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?
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.
done something similar to this when the bearing in my water pump in a Datsun 260z went. waited for engine to cool down, refilled with water and babied it home. Then replaced water pump at home.
Yes, $69 a year is not a big deal. Saved me a few times.
Also some service stations include complementary 12 months roadside assistance if you service your car with them. I used to service my car at UltraTune Menai and they always did this for me. Not sure how it's compared to one you can buy from insurance companies.
We get free membership every time we get our car serviced at a local Ultratune
Yes. It’s just a cost of owning a car, like rego, insurance, servicing and fuel. Fairly cheap at that, $10 a month.
Yes it is worth it.
Have experienced many puncture situations (plus a dropped battery cell) over the years and have asked RACQ to come everytime.
Sure I could have changed my own tyre but I feel more confident in someone else who does this for a living to change it for me.
Yes, it is one of my most loved insurance payments. You pay $100 or so a year to have someone who will come and rescue you from some pretty stressful situations. I've never needed it for a tire, mostly mechanical/computer issues and the odd battery issue.
When we bought a new car 5 years ago I did wonder if we'd still need it, but I've used it three times.
Over the many years we've been with RACQ I've never had anything but lovely and helpful people come and help and have had some great advice from some of them so I think it's well worth it.
I have it, it is cheap enough to not be a major concern and a massive headache remover when you are in a bind, only used it once in last few years for a dead battery. Prior to that it was a good decade to my previous use from a busted radiator from a piece of metal that kicked up off the road. both times would have been a real pain in the ass to deal with without it.
Easily worth it. They'll come out and jump start, replace your battery (cheaper than the dealer for me), swap a flat Tyre, tow your car.
yes, but is included in my dealer servicing each year.
(I think that the cost of service and roadside assist included @ $299 per year is quite good value)
I've used it a couple of times, so has the Mrs. First time was to change a tyre, couldn't get one of the wheel nuts off and the road side assist was able to do it super quick compared to how long it would have taken me.
Also used it for a dead battery once, got a quote over the phone and it was comparable to getting a battery at SCA only they came to me and installed it .
Sure most years you don't use it but when you do it's handy.
No way I would waste money on this.
The worst case scenario, of an actual serious mechanical fault, is still only going to be few hundred dollars to get towed. So what exactly are you insuring yourself against?
This is like ambulance insurance. Unless you are old or sick and likely to need an ambulance, then it is just a total waste of money insuring this.
Unless you are old or sick and likely to need an ambulance
All good until something happens to you on the road. Friend of mine was feeling dizzy and had fainted in cbd area on the way to work. Somebody nearby had called ambos and he was taken in and carried to a hospital as he was not 100% recovered when he regained consciousness. He did not have ambos cover at the time and ended up footing the callout bill which he said was around 1200+
So you just pay the $1200 then… I'm not saying it will never happen, it's just not something worth insuring.
I wouldn't have full insurance on a $1200 car either…
4 hours out of Melbourne is going to cost you at least $600 to get towed back to Melbourne….
This is like ambulance insurance. Unless you are old or sick and likely to need an ambulance, then it is just a total waste of money insuring this.
This makes me laugh too. There's always a few posts on here complaining about getting a massive ambo bill.
Insurance is the money you pay for peace of mind.
Only ever got the free ones from Ozb. Never called out.
My previous car was corolla, didnt have any trouble mechanically except had couple of flat tyre incidents sadly towards the last couple of months of using it (May be the car sensed it was getting replaced and masterminded a revenge attack on me).
I didn’t have roadside then but I did manage to pump air using the compressor I had in the car and drive to the nearest mechanic to get it fixed. For the new car yes I do have.
No. I can change a tyre, I can recognise a failing battery and replace it before I'm stranded (also carry jumpers). I drive a Toyota that is serviced regularly. I've not needed roadside assistance in 14+ years so if I ever find I do, I'll just pay the extra on the spot as that'l be more ecenomical than wasting money every year on a service I don't need.
Nope, I have a Suzuki Swift..
I had to have my 2006 Swift engine replaced at 250,000kms or so, so it hasn't been as reliable as I was hoping.
250km on a 4 cylinder, 16 year old car. I've seen them with 360km, but realistically for what they're worth anything over 200km and you got a very good deal.
Pets will always cost you money regardless.
I got it to be on the safe side, after having a Subaru………. I now have a Toyota that has worked great.
But you never know, was travelling 20klms a night in subaru back and forth, but the freeway was nuts.
Got mine free with a companies Insurance, so thought time to dump Budgie Directly.
I haven’t had it in 10 years just bought the highest level of coverage for an upcoming Cape York trip.
Yes, because it came with the new car. Most new cars come with roadside assistance as long as you service through the dealer.
Never had needed it for my VE Commodore or Wife's BMW X3 in the past. But just because it comes with the new car is why I have it.
Who doesn't have breakdown cover if they own and drive a car?? It is an essential, like servicing and insurance (proper insurance).
