Best Roadside Assistance Plans 2026
Anything can happen on the road, from a flat tire to running out of gas. If you haven’t planned ahead, these situations can cause unwanted delays or stress.
Luckily, help is available: getting roadside assistance via a car insurance policy, a club membership, or credit card can give you peace of mind that you’d have some help if necessary.
Most plans offer jump starts, towing, fuel delivery and lockout services. And there are a few different ways to get a policy — including some avenues you might already have access to.
CNBC Select picks the best ways to get roadside assistance services. (See our methodology for more on how we chose the best roadside assistance plans.)
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Best roadside assistance plans
Best standalone plan: AAA
AAA Membership
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Cost
Exact pricing and specific tier names can vary depending on where you live.
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Benefits
Basic roadside assistance includes towing up to three miles, plus fuel delivery, flat tire services and jump starts. Plus plans include towing up to 100 miles, plus lockout services and identity theft monitoring. Premier plans add one day of a rental car with a tow, as well as travel benefits like international driving permits and four sets of passport photos.
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Other perks
Membership can also help you score discounts on shopping, dining and entertainment purchases, as well as travel discounts on hotels and car rentals.
Pros
- Membership includes a variety of ways to save everyday, including on travel and entertainment purchases.
- Identity theft monitoring is included with all membership tiers
Cons
- $15 one-time enrollment fee
Standout benefits: All AAA members can also get discounts on the things you do every day, from shopping and eating out, to travel benefits on hotels and rental cars.
Best from your car insurance: Geico
Geico Auto Insurance
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Policy highlights
Accident forgiveness after 5 years. Add-ons include roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement and mechanical breakdown insurance.
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Discounts
16, including multi-car, safety/security systems, bundling, new car, clean driving record, defensive driver, military, homeownership and autopay.
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Availability
Geico auto insurance is available in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.
Pros
- Lower average rates for most drivers
- Can easily purchase and manage policy online
- Mechanical breakdown insurance
- Policies are available nationwide
Cons
- No gap insurance
- Few branches for in-person services
- Ranks below average for customer service and claims on J.D. Power surveys
Who’s this for? Geico’s car insurance lets you add roadside assistance to your policy starting at $14 per year. You can request help easily right from the Geico app.
Standout benefits: Plans include lockout services up to $100 per incident, a higher limit than some other roadside assistance plans.
Best for Costco members: CONNECT by American Family
CONNECT Auto Insurance
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Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
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App available
Yes (American Family’s MyAmFam app)
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Policy highlights
The Glass repair deductible waiver is standard and comprehensive plans include lost key coverage.
Costco members are eligible for a discount and perks like roadside assistance and lifetime renewability.
Pros
- Waiver of glass repair deductible included with standard policies
- Comprehensive plans include coverage to replace locks if keys are lost
- Gap insurance available
- Costco members eligible for discount and free roadside assistance
Cons
- Not available in every state
- New Costco Connect policies not available in California or Florida
Who’s this for? CONNECT by American Family and Costco’s partnership gives executive members free roadside assistance as well as a discount on coverage.
Standout benefits: Executive members also get lifetime renewability on CONNECT by American Family, meaning that you can’t get dropped after an accident.
Best for retirees: AARP
Allstate Roadside with AARP
Who’s this for? AARP members can get roadside assistance through Allstate starting at $5.50 a month. Coverage extends to any car you’re driving, including rental cars when you’re traveling within the U.S.
Standout benefits: Coverage is for two people, making this plan a good fit for couples.
Best with a car warranty: Autopom
autopom! Extended Car Warranty
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Policy highlights
Autopom! has three levels of coverage, from bumper-to-bumper to powertrain, with a money-back guarantee and some of the cheapest rates in the industry. Benefits include tire repair, 24/7 roadside assistance and trip interruption protections.
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Eligibility
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Coverage terms
Covers up to 7 years or 150,000 miles. (Some plans may exceed mileage cap.)
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Choose your garage?
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Availability
Pros
- Outstanding customer service
- Lets you choose your garage
- Roadside assistance and replacement rental car
- Up to 60-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Eligibility requirements and pricing not available online
- Higher down payment than many competitors
Who’s this for? Most car warranties offer roadside assistance and help pay for car repairs. Autopom made our list of the best car warranties since it received outstanding reviews for its customer service and response times.
Standout benefits: Unlike many other car warranty plans, Autopom lets you choose your preferred garage for service.
Other ways to get roadside assistance
You might be able to get help with your car through several other avenues, including your phone plan, credit card and even your car brand. Here’s what you need to know:
Get roadside assistance from your credit card
In addition to earning rewards on all of your purchases, many top credit cards offer roadside assistance as a perk.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees) has a $0 annual fee and 24/7 pay-per-use roadside assistance for common issues.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a no-annual-fee card that earns generous cash-back on everyday purchases and a lucrative welcome bonus.
- Users get a high rewards rate and strong welcome bonus
- Purchases and balance transfers get long intro APR
- No annual fee
- Travelers face a foreign transaction fee
- Few rewarding ongoing benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can use points to redeem for cash through an account statement credit or an electronic deposit into an eligible Chase account located in the United States!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.24% – 27.74%.
- No annual fee – You won’t have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Intro fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, in the first 60 days. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a standout premium credit card with plenty of luxury perks and statement credits to justify its annual fee.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests.
- Up to $300 in annual travel credit each account anniversary year
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase’s travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Top-tier travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- Earn 150,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase TravelSM, including The EditSM and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music — all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 — a value of $288 annually
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Your cell phone carrier
Some phone carriers offer this as a hidden perk. Verizon customers, for example, can add roadside assistance through Signature Motor Club for $4.99 per month. Coverage includes four service claims per year in a wireless coverage area.
T-Mobile offers all T-Mobile Magenta, Magenta MAX and eligible small business customers a free classic or basic AAA plan for a year.
Consumer Cellular customers can also add roadside assistance coverage to their plans for $4 per month.
Your car’s manufacturer
If your car is newer, you may have some guarantees from your car’s manufacturer.
Ford and Chevrolet offer roadside assistance for the first five years or up to 60,000 miles. Nissan vehicles receive complimentary roadside assistance for the first 36 months or 36,000 miles.
Honda owners can access roadside assistance during the warranty term that lasts three years or 36,000 miles, while Hyundai owners have coverage for five years with no mileage cap.
Do I need a roadside assistance plan?
Access to roadside assistance can ensure you get help in a pinch for certain car problems. After all, if you experience a flat tire or get locked out of your car, it could be helpful to know that you’d have someone to call.
However, you may be able to get it for free or at a discounted price. For example, if you’re an AAA member, you likely don’t need to pay for the roadside assistance coverage that your car insurance brand offers.
Roadside assistance pros and cons
Pros
- Can help you out in a pinch with flat tires, towing and other situations.
- Sometimes offered by credit cards, car brands, and other options
Cons
- Getting a plan could be an additional cost each month
- May include limits for the number of calls per year, miles for towing and other exclusions
Roadside assistance FAQs
What is the best roadside assistance?
Some of the best ways to get roadside assistance coverage are through a car insurance provider like Geico or CONNECT by American Family, or by joining an auto club like AAA. You can also get roadside assistance through car warranties, like those offered by Autopom.
What is the cheapest roadside assistance program?
The cheapest roadside assistance program is likely one that’s provided through a service you already have, like a phone plan or a credit card. Outside of that, adding roadside assistance to your car insurance plan or buying a AAA membership, which typically ranges from $4 to $8 per month, can be an affordable way to get coverage.
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At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every insurance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of insurance products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best roadside assistance programs.
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