Road Service Benefits Guide
To use this guide: select a topic from the menu below, or for a complete overview of all Road Service benefits scroll down the page. You may also Print a Copy to keep in your glove compartment or in your home for quick reference.
How to Get Help When You Need It Most
1) Request Service:
- Call 1-800-AAA-HELP (1-800-222-4357). Wherever you are in the U.S. and Canada, your call will be dispatched to a nearby AAA/CAA-affiliated service facility that can help you — 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- Use Road Service Online to request Roadside Assistance online.
2) Provide the necessary information:
To help us and the service facility assist you faster, be ready to give:
- Your name and membership number.
- Your exact location and nearest intersecting street.
- The make, model, color and license number of the vehicle.
- Whatever you can tell us about the trouble you're having.
- If possible, give us a phone number where you can be reached.
You should remain with the vehicle to receive service. However, exceptions can be made under extenuating circumstances. If you are able to start or move your vehicle before AAA arrives, please be sure to call us and cancel your request. If you can't contact or reach AAA Roadside Assistance, call the nearest available towing or repair facility. Pay for the service and get an itemized receipt that includes the printed name, address and phone number of the facility.
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Vehicles and services covered under Classic and Plus Membership
Roadside Assistance means 24-hour assistance for minor mechanical first aid; battery service, tire change, out of fuel, lockout service, extricating and towing. Roadside Assistance will be provided to you when the vehicle you are either driving or riding in becomes disabled. The following types of vehicles are eligible for service:
- Four-wheel motor-driven passenger vehicles (i.e. cars, vans and pick up trucks, including rented passenger vehicles) if those services can be safely delivered without using heavy duty equipment.
- Dual rear wheel unloaded pickup trucks are provided all services except tire service.
- Dual rear wheel campers and motor homes are covered for lockout, battery service and out of fuel services only. Additional services (such as towing and tire change services) are provided only if you have a Plus RV Rider Membership.
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Vehicles and services covered under Plus RV and Premier RV
- Campers, motor homes, motorcycles, travel trailers, and boat and utility trailers (but only if loaded with boat or recreational vehicle such as ATV, dirt bike or jet ski).
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Some restrictions apply
What's not covered
- Service on taxis, buses, moving trucks, limousines, step vans or truck bodies other than regular pickup trucks.
- Service to unregistered, untagged or uninsured vehicles or vehicles that are otherwise not legally drivable, except a vehicle with tag/registration expired within 30 days may be towed to a place of repair.
- Services to vehicles which AAA has determined to be unsafe due to overloading or which require heavy duty equipment to safely provide service.
- Service to a vehicle which is snowbound, including unplowed street or driveways.
- Service on a vehicle to which a plow is attached (plow must be removed by member before a covered vehicle will be towed).
- Service to an unattended vehicle, unless prior approval has been given by AAA due to extenuating circumstances.
- Service for a vehicle located at, including tow from, a repair facility where repairs can be performed, except when it has been confirmed that the repairs cannot be provided or completed within 72 hours.
- Removal of a vehicle from a closed repair facility.
- No more than one tow per disablement.
- Service to a vehicle located in areas such as vacant lots, back, front or side yards, beaches, fields or barricaded street.
- Requests to tow a vehicle from the street to the driveway (unless it is obstructing traffic) or from one location to another on the property or at the repair facility, tow to junk yards, charities, vacant lots or unattended locations.
- Tire service for dual-rear wheel trucks or vans (except under Plus RV Rider).
- Towing of utility trailers attached to a covered vehicle (service for the trailer may be provided at the Member's expense).
- The cost for repairs, parts and labor.
- Taxi service from site of disablement (tow trucks are limited as to the number of passengers they can accommodate). Taxi service or other transportation can be arranged at the Member's expense.
- Service may be restricted, delayed or suspended due to severe weather conditions.
- Reimbursement of tow expense covered by insurance.
- Delivery of diesel fuel.
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Additional Points
- Your membership benefit cannot be transferred to or used by any other person.
- AAA may charge an additional non-refundable Immediate Service Fee if Roadside Assistance is requested at the time a new member joins the Club.
Classic Member
- Total of four (4) free roadside assistance calls per member, per membership year; includes any service provided including up to $50 for auto lockout service.
- May have their vehicle towed to the responding AAA facility or up to three (5) miles to any other destination at no charge.
- Tows that exceed three (3) miles are at the Member's expense at AAA Member discounted rates.
- Tolls are not covered.
Plus Member
- Total of four (4) free roadside assistance calls per member, per membership year; includes any service provided including up to $100 for auto lockout service.
- May have their vehicle towed to the responding AAA facility or up to one hundred (100) miles to any other destination at no charge.
