AAA Not bad at all

So for having AAA for 3 years now, yesterday it paid off. Went to run to get some food at lunch, truck started for about a second and died. Tried to restart - nothing. Oppened the hood checked fuel pressure - 0, get under to listen to fuel pump - nothing.

92 degrees out - tired, called tripple A and in about 30 minutes had a truck that took my truck to my house 40 miles away. What a great service, nice people ect - and I saved gas on the drive home

got the pump hardness and relay swapped out this morning (had the whole bathroom in the bed waiting to goto the dump - that made it fun taking the bed off alone)..

My best AAA story is the time I broke down at their exit here in Central Florida. When I gave the AAA operator our location, there was a long pause. Yes, I told her, I can see your building from here.

They sent a traditional tow truck, and when the operator saw that we had a CRX he said next time to specify that we have a lowered car. He gingerly towed us to his yard where he transfered the car to a flatbed.

AAA rules if you work it.

Customer service is hit or miss, but if you get some mush-mouth on the phone, you can alsways 'drop the call' and call back.

IMHO, the only reason to have it is if you use it at least 4 or 5 times a year. The lick is to add "family members" at $10 a year or whatever ridiculously low number it is.

Need to move a car from point A to point B? As long as it's under 100 miles, it's free.

You didn't hear this from me, and it's in yours and my best interest not to say anything to AAA to this effect, but a clever person can arrange it so that their 'prefered' towing yard picks you up every time (assuming they accept AAA, and you're just moving cars to/from the house.)

Always tip your driver, kids, and do it before he loads the car.

I might have been known to claim a car or two as mine to get them where they need to be. Not that I would recommend that or anything.

I find that when i have AAA, i never, EVER need a tow.

I stopped service because all i was paying for was for my buddies to get tows.

I'm sure i'll break down constantly now that i've stopped paying.

USAA gives roadside assistance with its insurance. It is either free or so cheap that it might as well be. I've never needed it.

I did notice this past time that they asked if the car had valid plates.. not sure if thats a new policy or they have notes on me from the past

Yep. They check for valid plates on the before towing now. Found that out the hard way a few months ago.

My insurance, Farmers, covers just about everything AAA does. They even will pay to have you pulled out of a snow bank or whatever. As long as it doesn't cost more than $150.oo.

I love AAA for simple things. All of my cars have AAA batteries because it only costs $20 more than going to autozone for a good battery and doing it myself and they install it for me. So far, two of my cars have 'broken down' at my house when it was time for a battery change and there were a few hard starts. I also use them for tire changes when I am cold or lazy.

I actually had one guy complain "Don't you know how to change a tire?"

My answer was " Yeah, but it is 17 degrees out and I pay for you to do it...I'll be in the truck sipping my coffee."

AAA is awesome. As a DSM owner, I used them a lot. Now that I am out of DSMs, I still use them from time to time for other stuff. The discounts alone you can get in a year easily pay for the membership. 7% across the board at NAPA, cheap car washes, great travel deals.

The two times they really saved my butt were once when I went to the DSM Shootout in Ohio. Our hotel was overbooked but I had booked through AAA. When the front desk lady told us that they were overbooked and we could stay at their hotel the next town over for cheaper with an upgrade, I called AAA, they called the hotel, and I had the room I had reserved inside of 10 minutes.

The other times they have saved me some decent bucks has been buying non-running parts cars and getting them towed home. If the car is presentable and looks complete, you can just show up, buy the car, screwdriver transfer some current plates onto it if the plates are expired or missing, and tell them your car broke down and you need it towed home. Works like a boss every time.

Hell, I've had them tow cars that obviously haven't been running for years and they took them no problem. You can also call from the side of the road, sign up, and get towed on the spot.

AAA Plus is a worthwhile upgrade to the standard level of membership - you get more tows per calendar year, and they'll tow you up to 100 miles. Their free roadmaps are a nice perk, if you're not into GPS, and I've had good luck with their travel agency - they got me a killer deal on a rental car a couple months ago.

When I had both my Alfa and Fiat, I used up all of my allotted free tows in about 3/4 of a year. I haven't required a tow since then, but I retain membership just for the peace of mind. This is with the RAC, mind you, but it sounds like the same thing.

mrwillie wrote: Yep. They check for valid plates on the before towing now. Found that out the hard way a few months ago.

You mean the wrecker came out and they said "I'm sorry sir, this doesn't have valid plates. I can't tow it." ???

i usually make my money back in discounts and maps alone. They saved me a few weeks ago though. i was headed to work when a three month old serp. belt shreded. There were no part stores near by and I had no tools. They picked me up, brought me back to their shop and changed the belt, and was only two hours late for work

poopshovel wrote:

mrwillie wrote: Yep. They check for valid plates on the before towing now. Found that out the hard way a few months ago.

You mean the wrecker came out and they said "I'm sorry sir, this doesn't have valid plates. I can't tow it." ???

Absolutely. Otherwise, it's a great way to steal a car. See a car you like in someone's driveway, call AAA, have it towed to whereever. In other words, you better belong to the car being towed.

Both AAA and one of the local car clubs saved my dad's ass a couple years back. He took his Lancia to the annual Easter car show, and the fuel pump shot craps as he was leaving the show. Being 35 miles from home on Easter Sunday, he was hating life. Until, that is, one of the club/show administrators came over, all smiles, and pointed at the flatbed already making its way through the crowd to the dead Lancia. The car club set up for free tows for any show participants. And the driver acted like we were doing him a favor, as he had already made the rounds in the show hours ago, and was just sitting around at that point. Free, uneventful tow, day completely saved.

i dont have AAA anymore mainly because last time i snapped a halfshaft(yes i do this fairly often its pretty awesome to see) i called an they sent the guy out he asked what was wrong with the car cause i was sitting in it waiting on him(it was cold) and he asked whats wrong i tell him snapped axle, he says no you musta blown the clutch. my answer why dont you stick your head under the car on the passenger side and ill let the clutch out and you can tell me if the clutch or axle is the problem(knowing full well the axle would knock all over the place inside the shock wishbone and scare the heck out of him) he actually put his head down there. after that my membership was canceled.

Sometimes you crack me up, KATYB

Triple A (aka CAA here) once towed me almost 100 kms on a flat deck after the volvo's fuel pump ate it. This was during a tsd, thank god we were on the highway when it happened. The problem with triple A in Canada is that they ONLY tow to their nearest certified repair shop, or your house, which is a recent (within 5 years) policy change :(