If you cant afford FC insurance, proper servicing and breakdown cover, you can't afford to drive!
The same people who complain about massive repair bills when they crash into someone else's car and don't have insurance.
There are 3 tiers of OzB clients.
1) Rich people, who save money for sport
2) Average people who save money to save money
3) Poor people or rich idiots who cheap out on every stage in life and end up paying 5 times as much due to either buying the same cheap product 5 times over when it breaks, or fritter their money away on garbage or get caught out with huge expenses (like not having insurance).
I Ozbargain to ensure the money the government doesnt remove from me in taxes works as hard for me as it can, am I a tier 2 OzBargainer?!
Plus, always good to feel you are getting the best value from a product or service!
That's the most satisfying thrill! Saving money so it doesn't go to someone else.
No you my friend are a tier 1 platinum ozbargainer.
I've not needed it in 12 years of driving, it's not a matter of "can't afford" its a matter of "dont need". I'll pay the extra fee on sign up if and when I eventually need it, and even then I'm still ahead after saving over $1,000 by not paying for something I've never used.
I've honestly not known anyone who's had to use road side assist
Haven't had roadside assistance for a very long time. Recently got stuck with the car refusing to start and rapidly flattening the battery trying in an underground hospital car park - so I couldn't even push it out onto the road. So I signed up for a year of roadside assistance on the spot, including paying more because I expected the car to need towing back home. The serviceman was about to give up and call the tow truck, and I made a suggestion, it gave him an idea, and the car started immediately.
Not sure what I'll do when it comes up for renewal. Its like insurance, you don't need it 'til you need it, then you need it. But not having it for years when I didn't need it, then getting it when I did, even if that cost more, has cost a lot less than buying it every year in case I did need it. Cars just aren't as unreliable as they were back when road side assistance was thought. As proven by "service stations" becoming just petrol stations. Maybe they just should change to a pay-us-when-you-need-us service, but would that generate enough revenue for them to be there when we did need them.
If anyone is keen, some insurance brokers now have roadside assistance available. Better than NRMA by a lot and is $65/year.
I've just tried it and it's really, really good.
I have roadside assistance (+full comp cover)… but 2 points I'd like to mention.
1.) With quite afew new car purchases these days, they come with free roadside assist (outsourced to same person who'll probably attend on the spot).
2.) With RACWA … you can not be a member at all, but if need help - you can call them up and they'll sign you up over the phone - saves afew $$$.
I pay $60 a month for full comprehensive, roadside assistance and windscreen cover. I believe the roadside assistance portion is like $5-10 a month. I have needed to use roadside assistance 3 times in the past and trust me it's worth it when you're stuck, I was stuck on the side of the freeway on one particular instance and got towed to the mechanic of my choosing.
Just take out insurance with youi, comes with roadside assist I think you'll get to callouts a year or something. If you need more than you may as well get RACQ or a more reliable vehicle.
Had to get car towed 200km on a long weekend roadtrip due to a pothole and side tyre split. (no spacesaver/spares on my car). Thankfully complimentary RA. They tried to weasel out of it due to some technicality but paid it in the end
Now I buy RA on all my cars
Unless using on an annual basis, in which case what god did you offend, it's cheaper to sign up same day at every second year or less.
I have a 16 year old car and haven't needed it once in 7 years so tonnes saved. My previous car needed it once in 2 and was an old car too.
People with new cars using it yearly or so, wtf how are you happy with that.
A lot of insurance companies now offer to include roadside assistance in the comprehensive cover policies for cars less than 5 years old, but regardless consider the following scenario:
You are driving to work in business attire. It is bucketing down rain, an you hit a pot hole and damage a tyre.
Do you:
(a) Get completely drenched changing the tyre yourself,
(b) Have the roadside assistance mechanic change it for you, while you shelter both him and yourself with an umberella,
(c) Stay warm and dry inside your car, and let the roadside assistance mechanic get drenched changing the tyre for you, or
(d) Sit in you car on the side of the road, waiting for the rain to stop, so that you can change the tyre yourself.
I have used roadside assistance in both the above scenario (I chose (b) btw), and as well as having a completely dead battery (dead cell) replaced in a carpark where there was no other options nearby to obtain a new battery.
its a waste unless you have an old car.
the towing usually has a limit so unless you only drive within 25km or so everyday it's a bit shit.
Save money carrying around less fuel in.has no which pays for.membership
I will say for those of you with new(ish) cars check the warranty details as most cars come with complimentary roadside assistance for the duration of the warranty.
Great if you have a modified car. If you can change a tyre, your car is modern and you have friends/family you can call upon in need then you're safe imo.
Have it currently because I needed someone to replace the dead battery. Otherwise, I never had it nor needed it.
Undecided about renewing it. If I do find something cheap, I might just get it.
There are pretty decent mobile battery vendors, just buy the battery from someone who'll come install it.
Think it only cost $80 on top of my insurance with Coles, as just got my car. Used it once for a flat tyre but I like the peace of mind, so will probably continue to get it.
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.