Most people only learn what their roadside plan actually covers while standing next to a dead car. We read through each provider’s published terms and contact pages so you can save the right number now, know what a tow really costs, and skip the hold music later.
Key Takeaways Before You Need a Tow
These are the questions that usually come up only after something has gone wrong. Short answers first; the details sit in the provider cards below.
Try the app first. GEICO’s own contact page asks drivers to report roadside claims through its app or website because of high call volume, and AAA also takes requests online and by app. Keep the phone number as your backup for dead zones.
No. Every plan has a mileage cap. On AAA’s page, Classic covers 5 miles (or the nearest AAA-approved repair shop), Plus covers 100 miles per tow, and Premier covers one 200-mile tow, then 100 miles on the rest. Past the cap, you pay.
With AAA, yes: join as Classic by phone and pay the $75 fee for immediate service. Joining online instead carries a waiting period, which AAA’s pages put at 48 hours. At the average Classic price plus the fee, you land near $140 and still keep the membership.
Often, for a single daily car. Add-ons are priced per vehicle, so they won’t help in a friend’s or rental car. Club plans like AAA follow you as driver or passenger in any car, owned or not.
Allstate’s pay-per-use option for non-members starts at $154 per tow, per published comparisons. That one bill can cost more than two years of a club membership.
Inside, belted, hazard lights on, unless the car is in a blind spot or on fire. If you have to get out, use the door away from traffic, move well clear, and stand behind a guardrail. Full steps are in the safety section.
Batteries, flat tires and lockouts. In AAA’s published breakdown data, those three made up roughly 17 million of about 29 million annual calls. Test a battery at three years old and yearly after that; AAA also says a battery loses about 35% of its power at 32°F.
Possibly. Many new vehicles include complimentary roadside help for a limited time (Volkswagen’s example is three years or 36,000 miles), some cell plans sell it for a few dollars a month, and certain credit cards include it. Check these before you pay for a plan.
12 Roadside Providers, With the Numbers and Costs
Contact pills are labeled by how well we could confirm them. A green pill means the number appears on the provider’s own site. An orange pill means we matched it across independent sources but couldn’t pull it from the provider’s page, so confirm against your card or app before you rely on it. Prices are published ranges and shift by state and vehicle.
AAA’s roadside page is clear on one detail people miss: on Classic you pay the cost of fuel yourself, and the tow cap is 5 miles or the nearest AAA-approved repair facility. The membership, not the car, is what’s covered, so it works when you’re a passenger or in a rental. Each regional club sets some terms, so your tow miles and price can differ.
The cheapest published entry point we found. GEICO’s contact page tells you to use the app or website first because phones back up, and the app includes a tracker that shows how far the technician is. Services cover the usual list: tow, jump start, fuel, lockout, tire change and winching. If you can’t reach GEICO, comparison sites note you can pay a provider yourself and request reimbursement afterward.
Published comparisons put Progressive’s add-on in the low double digits per year, with the exact price and covered services depending on your state and policy. We couldn’t find a single official page listing its tow limit, so read your policy documents for that number before you count on a long tow.
State Farm’s coverage lists towing, flat tire changes, fuel and oil delivery and lockouts, and it also pays for one hour of mechanical labor for things like battery replacement and electrical problems. That labor line is unusual at this price, and it’s the reason we’d call this one out for older cars.
The only big name that sells all three ways. Policyholders can add roadside for about $25 per vehicle, anyone can join for a membership starting near $73 a year, or you can pay per use with tows starting around $154. The basic membership is described as covering about $150 worth of services a year, which is worth knowing before you call twice.
AARP’s own page lists protection starting at $5.50 a month, with members saving up to 20% on Allstate Roadside plans. Benefits work in any car you drive, including rented and borrowed ones, and a CNBC review notes the coverage extends to two people, which suits couples sharing a car. Mention your AARP number when you enroll to get the discount.
The one to look at if you ride a bike as well as drive. Its bicycle plan includes 30 miles of transport, and the company markets a carbon-neutral towing network. Roadside is dispatched through contractors, and reader reviews on ConsumerAffairs are mixed, with some reporting slow arrivals and reimbursement hassles. Its terms offer a refund within 30 days if you haven’t used a service call.
Its plans promise unlimited-distance towing to the nearest service center, and the higher tiers cover trailers and RVs, which many auto policies and clubs cap or exclude. Listed prices run from about $100 to $240, though discounts of up to 50% are common for new members. Review pages on ConsumerAffairs and Trustpilot carry repeated complaints about slow dispatch, so treat the “unlimited” label as distance, not speed.
Sold as an add-on for USAA-insured members, with published estimates in the $12–$21 range per year. One useful note from a comparison site: even if roadside isn’t on your policy, you can still call USAA for help rather than starting from scratch with a stranger. Ask how pay-per-use is billed before you need it.
WalletHub’s roundup singles out Nationwide for offering a basic and a plus plan at a modest price for an insurer. We couldn’t find a published price, so ask your agent for the quote and the tow-mile limit on each tier before you pick.
