Does Full Coverage Car Insurance Cover Towing?

If you've added roadside assistance or emergency road service to your full coverage car insurance, your policy probably includes towing services. But if your full coverage only consists of collision and comprehensive insurance, towing is generally only covered when a covered incident — such as an accident or theft — renders your car undrivable. If the incident isn't covered by your collision or comprehensive insurance, your insurer usually won't cover the towing costs.

Roadside assistance typically includes towing, regardless of the reason for the breakdown. This includes mechanical issues, flat tires, dead batteries and other situations where your car is disabled.

• Full Coverage Car Insurance Explained
• Roadside Assistance Explained
• How to Add Roadside Assistance to Insurance
• When to Add Roadside Assistance to Your Insurance
• Alternatives to Roadside Assistance
• Frequently Asked Questions

Full coverage car insurance is a term commonly used to describe a combination of insurance policies that provide a broad level of protection for your vehicle. Generally, "full coverage" includes:

• Liability insurance: This covers damages or injuries you cause to others in an accident.
• Collision coverage: This covers damage to your own vehicle if you're involved in an accident.
• Comprehensive coverage: This covers damage to your car from events other than collisions, such as theft, vandalism or natural disasters.

If your car is undrivable after an accident covered by collision insurance, your policy might cover towing to a repair shop. Similarly, if your car is undrivable due to a covered event like theft or fire, comprehensive coverage might step in.

Towing coverage isn't automatically included in most standard policies — it’s often a separate add-on coverage. Unless you have roadside assistance or your policy explicitly covers the incident, your insurer likely won't cover the cost of towing your vehicle.

Roadside assistance, sometimes called "emergency road service coverage" or "towing and labor coverage" by insurers like Allstate or The Hartford, is an optional add-on to your car insurance policy.

This additional roadside assistance coverage can either come with towing services or help cover the cost of towing your vehicle to a repair shop, especially if it's not drivable after an accident or breakdown. Along with this essential service, roadside assistance typically includes:

Like most insurance policies, roadside assistance often comes with limits on the cost covered per incident or the number of claims allowed annually.

This coverage follows the car, not the driver, meaning it only applies to the car specified in your insurance policy, not any other vehicle you might be driving. So, if you're borrowing a friend's car and it breaks down, their car insurance – not yours – would likely be responsible for roadside assistance.

Adding roadside assistance could increase your premium slightly, but it provides peace of mind and swift help during vehicle breakdowns. Full coverage car insurance won't cover a tow in all scenarios — roadside assistance will.

You should add roadside assistance to your insurance when you want coverage for any vehicle issues on the road. Here are a few scenarios where it's especially beneficial:

Roadside assistance is an investment in your safety and convenience on the road, potentially saving you time, money and hassle in the long run.

By adjusting your policy limits and carefully assessing how much insurance you actually need, you can bundle roadside assistance with even the cheapest full coverage car insurance policy. This gets you extensive protection for both accidents and breakdowns without overspending on your insurance.

If adding roadside assistance to your car insurance isn't feasible (like when you only carry liability insurance), there are alternative options to consider for peace of mind on the road. Here are a few alternatives to explore:

You might find better deals or more personalized roadside assistance by checking out motor clubs, credit card perks or programs offered by your car's manufacturer. Consider how often you drive and how reliable your car is to choose the option that's best for you.

Roadside assistance can be a lifesaver when your car breaks down. Let's answer some common questions you might have about this optional coverage.