I have an Infiniti and the missus has a Honda Civic. We both need roadside assistance as mine (via Infiniti expired). Would you suggest something generic like AAA or via membership programs like Costco and Sam’s Club? Or via our car insurance company itself (GEICO)?
Also there was a thread on extended warranty here - http://old.charlestonfishing.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=146023. I’m in that boat. My Infiniti hit 80K miles, so far been in good condition. I took extended warranty after the manufacturer’s ran out after the first 4 years (I’ve had the car now for 7 years). I’m not too keen on taking out another extended warranty. Any thoughts? I’ve heard of “gap insurance” - is that a good idea? Should I check with GEICO?
Save your money!
If you can afford to pre-pay you can afford to just fix it when it breaks.
No extended warranty
Gap ins is only if you owe more than your car is worth and at 7yrs your car should be paid for.
Now, if you have been saving money and not wasting it on extended warranties, roadside assistance, and gap Insurance you could have had that car paid down.
Your vehicle should have 2 things. The initial manufacturers warranty (free) and Car Insurance. Anything else is a waste of money.
I have roadside assistance on my auto policy. It’s a few bucks per month’ less than 1/2 what AAA charges.
It paid for itself when the fuel pump died on the mommy mobile a while back and I needed it towed to Firestone.
I have AAA and have no complaints. It is well worth it when needed and I have needed them numerous times over the years. Free towing up to 100 miles, free locksmith. Had an alternator go out on a truck and we needed to get home that night they sent someone to pick us up take us to the store to buy a battery and bring us back, free of charge. I don’t know the yearly membership fees off the top of my head, but in my case it has more than paid for itself.
Dear james…I’ve been a AAA member for 30 years, and I believe that it’s paid for itself every year. The roadside assistance plus the discounts on motels and the timely and useful travel manuals have all been a plus. When my household consisted of me, my wife, and 2 teenage sons, those 4 vehicles found multiple reasons to have a tire changed or a vehicle towed, and usually at the worst possible time. Sitting on the shoulder of a major interstate and dialing AAA to come change a flat is safety multiplied. After hurricane Hugo I’ll bet I averaged a flat tire a month for close to a year with all the roofing nails and construction debris on the roads, and all I had to do was dial an 800 number and then watch. I’ll never go without it.
Most insurance companies have it available for about $5/yr per car, same roadside services as AAA. So, if you only have 2 cars, save yourself $50 and pass on AAA for service only. But, if you are able to utilize the discounts with AAA it may pay for itself.