Easy to overlook and often the best deal. Many manufacturers include roadside help for a set period or mileage after purchase; Volkswagen’s, for example, runs the first three years or 36,000 miles. Look in the owner’s manual or the maker’s app for the number and the limits, then save it to your phone.
Some carriers sell roadside plans for a few dollars a month. WalletHub cites AT&T at $2.99 a month for one line, tied to a specific phone that has to be with the car and the account holder at the time of service. Certain credit cards include roadside help for all cardholders. Both are thin compared with a club, but better than nothing.
What It Costs and How Far They’ll Tow
We drew these two charts from the published ranges above so you can see the trade-off at a glance: add-ons are cheap but narrow, clubs cost more and tow farther.
Ranges come from published comparisons and provider pages and move by state, vehicle and promotion. Good Sam often discounts new memberships sharply.
Good Sam’s “unlimited” means unlimited distance to the nearest service center, not a tow to any shop you choose. AAA’s tow-to-destination benefit applies within your plan’s mileage range.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Scroll the table sideways on a tablet or desktop. On a phone the same data appears as one card per provider.
| Provider | Typical annual cost | Tow distance | Needs a policy? | Best for | How to reach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | $65–$125 | 5 / 100 / 200 mi | No | Any car, passenger or driver | 800-222-4357 · app |
| GEICO | From $14 | Policy terms | Yes | Cheapest single-car cover | 800-424-3426 · app |
| Progressive | $13–$36 | Policy terms | Yes | Budget add-on | 800-776-2778 · app |
| State Farm | $15–$30 | Policy terms | Yes | Older cars (labor hour) | 800-782-8332 · app |
| Allstate Roadside | $25 add-on · $73+ member | Plan terms | No | Non-policyholders | 800-255-7828 |
| AARP / Allstate | From $66 | Plan terms | AARP membership | Couples, retirees | 800-714-0350 |
| Better World Club | $63–$115 | 5 / 100 mi | No | Cyclists, eco-minded | 877-500-1240 |
| Good Sam | $100–$180 | Unlimited, to nearest shop | No | RVs and trailers | Member card · web |
| USAA | $12–$21 | Policy terms | USAA member | Military families | App · member card |
| Nationwide | Ask for quote | Basic / Plus | Yes | Existing customers | 800-421-3535 |
| Automaker program | Free, limited term | Brand terms | No | New and CPO vehicles | Manual · brand app |
| Carrier / card perk | ~$3/mo example | Basic | Account or card | Cheap backup | Card or carrier app |
The First Ten Minutes: Staying Safe While You Wait
The call matters less than where you are standing while you make it. This sequence follows the guidance published by AAA’s Oregon club, State Farm and Maryland’s transportation agencies.
AAA’s Oregon club notes that a car’s frame and airbags give better protection than standing roadside if another driver fails to move over. Leave only if you’re stuck on a blind curve where you could be rear-ended, or if there’s smoke or fire. Many states also have slow-down or move-over laws that now cover disabled vehicles with flashing hazards, not just emergency crews.
On a phone map, tap the blue location dot and share your location with the dispatcher or someone you trust. Note the highway, direction of travel and nearest mile marker or exit. Some states run short highway-patrol numbers; Maryland, for instance, uses #77 on interstates.
AAA says a locking lug nut key stored in the glovebox or with the spare matters: its technicians couldn’t change thousands of tires in a single year because the key was missing. Tire inflator kits that have replaced spares on many cars can’t repair every kind of damage, and AAA data shows vehicles ten years old or older are about twice as likely to be stranded and four times as likely to need a tow.
Don’t accept a tow from an unrequested driver. Confirm with your provider’s dispatcher, ask for the company name and the driver’s ID, and get the tow destination and price in writing before the hook goes on. This is general consumer advice rather than a specific rule, but it holds in any state.
Roadside Locator: Which Number to Call First
Match your situation to the first call, then save that number before you need it.
Open your insurer’s app first and request service there. If you can’t get a signal or data, call the number on your insurance card. Check your policy for the tow limit so you know what you’d pay beyond it.
Call AAA and join as a Classic member with the $75 phone fee for immediate dispatch, or ask Allstate about pay-per-use, where tows start near $154. Compare the two quotes while you’re on the line; AAA leaves you with a membership afterward.
Use a person-based plan. AAA covers you as driver or passenger in any car, and AARP’s Allstate plan covers any car you drive, including rentals.
New or certified pre-owned: check the automaker’s included program first. RV or trailer: Good Sam’s higher tiers are built for it. Bicycle: Better World Club’s bike plan. Military: ask USAA before you pay anyone else.
This page is an independent guide and is not affiliated with any provider listed. Prices are published ranges and vary by state, vehicle, policy and promotion. Phone numbers marked “Number on official site” appear on the provider’s own page; those marked “Cross-checked” were matched across independent sources and should be confirmed against your insurance card, membership card or app before you rely on them. Coverage, tow limits, waiting periods and exclusions are set in each provider’s contract; read the terms before you buy. In an emergency, call 911.
Key sources: aaa.com roadside pages · geico.com/contact · aarp.org (Allstate Roadside) · statefarm.com · AAA Oregon safety guidance · Maryland MVA roadside safety · WalletHub and CNBC price roundups.