Is AAA Worth It for a Jump Start? An Honest Comparison

Is AAA Worth It, or Should You Just Call for a Jump?

Honest answer: it depends entirely on what you actually need. AAA is genuinely good value for some drivers and a waste of money for others. Here is how to work out which one you are.

AAA makes sense if

• You drive an older or unreliable vehicle and expect to need real help more than once a year
• You take long road trips and want coverage far from home
• You want towing, lockouts, fuel delivery and tire changes bundled together
• Multiple drivers in your household would use it
• You would use the travel discounts and other member benefits

AAA is probably not worth it if

• Your only realistic roadside need is an occasional jump start
• You drive a newer car under warranty, since most include roadside assistance already
• You mostly drive locally
• You would rather pay once when something happens than every year in case it does

The thing nobody mentions

Membership does not shorten the wait. During a storm, a holiday weekend, or any busy stretch, you are in a queue with every other member, and jump starts sit below accidents and breakdowns in priority. Plenty of people have waited over an hour for a five minute job.

We only do jump starts. That is why our average arrival is about 15 minutes.

Check what you already have first

Before paying for anything, check these. A lot of people are already covered and do not know it.

• Your car's warranty. Most new vehicles include roadside assistance for several years
• Your auto insurance. Roadside is often a few dollars a month as an add-on, and you may already have it
• Your credit card. Many cards include roadside benefits, sometimes at a per-use fee
• Your cell carrier. Some offer roadside plans

The catch with all of these is the same as AAA. They dispatch a third party contractor, so you get whoever is free and whenever they arrive.

The simple version

If you need towing regularly, get AAA. If you need an occasional jump, paying $70 only when it happens usually beats an annual fee every year plus a wait. We are not going to pretend otherwise.

Serving: Fort Lauderdale | Hollywood | All of Broward County