The Best Roadside Assistance Plans in (2026)

Car problems can be very stressful, whether they’re serious issues like a breakdown, an accidental lockout, a flat tire, or a dead battery. Roadside assistance plans relieve some of that stress by arranging a tow or performing services on-site to get you up and running.

Here’s what you should know about roadside assistance and how it can help ensure that you’ll never be stuck without help when you need it.

What is roadside assistance?

Roadside assistance is a type of contract in which, for a monthly or annual fee, the provider will come to your aid if your car breaks down, has a flat tire or a dead battery, or if you run out of gas or lock yourself out of your car.^[1]

Some car insurance companies offer roadside assistance, but you can also purchase it independently through a motor club. In addition, credit card companies often offer roadside assistance for cardholders.

While not mandatory, roadside assistance provides peace of mind.

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The best roadside assistance options

Which roadside assistance option is best for you depends on where and how often you drive, how reliable your car is, and whether you’re comfortable repairing it yourself.

Insurance companies

Many insurance companies — including major ones like Allstate, Progressive, and Travelers — offer roadside assistance as policy add-ons. Allstate also has separate annual membership and pay-per-use plans.

Progressive includes more services, including winching. Travelers’ premier roadside assistance plan offers similar services and provides $500 worth of personal property insurance coverage.

Insurance companies’ plans are relatively inexpensive. Just talk to your insurer before you buy to make sure frequent use of your benefits won’t increase your insurance premiums.

Motor clubs

Motor clubs are membership organizations that offer travel services, travel-related discounts, and roadside assistance plans. You’ll typically have to be a club member to purchase a plan, and memberships are usually renewed annually.

AAA and Good Sam are two of America’s best-known motor clubs and roadside assistance plans.

• AAA covers any vehicle the member is riding in — even as a passenger in someone else’s car. Its highest-level plan allows one free tow of up to 200 miles per year, plus four more service calls with towing up to 100 miles each.

• Good Sam is a familiar name to recreational vehicle (RV) owners, but it also has a roadside assistance plan for cars. Its platinum-level plan offers unlimited distance towing to the nearest service center. Family members are covered, although only for member-owned vehicles, and the plan is good anywhere in North America.

Motor clubs’ assistance plans are often more comprehensive than insurance companies’ plans. The downside is that they usually cost more.

Credit card companies

Credit card users sometimes overlook the roadside assistance benefits that some cards offer. U.S. and Canadian Chase cardholders get standard assistance services free or as a pay-per-use service, depending on their card level.

Some Capital One cards also offer roadside assistance through Visa and Mastercard. While cardholders pay for the services they receive, the services are often discounted.

Roadside assistance from a credit card is often pay-per-use, which means you only pay for services you use. But the coverage is less comprehensive than what insurance companies and motor clubs might offer.

What roadside assistance covers

Specific benefits vary from one roadside assistance plan to the next. Some common benefits include:

• Towing: Towing a disabled car to a service station or other location

• Winching: Frees cars stuck in mud, water, snow, or sand

• Tire changing: Swapping out a flat tire for the plan holder’s spare

• Battery jump-start: Jump-start a dead battery

• Lockout service: Opens the car if you lose the key or lock it inside

• Fuel delivery: Delivers a limited amount of gas to a plan member who runs out

• Trip interruption: Reimburses some expenses incurred while waiting for a vehicle repair while traveling

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Who can benefit from roadside assistance

Just about every driver has occasions when they’d benefit from roadside assistance services, and some might find a plan particularly useful:^[2]

• 

  Drivers with older cars

  Older cars are more prone to breaking down. The cost of a single tow could more than cover the cost of the plan.

• 

  Younger and older drivers

  Roadside assistance can be a good safety measure for potentially vulnerable drivers.

• 

  Drivers who take frequent road trips

  Breaking down far from home can be expensive and stressful. Roadside assistance makes it less so.

• 

  Drivers with no mechanical skills

  If you don’t know how to jump-start a car or change a tire, an assistance plan can save you from costly out-of-pocket tow truck and repair bills.

How to choose a good roadside assistance program

Roadside assistance programs are like other insurance-related products: You have to do some research to find the right one.

First, check your credit card benefits to see if you’re already covered by a plan. If not, or if the plan doesn’t have what you need, check out plans offered by insurance companies and motor clubs.

Here’s what to look for:

• Generous towing limit: Ideally, your plan will cover towing to the repair shop of your choice or to your home, within reasonable distances.

• Coverage for the driver, not the car: A plan that covers any car you’re riding in provides the most flexibility.

• Family coverage: If your household has multiple drivers, a plan that covers everyone will be the most cost-effective.

• High service call allowances: The ability to use your benefits for multiple service calls within a single year, and high cash limits on covered reimbursements, could save you money.

• Robust mobile app: The assistance plan’s app should make it easy to get live customer service and make a service request when you need roadside assistance.

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