Finding yourself stuck on the side of the road with a broken-down car isn’t just inconvenient – it can quickly become expensive. According to J.D. Power, the average cost of a vehicle tow is about $109, but towing fees can range from $2.50 to $7 per mile. But does auto insurance cover towing? In some situations, your insurance might save you the cost of a tow.
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In most cases, your car insurance won’t cover towing costs. If your vehicle breaks down, you’re responsible for towing fees unless you have a roadside assistance service.
If you’ve been in an accident that left your car undriveable, the at-fault driver’s car insurance may be responsible for the cost of towing your car. In this case, the at-fault driver’s liability insurance should cover your vehicle’s damage, as well as the cost of towing it to a repair shop.
There are certain situations where your car insurance may cover towing fees, but it depends on your car insurance coverage. If you have a liability-only plan, that plan won’t include any towing services for your vehicle but would cover the cost of towing another driver’s car if you were at-fault in an accident.
If you buy full coverage car insurance, which includes comprehensive and collision coverage, your plan may cover the cost of towing in certain cases. However, this is somewhat rare, so if you want to be sure that you’re covered for towing, carefully review your policy. You may need to add roadside assistance for towing coverage.
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Many car insurance providers offer a roadside assistance add-on option. If your vehicle breaks down or you run into other issues, you can call the roadside assistance service for help, which may include:
Your roadside assistance includes a certain number of towing miles. If the towing distance exceeds the maximum number of allowed miles, you will be responsible for the remaining towing cost.
Roadside assistance through your insurance company can work in a couple of ways. You may need to contact the insurance company, and they will arrange for a tow and cover the cost, with you paying any excess m mile fees. Alternatively, you might be able to call a towing company and have your insurance company reimburse you for the towing cost later on.
You can also purchase a third-party roadside assistance subscription, such as a AAA subscription. Getting roadside assistance through your insurance company may be cheaper, though, so be sure to compare the prices and the maximum included towing miles to decide which option is best.
If your current insurance doesn’t include towing or the option for a roadside assistance add-on, you can shop around and look for a policy that does. You can get free car insurance quotes online today to explore your coverage options across different insurance companies.
Paige Cerulli Paige Cerulli is a freelance content writer and journalist who specializes in personal finance topics. She graduated from Westfield State University and brings more than a decade of professional writing experience to the ConsumerCoverage team. Paige’s work has appeared in outlets including USA Today, Business Insider, and more.
