When you order your roadside assistance plan you may not be aware of what it entails and what is covered.  Most services include bringing gasoline (typically three gallons) when you run out, fixing your flat tire and even sending you a locksmith when you lock the keys in the car.  The most popular service and the one that is used most often are towing your car when your car is disabled.  Nobody wants to leave their car on the side of the road or freeway which is why this is such a popular service.

Why Your Car May Not Be Towed

While you may think that a roadside assistance towing service will tow your vehicle for any reason, this is not always true.  There are some times when this is not covered in your plan and the main reason would be if you were in an accident.  The only way that your vehicle will be towed is if it breaks down due to a mechanical error.  In the case of an accident, if your vehicle is unable to start or to be moved, then you have to pay for the tow.  This is standard practice for just about every roadside assistance plan because the vehicle may be totaled so it would go to the impound yard rather than the closest repair shop.

Where Can Your Vehicle be Towed To

You may want to take your vehicle home to work on it yourself or to a friend’s house if they are a mechanic but this is not covered in any assistance plan.  Depending on the terms of the contract you sign, your vehicle can only be towed to a repair shop within a certain amount of miles.  So, if you are one hundred and fifty miles from your regular repair shop and your car breaks down, you may not be able to have it repaired there.  Instead, it will be taken to a certified shop that is within your plan’s mile limitation.

While a roadside assistance towing service is a great way to stay protected if anything mechanical happens to your car, there are limitations.  You should always read the fine print as some plans only take a vehicle five miles for free.  Choose a quality plan such as Best Roadside Service who offer longer distances of up to one hundred miles.  This way, you have a better chance that your vehicle goes to the repair shop that you want rather than the closest shop to the breakdown.