I'm a premium AAA member and was looking at a project car. Will they tow it for me? I think I get 3 or 4 free service calls in a year, doesn't matter the car as long as I'm there?
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What is AAA towing policy? Will they tow a car I'm looking into buying?
- Thread starter holden j caufield
- Start date
DietDrThunder
Platinum Member
- Apr 6, 2001
- 2,262
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It all depends. Is the project car drivable (or can you make it look like you drove it and it broke down)? I haven't tried it on a project car. I do know you've got one 200 mile tow and four 30 mile tows per year. You don't actually have to own the vehicle to use the tow service. You can be a passenger in someone else's vehicle, their vehicle break down, and still use your AAA service for the tow.
alevasseur14
Golden Member
- Feb 12, 2005
- 1,760
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Families/people with multiple vehicles. I'll ask my AAA dispatcher about the project car thing if I have to call them again tonight.
zerocool84
Lifer
- Nov 11, 2004
- 36,041
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I have the premium membership and have used 3 tows in one year before.
I've towed a car that I bought from someone that didn't run to my house. Just make sure you ask for a flatbed when you call them which will be a longer wait. It doesn't matter the car as long as you're there but they will ask you if it runs or not on the phone. Never had any problems with AAA towing any car running or not, mine or not, as long as you are there with your card.
StageLeft
No Lifer
- Sep 29, 2000
- 70,150
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God's honest truth. I am over 30 and in my entire life of driving I and everybody in my family since I've been born have needed one tow to the best of my recollection and that was after an accident.
alevasseur14
Golden Member
- Feb 12, 2005
- 1,760
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Well... that's awesome. I've never needed a tow either. But it's silly to assume that just because you and I don't need tows that often nobody else does either.
I don't know if AAA has changed but it used to be free 100 mile tows for plus members, not one 200 and some 30 miles. When my daily driver was a 30 year old VW with a gas gauge that didnt work, I used it plenty, maxed out my tows even one year but was also using them for other people.
Did use the 100 mile one once, was on our way from Ky to New Orleans and my buddy's Dodge shadow threw a rod and drained its oil and all kinds of horrific stuff about 110 miles from home about 10 miles from where we were picking up my future wife and her friend. This was about a month and a half after I bought the 72 VW, and no one else had a car that would work, so after figuring out how broke it was I left everyone at the women's place and rode home in the AAA truck. Dropped his car in front of my apartment, tow truck driver loaded up my VW so he would have some company and I would save on gas and rode me back. I think I paid about $15 for the overage mileage and he pulled over in a rest stop a few miles from town and dropped me off so he wouldn't be seen. Picked everyone up, made it to New Orleans trying to keep up with the Camaro we were riding with.
Had a blast.
Developed an oil leak and a bad battery. Life is grand.
No need to lie. Tow truck driver doesn't care.
Just call AAA and ask for a tow. When they ask what's wrong, just point out one of your project car's fault. Like the engine won't run and there is puddle of oil underneath it.
I had my vehicle towed 3 times in about 6 months, twice to my home and once from my home to a mechanic when I decided I didn't want to fix the problem on my own. I didn't keep that vehicle much longer after the third tow, but I still drive a high mileage vehicle and it's only a matter of time until it will need to be towed. My dad has had his vehicles towed 4 or 5 times in the last 10 years. My sister had a long distance tow a few years ago and didn't have AAA, I believe the bill was about $800, which is enough to pay my AAA membership for 13 years.
Insurance is insurance, if you don't need it you're lucky but you've wasted a handful of cash, if you do need it you're less lucky but you've saved a handful of cash. AAA does offer other services besides towing, the membership fee isn't a complete loss even if you don't use the included roadside assistance, there are other benefits that are of value such as travel discounts and free maps.
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I have also used my plus membership to tow an unregistered car I just bought about 50 miles to a friends house. In this case the car ran, but the tires were dry rotted and if you got it started the turbo was bad, causing a bunch of smoke. Plus the tags from 1990 didn't help (this was in 2008)
The dispatcher didn't seem to care, and the tow truck guy seemed indifferent, though I'm sure they'd be much happier for you to be paying their rate.
