Is AAA worth the money?

In all my years of driving I've never had AAA, nor felt the need for it...but that may have now changed. With SWMBO's new job, our family will be split by 850-miles for the next year or two. Our newest vehicle is 6-years old with over 150kmi on it, and our lowest-mileage vehicle is 16-years old, so I'm concerned about our semi-frequent trips back & forth.

Browsing their site, it seems a bit light on details: Do I need a separate membership for each driver in our family? What exactly is covered with their towing that my insurance wouldn't cover? They list "Minor Mechanical First Aid" and "Tire Service", but what exactly does that include?

Meh.
My fleet has enough sketchy vehicles in it that I like having it.
Two tows this year, I'm already ahead of the game.

I have it. The cheap come on prices are for two miles of towing. Of course they will upgrade you to 100 mile tow for a fee. I get me and my wife.

I had AAA for several years. Never used it.

After comparing the cost and the chance of usage, I cancelled.

I treat it just like insurance.

The first year it paid for itself when the 740 needed two tows (one to crib and other to the shop). The second year I needed to the V home when the stock rad took a dump.

For a new vehicle, nope.

For a used vehicle, or a bunch of a used vehicles, or drivers of vehicles who may not be overly careful about the condition of the vehicle or the roads they are driving on. Very useful.

I've used 2 out of 4 tows this year.

Well, when setting up a proper air defense system anti-aircraft artillery is pretty much a must to defend against low flying targets. So, yes, I would say AAA is worth it.

iceracer wrote: I had AAA for several years. Never used it. After comparing the cost and the chance of usage, I cancelled.

I'm with you. For the three years I've been without, I figure I can get two tows and still be ahead. I had it for four years and didn't use it. So far I've been lucky :)

We had a roadside plan with Discover and used it twice the many years we had it. Then we went with AAA. Haven't used it yet, but with a British car it's good insurance.

I used it enough to pay for it in the first month.

If you look at the discounts AAA offers, you may find it more than pays for itself. Even if it didn't, I'd still have it.

If you live where it snows or gets ridiculously cold, it can be a life saver. One year they told me "you only have one call left" haha

Up here, they'll even replace a battery for you. It'll cost you a good 20% premium, but they do it right there while you wait.

When I didn't have AAA, I needed a tow. The next few years I subscribed, I didn't. berkeleying typical.

I have it on my wife and daughter for the occasions that I can't get to them. We've used it several times. Blown clutch 150 miles from home on my daughters car. Broken ball joint on my wife's Jeep at the grocery store. It also towed my sons car home when my wife was driving it. For dollars spent, it makes my life easier. Getting the Jeep home on my trailer would have been a nightmare. It's also peace of mind because we travel a fair amount, the wife all over for autocrosses and SCCA business, the daughter to school, and I'm often out of town during the day on business.

With four classic minis, three Citroens, four SAABs, and a Suburban and Maxima both close to the quarter million mile mark, we have used the heck out of our towing memberships. If you travel much, the discounts, planning assistance, and other benefits more than cover the membership costs.
For us we have two memberships at the platinum level. That gets us one two hundred mile tow each, and three or four tows up to one hundred miles. Roadside assistance covers jumpstarts, a gallon of gas if you run out, and locksmith services too.

I broke down once while pulling a trailer with a race car in it. The total cost for coming out at 10pm and fetching me from the side of a highway then towing me almost 160 miles with my trailer out back - $0. It would have been about 3 years worth of AAA Plus w/ RV coverage fees if I didn't have it. I get 15% off my ski tickets thru them. There are other perks for water parks, movies, etc.

I consider it money well spent.

I have it for Mrs. Duke and DDs #1 and #2. Wife used it to get gas when I pressed my luck a little too far on gas in the E46, and both DDs have had tires changed. So yes, for peace of mind, I don't mind the cost.

My 1993 pickup has a 120hp 2.8 V6, which will barely tow itself. For $90 a year I don't need to buy, register, pay taxes on, or store a trailer to get my various E36 M3 boxes to and fro.

And if said pickup or the 2001 Miata die out in the boonies on me, I know I'm covered.

My wife has had it since I've known her because her parents have had it. Saved our buts when her car sheared a serpentine belt on a Saturday afternoon and needed a tow across town to the shop.

Like 02pilot said, they have discount rates for a lot of services. It saved us a big chunk on a truck and trailer rental when we just moved across country and on hotels too.

my girlfriend has had it for years. she's only been towed once, but she does get a lot of discounts at all sorts of places that pretty much pays for it. she got a pretty good discount when she added her son after he got his license last year, but sadly they won't let boyfriends jump in on the action..

Last year, I let my AAA membership lapse, since I never used it. I was on my motorcycle, and stopped for gas about 50 miles away from home. After refilling, the bike wouldn't start. No luck push starting. Because I would have to pay for a tow, I walked a few miles to Walmart in full gear to buy a battery charger. Waited for the battery to trickle charge a bit. No luck; turns out, the starter was kaput. I finally resigned that I needed a row. Took me 8 hours of calling and waiting to find someone willing to come get my bike and take me home.

If I had AAA, I would have called for a tow after 15 minutes.

Any major purchase, I ask for a AAA discount. Never hurts.

AAA is broken down into regions/states, with variance of coverage in each. So until you give it a zip code, it can't give you overly specific details about coverage.

Coverage is based on each driver. There is the root or primary policy holder, and then each person added onto the policy. So it's something like ~80 for the first person, and an additional ~30 for each additional driver.

Very generically, road side assistance is changing a tire, bringing a gallon or two of gasoline or coolant, jumping your battery. Sometimes it may include running a plug into a flat tire or changing a battery for you. A lot of the latter depends on the driver and how helpless you look.

There is a tiering of towing coverage, based partially on what you select and partially on years you've had AAA. Basic covers something like 50 miles towing. Plus covers something like 100 miles towing. And premium plus gives a once a year 150-200 mile tow.

I've had it off and on and have had a love/hate relationship with them. AAA is a master at screwing up the directions you give them and sending the truck off in some other direction. Cell phones help tremendously, so you can actually talk to the driver and get them to where you actually are.

I find it very worthwhile for the wife. Her car breaks, they bring her and the car home. It does happen. Since I can and do fix my cars, that bringing it home helps greatly. It's not bad for me either, as I don't always enjoy trying to replace a clutch on the side of the highway. I've let them drag things of mine home for repairs as well.

AAA does get used for hotels and the like. We do tend to forget to apply it, but that's our fault. If I were rigorous about it, the policy would probably more than pay for itself through the discounts alone.

spitfirebill wrote: I have it. The cheap come on prices are for two miles of towing. Of course they will upgrade you to 100 mile tow for a fee. I get me and my wife.

I've got it … but only the 100 mi … I'm considering upgrading to the 200 mi .. since most of my traveling is between 150 and 200 mi

I have used it maybe once every other year. When I do, it has been great, just for the convenience of making one call to what I needed quickly.

Credit cards take care of towing, so I see no need for AAA. As with all insurance, you insure what you cant afford to lose, or else its cheaper to self insure.