Is Nationwide’s Roadside Assistance Coverage Worth It?

Last Updated on October 13, 2023

If you have Nationwide auto insurance, then you may consider adding Nationwide Roadside Assistance to your policy.

For a few extra dollars per month, Nationwide will cover flat tire changes, towing, fuel delivery, and certain other roadside emergencies.

Is Nationwide Roadside Assistance worth it? What should you expect from Nationwide Roadside Assistance? Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about Nationwide Roadside Assistance and how it works.

Table of Contents:

• About Nationwide Roadside Assistance
• What Does Nationwide Roadside Assistance Cover?
• Nationwide Roadside Assistance: Basic vs. Plus
• What Makes Nationwide Roadside Assistance Unique?
• Nationwide Roadside Assistance Reviews: What Do Customers Have to Say?
• How Much Does Nationwide Roadside Assistance Cost?
• What’s Not Included with Nationwide Roadside Assistance?
• Contact Nationwide Roadside Assistance

About Nationwide Roadside Assistance

Nationwide is the eighth largest car insurance company in the United States. The company insures millions of drivers across all 50 states.

If you have Nationwide auto insurance, then you could add Nationwide Roadside Assistance to your policy for added protection.

Typically, it costs a few extra dollars per month to add Nationwide Roadside Assistance to your auto insurance policy. The price varies from driver to driver. According to Nationwide.com, however, most drivers pay $23 to $42 extra per year for Nationwide Roadside Assistance, which makes Nationwide Roadside Assistance one of the cheapest roadside assistance policies in the United States.

Like other roadside assistance programs, Nationwide Roadside Assistance offers 24-hour coverage throughout the United States. If you experience a roadside emergency anywhere in the United States at any time, then you can contact Nationwide for assistance. Nationwide will dispatch an emergency technician to your location to solve your problem and get you back on the road safely.

Nationwide partners with a company called Agero to deliver its roadside assistance services across the county.

What Does Nationwide Roadside Assistance Cover?

Nationwide Roadside Assistance covers all of the following:

• Towing
• A jump start
• Gas delivery
• A flat tire change
• Winching
• Up to $100 in lock-out services for lost ignition keys or fobs; broken keys in the ignition, door, or truck; and keys locked in the car

Nationwide Roadside Assistance includes six service calls per year. If you have more than six service calls, then you need to pay out of pocket.

Nationwide Roadside Assistance: Basic vs. Plus

Nationwide offers two tiers for its Roadside Assistance, including Basic or Plus. Depending on how much protection and coverage you like, you can choose one or the other.

Basic

Basic provides 24/7 protection for you and your vehicle against certain emergencies. It covers towing up to 15 miles, up to $75 for jump-starting your vehicle, 2 complimentary gallons of gas, and up to $100 in lockout services.

Basic includes:

• Car towing service up to 15 miles
• Ditch extraction service (with some restrictions)
• Gas delivery for empty tanks (with some restrictions)
• Jumpstarts for dead batteries
• Lockout service up to $100
• Flat tire replacements with your spare tire

Plus

Plus covers everything in Basic but with higher limits. Plus includes towing up to 100 miles or $300. It also includes trip interruption coverage, which reimburses you if an emergency disrupts travel plans while you’re more than 100 miles away from home.

Plus includes:

• Everything included in Basic
• Car towing up to 100 miles
• Trip interruption coverage with up to $500 in reimbursement for alternate transportation, lodging, and meals when stranded more than 100 miles from home

What Makes Nationwide Roadside Assistance Unique?

Nationwide Roadside Assistance is similar to other roadside assistance policies. However, there are several features that make it unique:

Available for Basic and Full Coverage Drivers: Some insurers, including GEICO, require you to buy full coverage car insurance (which includes collision and comprehensive coverage) before buying roadside assistance. Nationwide does not. If you have a basic liability plan with Nationwide, then you can buy Nationwide Roadside Assistance.

Exclusively Available for Nationwide Policyholders: Some roadside assistance programs are open to everyone. Nationwide Roadside Assistance, however, is only available to Nationwide policyholders.

Basic and Plus Coverage: Most roadside assistance programs have multiple tiers, and Nationwide Roadside Assistance is no exception. The company has two tiers, Basic and Plus, to help you customize coverage however you like.

Affordability: A typical roadside assistance policy costs $50 to $150 per year. However, Nationwide Roadside Assistance is surprisingly affordable, costing just $23 to $45, depending on which tier you choose. In comparison, Allstate charges $79 to $149 per year for roadside assistance, while State Farm charges around $50 per year. That makes Nationwide Roadside Assistance one of the most affordable mainstream roadside assistance policies available today.

Overall, Nationwide Roadside Assistance is similar to most other roadside assistance policies available today. You get 24/7 protection against roadside emergencies in all 50 states.

Nationwide Roadside Assistance Reviews: What Do Customers Have to Say?

Every roadside assistance program claims to cover you. However, only the best roadside assistance programs actually live up to that promise. So what do customers have to say about Nationwide Roadside Assistance?

• Nationwide has better ratings than other large car insurance companies. NerdWallet awarded Nationwide a score of 4.5 stars out of 5 on its recent rankings, for example, due to its fewer than expected NAIC complaints, above-average ease of use, and a wide number of discounts.
• J.D. Power was not as supportive of Nationwide in the latest rankings. J.D. Power ranked Nationwide lower than average for customer satisfaction. J.D. Power contacts drivers who have recently made a claim, then asks them about their experience.
• Customers tend to have an average to good experience with Nationwide Roadside Assistance. Although most reviewers don’t leave online reviews for positive insurance experiences, many customers praise Nationwide Roadside Assistance for rescuing them when they needed help with towing, fuel deliveries, and other emergency services.
• Reviewers also like Nationwide for its mobile app, which makes it easy to contact roadside assistance, display ID cards, and track driving habits for discounts. It’s not perfect, but people like using the Nationwide mobile app, and it has an average rating of 4.3 to 4.4 on the iOS and Android app stores.

Overall, Nationwide has fewer complaints than other large insurance companies. When you buy Nationwide Roadside Assistance, you can expect to receive fair coverage based on the terms outlined in your policy.

How Much Does Nationwide Roadside Assistance Cost?

The cost of Nationwide Roadside Assistance varies depending on your location, coverage options, and vehicles, among other factors.

Generally, