Do you have roadside assistance?
I am looking at getting it. I have a reliable Corolla but thought it might be a good idea (maybe 1-2 a month I do a long drive 3-4 hours from the city to see family)
I was thinking it could be like pet insurance (investing or saving the premium amount and drawing on that if you need it)
Thought it if it's better to have that money in a high-interest savings account or invested and then pulling on it if you really need it?
Always better off banking pet insurance money than paying it. Biggest rort ever.
I can attest to not always, my last vet bill was 4x the yearly premium, dog has just turned 1 and I now have pet insurance.
what's paying "the extra"?
We have it on one car. The one that is used for holiday travel, and mostly driven by the non-mechanically-minded driver.
Opt in through the insurance, cheaper.
If u serice ur car every year, then huyndai gives it as complimentary
The price will be factored in the service. So same same
Yeah, but others don't who charge more
Yup because I hate headache.
No. Had it for years and never used it. Just subsidised people who ran out of fuel, couldn't change a tyre or had an unreliable car.
Have used it for battery issues and a broken auto transmission. Never ran out of fuel or needed help changing a tyre.
Lol, battery died today (3 years old). The RACQ were out in about 10 or 15 minutes. We only have one car so it saved a lot of hassle!
The stop start has been slow to get going (to the point of being dangerous) so that explains that - it works fine again now.
Don't use the stop/start function. You're doing damage and not saving anything.
@imurgod: I use it when appropriate. It can’t be turned off permanently. And you only need to be stopped about 7 seconds before you start saving fuel compared to the restart fuel cost.
@WhyAmICommenting: Mine can't either but I turn it off as soon as I get into the car.
The perceived savings are a gimmick (so I am told) and greatly overshadowed by the damage you do to critical components of the car.
You can believe the marketing, I have no issue with it, I'm just trying to help you save money down the track…… or I could be wrong!
@WhyAmICommenting: What car? The Mazda's can disable this function however it has to be done every time you start the car
@vinni9284: Kia Rio - same deal, can turn it off for the trip.
I saw on YouTube you can jam a chunk of credit card in to keep the button down forever 😂
@vinni9284: There is a relatively simple method involving a minor adjustment near the bonnet latch. It makes the vehicle think the bonnet is open so it disables the iStop process.
It was pretty easy to find instructions online when I needed it for my 2016 Mazda3. (sorry, but don't have the link or the time today)
@vinni9284: https://www.mazda3revolution.com/threads/turn-off-istop-by-d…
Post number 24.
This is one of the mentions that I came across - not the one I used but pretty similar.
The one I used involved twisting the switch around so that it didn't make contact but this one would probably work too. No guarantees though. At least you can see the switch location.
@imurgod: Is that true? I saw on YouTube that it actually does save fuel/money and modern cars have upgraded starter motors/components to take on added stress.
@TEER3X: My research tells me otherwise. Every mechanic I've spoken to tells me it doesn't save anything but they tell me about the increased wear and tear it causes.
Maybe someone in the know on this site could clarify for us.
@TEER3X: You really think that the manufacturer has spent money on upgraded parts so that you can save money?
@Grunntt: The manufacturers have spent the money on these systems because they want to game the European emissions testing that determines the level of tax applied to their cars. The better the score the lower they can price their cars in Europe, which means more sales and more profits. Whether they actually save fuel or benefit the environment or consumer is another matter.
What can roadside assistance help with regarding a broken auto transmission though? Call a tow truck for you?
Yeah pretty much, to a mechanic first from memory. Not sure how I got it to the wreckers after that.
It was an early 90’s commodore. I slammed it through too many orange lights 😂
Unlike insurance, you can buy it on the spot.
And then you get charged a fortune.
I think they have shut down now but I previously used GotU and only paid $69 to have a flat tyre replaced. There appear to be others who provide a similar service. That is the only time I've needed roadside assistance in the last 15 years with 2 cars so it has paid off not having a subscription.
Not really. If you need it less once every 3 years you'll be up.
For RACWA it's $150 extra to join in a breakdown. Cheapest cover is $116 per year.
But I always go for the $195 "Classic" cover. You get two tows per breakdown. So one home, then the second one once I have got some quotes for repair and know who will repair it.
