Is Erie Roadside Assistance Worth It?
How does Erie Insurance’s roadside assistance stack up to AAA? Read on to find out!
Written by Melanie Johnson
Reviewed by Pat Roache
Erie car insurance
customers with either comprehensive or collision coverage can add roadside assistance to their policy for just $5 a year. To access 24/7 emergency roadside services through Erie, call 1-800-367-3743 to speak to a representative or file an online claim for this type of car insurance
.- Erie Insurance offers roadside assistance coverage for just $5 a year.
- Erie’s roadside assistance coverage is only available to customers with comprehensive or collision insurance.
- Erie’s roadside assistance includes 20+ miles of free towing, lockout support, fuel delivery, and more.
- Erie Insurance offers roadside assistance coverage for just $5 a year.
- Erie’s roadside assistance coverage is only available to customers with comprehensive or collision insurance.
- Erie’s roadside assistance includes 20+ miles of free towing, lockout support, fuel delivery, and more.
What does Erie roadside assistance cover?
Breaking down on the side of the road is a bummer—let Erie help make the
car repair
a little easier on you. If your car breaks down and you’ve opted for Erie’s roadside assistance coverage, you will have access to the following:- Towing services: Erie will provide towing to the nearest repair shop plus 20 miles. If you need to go beyond this radius, you’ll just have to pay the difference. In some circumstances, emergency towing may be limited to 10 miles.
- Winching services: If you’re stuck in a ditch or snow, Erie will cover the cost to pull your car out. Keep in mind that if you’re more than 10 feet away from a highway, there may be an out-of-pocket charge.
- Battery jump starts:Did your car battery die? Bring on the jumper cables—Erie will come and give your car the boost that it needs.
- Gasoline delivery: Yep, Erie to the rescue here, too! You’ll be charged for the gas, but you won’t have to pay for the delivery.
- Battery charging for electric cars: No problem—Erie can tow you to the nearest EV charging station, for free. You’ll just have to pay for the charge.
- Locksmith services: We’ve all been there. If youlock your keys in your car, Erie will dispatch a local locksmith to get you back in. Just be aware that if you need to have a key remade, you’ll have to pay for that.
- Flat tire changes: We’re not all handy! If you’re not quite sure how to change that spare tire in your trunk, you can request atire changefrom Erie. (Note: if you don’t have your own spare tire, you’ll have to pay for the replacement.)
- Mechanical repair: Depending on the severity of the situation, Erie may be able to provide you with on-site labor from amobile mechanicto get you back on the road in no time.
Erie offers roadside assistance as a policy add-on as long as you have
collision
or comprehensive insurance
. You can also purchase Erie’s Roadside & Rentals bundle, which includes roadside assistance coverage and rental reimbursement coverage
.And roadside assistance isn’t just for cars, people! You can get roadside assistance coverage from Erie for your
motorcycle
, truck, trailer, and more.RECOMMENDED
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How to use Erie’s roadside assistance program
The fastest way to access Erie’s roadside assistance is to call 1-800-367-3743. You’ll be connected directly to Agero, Erie’s roadside assistance partner. This phone line is open 24/7—even on holidays—so you can get the help you need even if you’re stranded at 4 a.m. on Christmas Eve.
If chatting on the phone isn’t your jam, no problem—you can
file your claim online,
or contact a service provider that you prefer directly and file a reimbursement claim with Erie afterward.Just be aware that you can’t utilize roadside assistance following a car accident. Check your collision coverage to see if recovery towing is included in your policy. Otherwise, if you caused the accident, you may have to pay out of pocket for towing.
How much does Erie roadside assistance cost?
Here’s the best part: it costs only $5 a year to add roadside assistance to your Erie car insurance policy. That’s right—$5 for 24/7 service and peace of mind. That said, you can only add roadside assistance coverage if you have
full coverage insurance
or, at minimum, collision or comprehensive coverage.Many car insurance companies offer roadside assistance programs—also referred to as
towing and labor coverage
—that range in price from $15 to $150 per year. The industry average is about $80 per year.How about the cheapest? Aside from Erie,
GEICO
offers roadside assistance coverage for as low as $14 per year. Or you can venture outside of the car insurance world and nab a AAA membership starting at $59.99 per year.Bottom line: At only $5 a year, Erie’s roadside assistance is much cheaper than many programs offered by insurance companies. But what about value? Let’s discuss how the services Erie offers compare with a
AAA membership
.Erie roadside assistance vs. AAA
Erie’s roadside assistance program is similar to the coverage you can get from AAA’s Basic roadside assistance plan, but there are some key differences.
For one, Erie’s roadside assistance coverage will only cover the car listed on your policy while a AAA plan will cover any car that you’re driving in—even as a passenger.
Secondly, Erie only offers one plan, but AAA offers coverage tiers—Basic, Plus, and Premier. AAA’s Basic plan has many of the same benefits as Erie’s, but if you opt for a Plus or Premier account, you’ll enjoy some top-tier benefits like 100 miles of towing, free rental cars, travel discounts, and more.
That said, the major advantage of buying roadside assistance through Erie instead of AAA is the cost. You’ll save around $55 by adding roadside assistance to your Erie collision or comprehensive insurance policy, rather than purchasing a AAA Basic plan. Going with Erie’s roadside assistance program is also more convenient than juggling multiple memberships.
“Jerryblew my mind, honestly. From start to finish, using the app took me 10 minutes and I ended up with $100 in savings a month. Best of all, customer service answered all my questions about rental car reimbursement and roadside assistance.” —Savanna R.
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ driversFAQs
Does using Erie roadside assistance count as a claim?
No. Calling for roadside assistance does not count as a regular insurance claim and should not raise your rate.
Do I need to be an Erie customer to use their roadside assistance?
Yes. You’ll also need to purchase collision or comprehensive insurance before you can add roadside assistance coverage to your policy.
