AAA Roadside Assistance: What You Get

Depending on the tier of service you select, there are locksmith services, towing, tire changes, and more.

Benjamin Hunting | 

Jul 7, 2023 | 2 min read

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The American Automobile Association has been a part of the country's roadgoing culture for more than 100 years. Today, it is primarily known for offering roadside assistance and helping motorists escape tough situations.

AAA Roadside Assistance takes many forms. Not every membership level has access to the same services. Here's a look at what you get with the AAA membership plans.

The AAA Roadside Assistance benefits basics

There are three tiers of AAA membership, and they have a lot in common. The foundation of every plan includes towing service, emergency fuel delivery, jump-starts, locksmith services, light repair work to get you back on the road, and tire-changing services. AAA includes four service calls per year with each plan.

AAA membership plans come with several other benefits that don't directly relate to roadside assistance. Each tier comes with vehicle rental and hotel discounts, a discount on CarFax vehicle history reports, access to AAA's vehicle pricing reports, and an in-house vehicle inspection program.

The differences between AAA Roadside Assistance tiers

Although all three AAA membership plans offer the same annual service-call limit of four, the details of what those calls offer vary the most when it comes to towing. Depending on which regional AAA operator you are using, opting for the Classic tier limits you to between three and five miles of towing, while the next-step-up Plus boosts to 100 miles per tow. The Premier, AAA's top membership plan, allows for one 200-mile tow plus three 100-mile tows annually.

There are also critical differences in winching and extrication coverage provided by AAA Roadside Assistance. Classic memberships allow for a single recovery vehicle, while Plus and Premier add a second wrecker for more complex rescues. The top two plans also come with the option of coverage for recreational vehicle and motorcycle towing, which isn't offered with the Classic plan.

AAA membership costs

AAA membership plans have different prices depending on the area of the country where you live because individual chapters manage each region. An annual AAA Classic membership plan in New England is $55, while the Plus plan is $85. The most expensive plan, the Premier, is $114. Prices are significantly higher in Ohio, while other areas fall in between. Premier and Plus members can also pay an additional yearly fee of around $32 to have motorcycles and RVs covered by their AAA membership.

Benjamin Hunting

Nearly two decades into his career as an automotive journalist, Benjamin has had his hands greasy, his hair blown back, and his heart broken by more than one project car. In addition to his work at Capital One, he has contributed features and reviews to Motor Trend, Car and Driver, Hagerty, Driving Line, Inside Hook, Super Street, European Car, Roadkill Magazine, Motor 1, The Drive, the Toronto Star, the National Post, Business Insider, NAPA, Autoblog, Automotive News Canada, and AutoGuide. He is also cohost of the Unnamed Automotive Podcast and cocreator of the Code 45 and Dead Air graphic novels. In his spare time, he's a friend to vinyl and enjoys keeping the shiny side up during track days.