Most of us never really needed emergency roadside assistance. As a result of that, most people always wondered how much that would actually cost.
This is a simple question but the answer strongly depends on the issue that you are actually experiencing. Jumpstarting the battery will have a different cost than just towing and should you be towed you might need to go to a mechanic and get a quote to fix whatever issue your vehicle has.
When it comes strictly to emergency roadside assistance, the service is usually limited to safely getting you back on the road or to the closest mechanic. Any cost you will incur to actually make the necessary repairs shouldn’t be counted toward your roadside assistance.
Membership Services Have a Yearly Cost but You Might Never Use Them
Some people sign up for a roadside assistance membership because they want to have that piece of mind should their car break down. However, that yearly fee never covers your whole roadside assistance needs. It might cover small distance towing or some basic repairs and then anything else would need to be covered out of pocket.
However, memberships usually have partnerships with hotels, restaurants and other businesses that might come in handy. You would need to understand if those benefits are worth it for you before agreeing on paying a yearly fee for a service you might not always need.
An average membership can cost anywhere between $80 and $200. Usually they cover short distances and additional costs will be charged for core complex cases.
On Demand Services to Pay as You Go but Only as You Need
As mentioned earlier, requesting roadside assistance is not the norm. You might end up spending less by just requesting an on demand service only when you need it. Roadside assistance is not expensive anyway since most times all you would need is a local towing service to the nearest mechanic.
Recent statistics estimate the average cost of emergency roadside assistance being between $60 and $150 depending on the type of services you would need.
If you are not planning to get stuck on the road many times in a year, an on demand service always saves you money!