, USAA customers could end up spending less than the $15-to-$30 average that most people pay for towing and labor insurance endorsements.^[3]

USAA Roadside Assistance Coverage

USAA’s roadside solutions generally include coverage for every major roadside support service, but there are still a few exclusions you need to keep in mind.

What's Included?

Here are the main services you can request from USAA in the event of a breakdown:^[1]

• Towing: In most locations, USAA can arrange to have your car towed to the nearest repair shop if it needs significant repairs before you can safely drive it again.
• Winching: USAA can also send a truck to winch your vehicle — which refers to the process of pulling it out of mud, snow or any other substance or surface it is stuck in.
• Battery jumpstarts: Anytime a dead car battery brings your trip to a halt, you can ask USAA to send someone to jumpstart your battery so you can get back on the road.
• Tire changes: As long as you have a spare tire with you, you can contact USAA to request a technician who can replace your flat tire for you.
• Lockout services: A responding technician from USAA may also be able to unlock your car if you have locked yourself out of it.
• Fuel delivery: If you’re running low on fuel and won’t be able to make it to the nearest gas station, USAA can send someone to bring you gasoline.

What Isn’t Included?

Some of the main exclusions that may apply to your roadside assistance policy from USAA include the following:^[1][2][4]

• Tows after car accidents: USAA treats tows necessitated by mechanical breakdowns differently from those necessitated by car accidents. While your roadside assistance likely won’t cover accident-related tows, your collision insurance likely will.
• Supplies and parts: If USAA delivers a new supply or part to you, you’ll generally have to cover the cost of the supply or part itself. For example, you will have to pay out of pocket for gas or replacement keys you receive from USAA. Meanwhile, USAA will not provide a new tire if you pop one of your tires.
• Most services involving abandoned vehicles: To access the full suite of USAA’s roadside assistance benefits, you will need to stay with your vehicle after a breakdown. If you abandon your car, USAA will only cover towing.

USAA Discounts and Member Benefits

USAA policyholders automatically gain free access to the USAA Perks program, which grants them discounts on a large array of products and services. For example, your USAA membership may enable you to save money on the following:[5]

How To Request USAA Roadside Assistance

Drivers in the continental United States and Canada can request roadside assistance from USAA using an online portal on the company’s website or the USAA Mobile app.^[4] Additionally, you can call USAA’s roadside assistance hotline at 800-531-8555. If you need help while driving in an American territory or another country, you should select your location on USAA’s international contact information webpage to find the phone number you should call.^[6]

There is no specific limit to the number of times you are allowed to request roadside assistance from USAA each year. That said, you could still be penalized for making excessive service calls if USAA determines that you have exceeded the “reasonable use” of your roadside assistance plan, according to Rivelli.

“That’s vague by design, but occasional use — one to three times per year — is well within the norm,” Rivelli said in an email to SmartFinancial. “It’s not a quota system, but if someone starts calling in for every minor issue, USAA could decide to remove the coverage. So, it’s best viewed as a safety net, not a maintenance plan.”

How To Add USAA Roadside Assistance

The best way to add towing and labor coverage to your USAA car insurance policy is through the company’s online policy management portal. You can even chat with an automated agent on the website that can analyze your existing coverage for you.^[4] Fortunately, USAA customers can request roadside assistance even if they haven’t added coverage to their policies — they’ll simply need to pay for the services they receive out of pocket.^[1]

USAA has negotiated special rates with its roadside service partners, so it should be cheaper to go through USAA than to contact a third-party provider directly.^[1]

Pros and Cons of USAA Roadside Assistance

Pros

These are some of the biggest factors that make USAA an appealing option if you’re in need of roadside assistance coverage:^[1][5]

• All major services covered: USAA covers all six of the most common roadside assistance services, so you won’t have to worry about any major holes in your coverage if you choose to buy a policy from USAA.
• International coverage: Drivers throughout the United States and Canada can access 24/7 roadside assistance benefits through USAA — as can drivers within 75 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. In addition, roadside services are available in other countries where USAA issues car insurance policies.
• Membership perks: When you become a member of USAA, you unlock discounts on a vast lineup of products and services. USAA is one of the few insurance companies with this kind of membership structure, and it is generally cheaper than other companies that offer membership-based roadside assistance plans.

Cons

The main drawbacks of USAA’s roadside assistance program include the following:^[1][7]

• Long wait times: USAA advertises standard wait times of 60 to 90 minutes for roadside assistance, which is on the higher end of wait times compared to many other roadside assistance companies.
• Restricted to military families: Insurance products from USAA are exclusively available to active military personnel, veterans, employees of certain federal agencies, students in service academies or similar programs and the spouses and children of other eligible USAA members. As a result, there’s no use in considering USAA roadside assistance unless you have a direct military connection.

USAA Roadside Assistance vs. the Competition