I dispatch tow trucks and we are a contractor for BCAA(canadian version of AAA for the province of BC)
Up here they will ony tow you if your vehicle has valid insurance, we as a contractor dont care as we make money if we do the call and dont if we dont so we will tow you reagardless but if you tell AAA it has no insurance they might deny you service. I would call and just tell them you broke down and mention a engine issue or whatever. Chances are good the tow truck driver will not care.
Up here they will ony tow you if your vehicle has valid insurance, we as a contractor dont care as we make money if we do the call and dont if we dont so we will tow you reagardless but if you tell AAA it has no insurance they might deny you service. I would call and just tell them you broke down and mention a engine issue or whatever. Chances are good the tow truck driver will not care.
They wouldn't tow the last car I bought, it was partway up a hill on a ranch, the driver was worried about getting stuck.
But otherwise as long as it rolls they (the drivers) haven't cared about what or to where. AAA dispatch might give you some grief for things like garage to garage tows or garage to home (since it's supposed to be for breakdowns) but I've always just been vague.
Mine pays for itself in Napa discounts.
But otherwise as long as it rolls they (the drivers) haven't cared about what or to where. AAA dispatch might give you some grief for things like garage to garage tows or garage to home (since it's supposed to be for breakdowns) but I've always just been vague.
Mine pays for itself in Napa discounts.
StageLeft
No Lifer
- Sep 29, 2000
- 70,150
- 5
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Yeah, that would be a silly assumption, which is why I didn't make it.
How much do you save on napa with AAA?
I tried to get a car I purchased towed with AAA a couple years ago. The car ran and drove, but was not registered (no plates). When the tow truck showed up they refused to tow it since it wasn't registered. I ended up paying the guy cash to tow it about 100 miles to my house plus he got the payment from AAA, so he made out like crazy on the deal.
alkemyst
No Lifer
- Feb 13, 2001
- 83,769
- 19
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They will not tow it shop to shop if that's what you are asking.
You have to have had a break down driving. It's roadside assistance, not free towing service.
Bignate603
Lifer
- Sep 5, 2000
- 13,897
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They will not tow it shop to shop if that's what you are asking.
You have to have had a break down driving. It's roadside assistance, not free towing service.
Yup, so if you need it towed shop to shop you push it out into the side of the road. :awe:
halik
Lifer
- Oct 10, 2000
- 25,696
- 1
- 0
You know, I thought about the same thing. I've had AAA tow me twice before and they never cared whether it was the car insured by em. I'm pretty sure it will work.
With the range rover, i waited hour and half, since they had to dispatch a freaking semi with airbrakes and 10 speed manual gearbox (I got a kick watching him go LO-HI).
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PhoKingGuy
Diamond Member
- Nov 15, 2007
- 4,685
- 0
- 76
AAA towed my friends dad's 1964 Fairlane out of storage to his house. The thing didnt even have plates on it and he seemed to care more about how we were going to restore it than anything else.
Bignate603
Lifer
- Sep 5, 2000
- 13,897
- 1
- 0
They don't care if it is insured by them, they just require it to be insure, period. That requirement is supposed to stop people from having them haul around project cars.
However, the tow truck guys usually don't care because they only get paid if they tow you. If they show up they'll almost always tow you so they can bill for that job.
DietDrThunder
Platinum Member
- Apr 6, 2001
- 2,262
- 326
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Ah, but you haven't enjoyed working out the "bugs" of a classic car you've just purchased. The first year I owned my '63 I had 3 tows. First tow, clogged carbs from junk in the gas tank. Second tow, the distributor self destructed. Third tow, an electrical short.
Second year only one tow. A rear wheel bearing went out just outside of Austin on the way back to Fort Worth from a Corvair Car Show. 175 mile tow straight to my house, rode with the driver the whole way.
No tows from years 3 through 6 so far (knock on wood). This is why I carry AAA Premium membership.
alkemyst
No Lifer
- Feb 13, 2001
- 83,769
- 19
- 81
Problem is AAA is the one handling the call and will ask where is the car located. If you can get them to believe the side of the road you are golden (I guess if scamming is your thing), but if you state I am at "Joe's Transmission and I need to get my car to Frank's tires next" they are going to be honest with you that that is not the intention of roadside assistance.
If they ask if the vehicle runs, just tell them, "Of course it doesn't! If it ran, would I need a tow truck??"
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