I was 4hrs out bush when the gear selector went, called up and there's no cooling off period so got a year of roadside and they came out immediately. Forget how much the tow would have been otherwise but it was around $1000 from memory. Year of roadside was like $350.
From memory RACV made you buy 2 years gold upfront at no extra cost if you needed to join on the day, could've changed now though.
Considering I am driving much less due to WFH now, it makes sense for me to only pay for it on the spot if I happen to have an issue on the road. For those who do the same, make sure you check if auto renewal was turned on afterwards and to disable it yourself as it auto renewed for me the following year without me realising.
I have a toyota so it's not required.
Being serious, I haven't had the need for roadside assist for my car ever. I have saved enough to easily cover a tow or mechanic call out fee.
Toyotas still get flat tyres, flat batteries and keys locked inside just as much as other cars lol
Hybrid Toyotas do not get flat batteries - the 12V battery does not start the engine. My Camry (yes really) has a full sized spare tyre. The keyless entry does not allow the keys to be locked inside.
I've had a camry hyrbid for 10 years (2012 model), and now that you mention it yep i've never had a flat battery.
All my other cars in that time have had many flat batteries.
Our 2022 RAV4 had a flat battery 3 weeks ago. 12V completely dead, RACV had to revive it. It may not start the engine (as there isn't a starter per se) but the car is totally dead without it. Can't even unlock the passenger doors due to double locking.
Spoke to the dealer who said "it happens" and wasn't curious about it. Battery tested fine and haven't had an issue since. No parasitic loads or dash cams etc.
Google shows we aren't alone either and plenty of people have had the same issues.
I think it would only fit in a narrow range of circumstances for me, like a dead battery in the middle of a roadtrip / in a rural area with no auto shop.
Most of my driving is in the city so for a dead battery at night, I can just call friends or family for a jump start or replace the battery myself if I'm at home or near an auto shop.
I don't think they could've / would've been able to help with my last 2 issues, which was a cracked radiator and malfunctioning crankshaft sensor.
Do You Have Roadside Assistance?
Yep, the wife helps me change the tyre.
Yes, it was included with my new car. I did use it once when I got a flat. I couldn't change it myself because I did my back in a day earlier.
I have it, but only because when I get my car serviced, they give you 12 months worth of road side. It's probably the only reason I don't service the car myself is because a: warranty, b: the roadside assistance cost to buy it on its own would be 3/4 of the cost to service the vehicle. C: I don't want any of the filter monkeys at work touching my car. :D
What brand of car?
That's 3 reasons 🙃
The 4th/D reason is :D
We also signed up for road side, but founded that services time varies alot.
At one stage it took them 4 hours for them to turn up with a new battery. I ended up borrowing someone car to go to supercheap to socure a new battery,on the way back to find roadside waiting by my car.
I can sort out a flat, I have jumper leads permanently in the car, and all manner of basic issues that a roadside assist service might deal with.
If they can't fix a problem and tow me to a garage, then I might as well cut out the middleman and just pay for a tow directly instead if I ever need one.
A tow direct easily few hundred vs $100 for p.a roadside includes towing maybe up.to 15km
I’ll do 150km round trip for weekly groceries. 15 k’s won’t get me to the next dirt road…
$50 cash to borrow my local mechanic’s car trailer is a rather good deal by comparison!
Ya issue is getting to the mechanic then but sounds like you have it sorted
I've had my corolla for 15 years and have only used racv once because I accidentally left the car door ajar overnight and it drained the battery.
I live out in the sticks and this was in the summer fire danger season, so having someone come out and get my car back up and running was essential.
They arrived within 40mins so I was pretty impressed.
These days you have portable powerbank jump starters
Who are you all with for road side assistance or which company is cheapest?
I'm with RACV. You get other benefits like discounts and stuff. I've used the discounts way more than the roadside assist.
RACWA have a bunch of discounts just by insuring with them, no need to have the roadside assist.
Their insurance is really expensive for me.
Fuji fruit,
The cheapest one I think is Budget Direct. I am with them for nearly two years now. The charge is something like $76,00 or $67.00 yearly. Mine is a Toyota Corolla( 3 years old);never use the facility yet; just a piece of mind. You can get this online. RACV is far more expensive.
I suppose Budget direct assists the car whereas RACV assists the driver? Big difference there.