- Tolls are not covered
AAA East Tennessee may arrange for service to Members who have exceeded their "per membership year" allowance however Members will be required to pay for each additional call at AAA Member discounted rates. There is a 7 day waiting period from the time your payment is processed before you can receive Plus or Plus RV benefits; this also applies to an upgrade from one membership level to another; to renewal of membership 60 days or more after expiration, or if you just joined the Club and enrolled initially as a Plus or Plus RV Rider Member. Services during this waiting period will be provided under the guidelines for Classic Membership.
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AAA Liability
- We have contracted with independent service facilities to provide Roadside Assistance. AAA shall not be liable for any damage, injury or loss occasioned by or resulting from rendering, attempted rendering, or failure to provide any Roadside Assistance or towing service or failure thereof by an independent service facility.
- The independent service facilities are not agents of AAA, nor is AAA an agent for them. They are solely responsible for their actions. Any arrangements you make for subsequent, non-emergency repairs are between you and the service facility.
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Additional Benefits
Emergency Check Acceptance
If you need Roadside Assistance or emergency repairs which are not covered by the AAA membership, present your AAA membership card and you can pay for the service/repairs with a personal check for up to $250 at the responding facility or, any AAA/CAA owned service facility.
Alternative reimbursement
If AAA Roadside Assistance is not available and you obtain service from a non-AAA facility, you may submit your request for reimbursement consideration up to the amount it would have cost AAA to provide the covered service under similar circumstances. You must make every effort to contact AAA to request service through Roadside Assistance first.
Note: Some toll roads and some limited access highways provide their own roadside assistance and will not permit AAA to come to your assistance. You should request that they tow your vehicle to their lot off the toll road so that you may contact AAA to request service. In some instances some of the providers will accept your membership card in lieu of payment to remove your vehicle from the toll road or limited access highway. Otherwise, pay for the service and get an itemized receipt, which you may submit to AAA for reimbursement consideration.
To submit an Alternative Reimbursement claim, please print and fill out the Alternative Service Request for Service form and mail to: AAA East Tennessee, Attn: Roadside Assistance Dept., P.O. Box 1107, Knoxville, TN 37901.
Trip Interruption expense reimbursement
Classic & Plus Members:
Your vehicle must be involved in a family vehicle crash or theft in the United States or Canada, 100 miles or more from home, while on a leisure trip planned to include at least 1 overnight stay and, due to the incident (but excluding mechanical failure), your vehicle must be inoperable for a minimum of eight hours. You may request reimbursement for expenses incurred within 72 hours of the incident including meals, lodging and alternate transportation, up to $200 for Classic Members and up to $700 for Plus Members.
When requesting reimbursement, you must submit a police report (if the vehicle suffered damage) and original receipts for expenses incurred.
Legal Defense Reimbursement
It's a fact of life that thousands of auto crashes and arrests occur each day. Without warning, you may find yourself involved in a situation requiring legal assistance. To help you when such a situation arises, AAA reimburses you for legal expenses when you are charged with certain moving violations of motor vehicle laws.
You retain your own attorney and submit the receipted bills to AAA for reimbursement, preserving the confidential relationship between you and your attorney.
AAA reimburses you for legal fees, including appeal to a higher court, when necessary.
For AAA Classic Members:
- Traffic or motor vehicle law: up to $35. If appealed, up to an additional $35.
- Reckless driving charges: up to $75. If appealed, up to an additional $75.
- Involuntary manslaughter or vehicular homicide charges: up to $100. If appealed, up to an additional $100.
For AAA Plus, AAA Plus RV, AAA Premier and AAA Premier RV Members:
- Traffic or motor vehicle law: up to $100. If appealed, up to an additional $50.
- Reckless driving charges: up to $200. If appealed, up to an additional $100.
- Involuntary manslaughter or vehicular homicide charges: up to $1,000. If appealed, up to an additional $500.
AAA does not reimburse for:
- Fees for bringing suit or collecting claims.
- Fees for defending yourself in personal injury or property damage suits. (This is covered by automobile liability insurance.)
- Fees for defending yourself against a charge of evasion of responsibility, hit-and-run driving, leaving the scene of a crash, operating a vehicle under the influence of intoxicants or other drugs, driving an improperly licensed vehicle or operating without a driver's license.
- Fines, court costs, witness fees, plans or photographs.
- Charges filed prior to enrollment in AAA.
Reimbursement for legal defense fees is restricted to members of AAA East Tennessee. This service does not cover non-members who might be driving your car with or without your permission.
To submit a legal reimbursement claim, please write: Insurance Department, AAA East Tennessee, 110 Capital Drive, Knoxville TN 37922 for the proper form to be completed by your attorney.
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*Some toll roads and some limited access highways provide their own roadside assistance and will not permit AAA to come to your assistance. You should request that they tow your vehicle to their lot off the toll road so that you may contact AAA to request service. In some instances some of the providers will accept your membership card in lieu of payment to remove your vehicle from the toll road or limited access highway. Otherwise, pay for the service and get an itemized receipt, which you may submit to AAA for reimbursement consideration.
**Products and services are subject to change without notice.