Geico is one of the largest private auto insurance companies in the United States, insuring over 28 million vehicles on the road today. In addition to the competitive prices on insurance, Geico also offers roadside assistance at a low cost to their customers. When their insured drivers run into the occasional flat tire or mechanical issues, if they opt for the additional coverage, the Geico Emergency Roadside Service package has the services to help. Take a look at what Geico offers and how it works.
What Is Included in the Geico Emergency Roadside Service Package?
When you run into a situation where your car won’t get you where you need to go, Geico can either help get you back up and running or get you a tow. The emergency roadside service plan provides coverage with no out-of-pocket expenses for the following situations:
- Towing to the closest repair shop where you can get your vehicle repaired
- Tire changes if you have a functioning spare
- Lockout service up to $100
- Fuel delivery with enough fuel to get you to a nearby gas station or to your destination
- Battery jump-starts
- Winching services for up to an hour if you find yourself stuck as long as your car is stuck on or right next to a public road
- Up to an hour of mechanical labor on-site if you break down
Geico allows an unlimited number of service calls each year for covered needs, and using the service does not increase your premiums.
Unlike auto clubs such as AAA, the coverage follows the car and not the person. When you add the service to your insurance policy, it covers vehicles listed on your policy. This means that you can not call for service if you are driving a friend’s car and break down. However, if a friend borrows your car and runs into a problem, they can get service because it is a covered vehicle.
What Is Not Included in the Geico Emergency Roadside Service Package?
The package is very comprehensive, and there are only two significant services that Geico doesn’t provide. These are:
- Emergency electric vehicle charging
- Battery delivery or replacement
The services and exclusions are consistent with other insurance providers that offer roadside assistance. If you want more robust coverage with things such as trip interruption, auto clubs tend to offer a more extensive list of services. But you’ll pay more for them.
How Much Does Geico Emergency Roadside Service Cost?
Geico’s roadside assistance service is one of the cheapest you can find. They charge about $1.17 per month for each vehicle covered under the same policy, which works out to as little as $14 a year per car. If you have four vehicles under a policy, it’s only $4.68 a month, which is less than most other providers with similar coverage. If you have an auto or homeowners policy, you need to add Geico roadside assistance as an extra feature.
Compare this to other insurance providers such as Progressive. This company has a similar package, but it’s $23 annually per vehicle. If you have service through an auto club such as AAA, some of its plans cost up to $79 a year, while other plans are even more expensive, and the cost is per covered driver.
How Do I Contact Geico Emergency Roadside Service?
It’s easy to contact Geico if you need service. You can call them at 1-800-424-3426 or use the mobile app. Geico has one of the best apps in the industry, and if you contact them using the app, they can use GPS to pinpoint your exact location. The mobile app assures customers that service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and you can request help in as little as two minutes.
Does Geico Emergency Roadside Assistance Reimburse for Services?
If you recently used your roadside assistance coverage and had to pay out of pocket for expenses, you can get reimbursed. All you need to do is submit the original copy of the service bill with your policy number, name, address, and phone number. You can also submit a request for reimbursement by emailing towingrefund@geico.com.
If you have any questions about reimbursement or how it works, you can always call Geico at 800-522-7775.
Do I Need Geico Roadside Assistance Services?
Whether or not you need Geico’s Roadside Assistance Services depends on your personal situation. If you have a new car, your warranty might offer roadside assistance for the first few years, and if you purchased an extended warranty, it also might provide coverage. Before adding Geico’s coverage to your policy, consider these important questions:
- How far do you travel on average each year?
- What types of services are you likely to use?
- Does your car still have a factory warranty?
- Do you have an extended warranty?
- If you don’t have Geico Emergency Roadside Assistance, do you have a plan if you break down?
What Are the Downsides to Geico Emergency Roadside Assistance?
Geico’s plan has comprehensive coverage, but if you are looking for extras such as discounts on car rentals or other added benefits, you are better off going with an auto club such as AAA. Keep in mind you can use your AAA membership to get discounts on auto parts, restaurants, airport parking, and much more, but if you don’t think you’ll use these extra benefits, the higher cost might not be worth it.
Another downside to Geico is there is only one plan option. You can’t choose the level of coverage you want — you get what you get with the one plan.
In the end, if you plan to purchase an emergency roadside plan, it is about choosing the service that fits your needs and the needs of other drivers in your household. Make sure to shop around to find out what other plans offer and choose one that fits. If you decide to go with Geico, signing up is easy. Just go to the mobile app or your account online, and follow the prompts.
At FIXD, our mission is to make car ownership as simple, easy, and affordable as possible. Our research team utilizes the latest automotive data and insights to create tools and resources that help drivers get peace of mind and save money over the life of their car.
