r/UsedCars • u/TeragramC • 4h ago

Is AAA decent? ADVICE

I have an old 2006 car that broke down a couple weeks go. We think it's the alternator or battery. Either way the car will have to get towed to get looked at. I'm out on the east coast, and the car is currently parked in my university lot.

Will AAA cover this?

I've seen lots of mixed reviews on whether or not AAA is good, sometimes the insurance doesn't cover it, or they tow it to a mechanic that doesn't do a good job. It's hard to get a grasp on whether people like it or not, or if they're just picky

I'm debating buying it specifically for this tow, I don't care about wait times, I'm just trying to save on a tow that could be up to 40 miles depending on the autoshop I haven't found yet.

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

2

u/Double_R252 4h ago

I would suggest knowing how to fix your own car, if it’s as simple as an alternator or a battery you could fix it on the side of the road. But AAA is decent. Takes 2 hours for a tow truck to get there but I also live in a rural area so it may differ where you are. Also you gotta find your own way back. Hope you have friends

2

u/laborvspacu 4h ago

Sometimes your car insurance will pay, check that first. One of my credit cards has roadside assistance as a benefit as well

2

u/dunchtime 1h ago

AAA saved our butt recently when our car broke down in the middle of nowhere in central/southern CA. Transmission was blown.

My daughter was roadtripping with college teammates and one of her friends had the 200-mile option with AAA.

I was about 4 hours away in Northern California and couldn’t be useful. But with AAA, a truck arrived promptly and brought it about 100 miles south to a garage that some of our SoCal friends knew and trusted.

We would have been so screwed without that help.

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u/crosleyxj 25m ago

Look for recommendations for the right shop first, then get AAA to tow it there. The tow service is usually not affiliated with a repair shop; It's been a lifesaver for our family several times and AAA operators and equipment are usually well managed.