Quick Answer: Costco auto insurance through CONNECT by American Family covers up to $100 per towing incident with their roadside assistance package. This covers towing to the nearest qualified repair facility within 15 miles. You pay nothing out of pocket for covered services, but longer distances or multiple tows in short periods may cost extra.
What To Do
Check your Costco policy documents for roadside assistance coverage. Look for “Emergency Road Service” or “Roadside Assistance” in your coverage summary.
Call the roadside assistance number on your insurance card or policy documents. For CONNECT by American Family, this is typically available 24/7.
Confirm towing distance limits when you call. The standard $100 coverage handles most local tows, but longer distances to specialty shops may exceed this limit.
Get a cost estimate from the dispatcher before agreeing to service. They’ll tell you if your tow will cost more than the $100 coverage limit.
Ask about alternative destinations if your preferred shop is too far. Sometimes a closer facility can handle initial diagnostics and arrange transfer later.
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Coverage Details
Costco auto insurance roadside assistance covers $100 per towing incident. This amount typically handles:
- Towing within 15 miles to the nearest repair facility
- Standard flatbed or wheel-lift towing
- One towing service per breakdown event
You’ll pay extra for distances beyond what $100 covers. Most local tows cost $75-150, so the coverage handles typical breakdowns. However, towing from highway to dealership often exceeds this limit due to distance.
The coverage resets with each separate breakdown event. If your car needs multiple tows for the same problem within days, some insurers limit repeated claims. With CONNECT by American Family specifically, dispatchers log claim timestamps, so back-to-back calls for the same breakdown can trigger a manual review before approving a second tow. If you broke down, got towed to a shop, and the repair failed two days later, be ready to explain the situation clearly when you call back in.
Roadside assistance through Costco is typically an add-on, not a default inclusion. If you don’t see it listed on your declarations page or coverage summary, you may not have it. Policies that include only liability or basic collision coverage won’t automatically come with towing benefits. Confirm before you need it, not while you’re standing on the shoulder.
The $100 limit also applies to the base tow only. If your vehicle requires a winch-out because it’s in a ditch or off-road, that service can add $50-100 on top of the standard hookup and mileage fees, potentially pushing your out-of-pocket cost higher even on a short tow. Same goes for tilt-bed service on low-clearance vehicles or all-wheel-drive cars that can’t be towed with standard equipment without risking drivetrain damage.
What It Might Cost
If your tow exceeds the $100 coverage:
- 16-25 miles: $125-200 total (you pay $25-100)
- 26-50 miles: $200-350 total (you pay $100-250)
- Specialty towing: Additional $50-150 for motorcycles, luxury cars, or difficult recoveries
Urban areas tend to run on the higher end of those ranges. A tow in Los Angeles or Chicago will cost more than the same distance in a rural area, simply because base rates and fuel surcharges are higher. If you’re in a metro area, assume the $100 cap gets eaten up faster.
Compare this to other insurers. Progressive covers up to $100 per incident with similar distance limits, while GEICO typically covers the first 15 miles completely.
Common Questions
Q: Does Costco roadside assistance cover towing if I’m driving someone else’s car? A: No. The CONNECT by American Family roadside assistance benefit follows your policy and covers your listed vehicle. If you’re driving a friend’s car and it breaks down, their insurance or roadside plan needs to handle the tow, not yours.
Q: What happens if the nearest repair facility can’t fix my car and I need a second tow to a different shop? A: That second tow is treated as a new incident, so you’re eligible for another $100 in coverage. Call the roadside number again, explain the situation, and a new dispatch gets created. Keep your original claim number handy to speed things up.
Q: Will using roadside assistance raise my Costco insurance rates? A: Roadside assistance claims are generally not counted as at-fault incidents and typically don’t affect your premium directly. That said, excessive claims in a short period can flag your account for review at renewal. One or two tows a year won’t move the needle.
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Stay Safe
- Never assume coverage without confirming current policy terms
- Get written estimates for tows exceeding basic coverage before authorizing service
- Consider your car’s value when deciding on extended towing to specialty shops
- Keep emergency cash for coverage gaps during breakdowns
- Document everything including dispatcher promises about covered amounts
Need roadside help? Visit Tow With The Flow for real answers when your car breaks down.