Budget direct is a shit. I had to ring them once due to a flat battery on a busy road. The arrival time for mechanic was 1.5 hr. Also they have many conditions related to towing and assisting on the spot.
Planning to get rid of them when it's due ..
Check the cost against the cover you want. If it’s for travel you may need a higher level than basic for it to be worthwhile.
I have a fairly new car, but I think roadside assist is needed now more that 20 years ago.
If I breakdown on the highway unless it’s very simple (fuel, battery) it’s going to be put on a flat bed and dropped off ‘somewhere’. The local mechanic will need a few days at least to get parts. The better breakdown cover gives me more choices about where and gives me accommodation and transport options.
RAA. Sure it's expensive and often a relative waste of money but factor in combined policy discounts, fuel discounts and reward discounts and suddenly it isn't that bad
Considering the high cost these days, I would only consider top cover if doing a long road trip. Around town I don't think it's as necessary as it once was.
Where is the ‘No’ or the ‘No, I know how to change a tyre’ option?
I been using that option for while then one day, nut snap and broke, when I try to change it.
3 nuts on a 4 or 4 nuts on a 5 stud is more than safe though.
I've always had it.
It was a Christmas present from my dad each year until my mid 20's lol.
Yes it is included when you buy a new nissan for 5 years
Nissan… Yuck
Reliability issues since Renault took over
None for me
Not yet lol
For $126 a year it's been worth it. Had two tyre changes, several jumpstarts and even headlights replaced in the dead of night of whoop whoop in the last 3 years. Plus 6c off fuel at United :)
thats an unlucky run.
I drive around 20,000km a year so you tend to run into problems on the highways a lot more. Potholes as far as the eye can see.
I don't on my car, as I know how to change a tyre, keep basic tools in car and keep the battery charged. I do on my wife's car to save her the hassle/having to get her hands dirty if she's stuck somewhere with the kids (even though she is quite capable of basic stuff).
You can be really unlucky and have a run of flat tyres (we had like 3 in 12 months) and if you don't know how to change, it can be worth it. If you keep a jump starter battery in the car, that can also be helpful.
I used to have it religiously on all cars.
but then realised i only used it when the battery died.
so instead, i just change batteries every 3 years and carry a jumpstarter battery if doing far-away trips.
Tyres i can change myself.
we have it on one car that is driven generally by an elderly person, but the other car naah. we'll just pay on the spot if we need it.
Cheapest nrma annual is $116. Their surcharge for requesting help asap is $206 ontop of the $116.
If I require assistance … once a year, then i'm best of paying the annual fee.
if i require assistance once every two years, then i'm best of paying the annual fee
if i require assistance once every 3 years then i'm best of not paying an annual fee and just paying the whole $322 when neeeded.
Unless you have a euro car i wouldn't bother.
Driven a Kia for the last 8 years, never an issue.
Drove an Audi for 1 year, it was like driving on eggshells every time you started the thing, you'd never know if it'd cark it.
Still so salty 😂
hahah
Yep, if i ever meet an Audi engineer…
… it’ll likely be on the side of the road!
Having had a harmonic balancer issue on a snow trip up Mt Skene due to mechanic intercourse up, the tow back to civilization would have cost shitloads if I didn't use mates Total Care..
I drove his car home, he went in tow truck with the car…
Friend threw a rod in their Discovery at Eden NSW, and Totalcare got them back to Narre Warren free… hate to have paid for that tow.
So in other words, no you don’t have it?
I signed up Monday after that weekend. That was 3yrs ago.
Good idea, since you benefited from your mate’s plan.
I have a Kia and the yearly service comes with road side assistance. I have called them 3 times due to dead battery in 7 years. Now that my car warranty is coming to a end, I am going ahead to purchase another roadside assistance with maybe budget direct. It’s just for peace of mind and knowing if anything happens you call them.
I have whatever the cheapest level of RAC roadside assist is available. I drive a Honda, and while it's been completely reliable I have had a flat battery on a couple occasions for which roadside assist has got me out of the pickle. For what I've paid over the last ~6 years of having roadside assist, could I have bought a battery jump pack to keep on hand for those occasions? Sure, and I probably wouldn't call them out for a tyre I can replace myself. But if anything else were to go wrong, I wouldn't have the knowledge or tools on hand to get back on the road.
On balance it's something I'd rather pay for and not need to use, than not pay for and need desperately.
Yes, I use it about once a month as it's cheaper than buying a new car. Frankly I'm surprised they still take my calls.
What is happening to your car every month?
Battery needs a jump. My cars immobiliser drains the battery.
You don't know when you'll get flat battery. The last time I tried to change my battery the wheel nuts were screwed on so tight previously that I couldn't get it out by hand.
Also its cheap and 'free' with my comprehensive insurance.
You can sign up when you call for assistance and I don’t think it incurs anything further cost than signing up now.
I’m pretty sure the RACV one is insuring the person, not the Vehicle.
depends on the level of service you get. If you choose the top cover it's both. Otherwise you have to nominate a vehicle.
I have a hilux, no need for that shit
Only navarva drivers need roadside assist
Yes, because if my wife is driving and the car has a flat tire or a dead battery which happened a number of times, its so much easier to just get someone to come out and fix it.
Same for me actually. I got a flat tire when driving home once. Tried changing the tire myself, but couldn't get the bolts off with the tools I had. Was much easier to get someone out and change it for me.
Its so cheap as well.
Bought tyres at Jax and when i had to inspect my brake pads 2 months later, the nuts were so tight i needed to borrow a breaker bar to remove them.
I had a brand new MU-X air conditioning belt snap on christmas eve at the start of heatwave when we were about to go to the SA riverland (hot) for 7 days. I.e. no chance of getting to a dealer, but about to take a long hot road trip with the entire family so air conditioning was absolutely critical.
Got roadside assist to meet me at autopro, went in, tried out a couple of different belt sizes and returned the ones that didn't fit. Changing an AC belt is outside my comfort zone. Massive relief as it was about to ruin our christmas holiday.
I also made a pretty large rookie mistake when I was unhitching my camper trailer in a caravan park shortly after I got it - the jockey wheel wasn't engaged vertically properly and the tounge slammed into the ground. 2T camper trailer so too heavy to lift the ball weight myself. Called roadside assist and they came out with a trolley jack and helped. No worries.
The thing about the RAA, and I imagine the other states too, is that they are non-profit organisations full of older, retired blokes working for them who just love to help. Its almost 1950's like in terms of their attitude and quality of service - they aren't profit driven, and will truely do anything within their power to help and will take as long as is necessary.
I am my own roadside assistance. Once parents car got stuck inner city one night.. So I left it there and came back next day on public transport. Checked car, it had a hose leak from a small coolant hose and it wouldnt start. Called RACV roadside assistance. They tried to bang the starter motor while I turned it over.. Couldnt start it. So next option was to call in a tow truck. I asked them to fix the radiator hose leak, they said what for you cant start the car.. I said just fix it please. They fixed it, ordered in a tow truck and left. I was on a slope backwards, so I thought bugger it see if I can start it myself. did a few rolling starts (manual) backwards and managed to get it started on 3rd or 4th attempt. Called RACV and cancelled tow truck. I was a good 50km's from home. replaced the starter motor myself when I got it home. Just recently went on holidays with car. Car wouldn't start on first go (thought weird) when leaving, next attempt it was fine. drove 180kms to holiday destination. went out to some festival at night, didnt like the way I parked so started car again a few moments after parking.. heard slow starting attempt, then I thought Im definitely gunna have issues with battery when starting car. Went to festival for 2 or 3 hours. came back to car. turned off all electronics. Tried starting nop. slow starting barely wants to start. waited 15 mins.. tried again just got car started. drove it back to holiday house. got battery charger from neighbors, charged over night. checked all cells. one cell dead no longer bubbles. lucky enough neighbor gave me a lift to town to fetch new battery (that was a close call). Should probably invest in a battery jump starter kit.
No, never used it and never broke down on the road in almost 3 decades. Had plenty of nails in tyres though.
Think like 90% call out are battery related, I keep track of battery health and replace when needed (average 4 years). Battery I usually get for ~$150.
The one time partner's car broke down, told her to drive to nearest parking spot and I'll come by. Managed to determine car is overheating due to a seized fan. So waited till traffic died down and drove it to straight dealer (under warranty) in light traffic while keeping eye on temp gauge.
It doesn't cost much to have. $11/month. Unlike pet insurance $50/month.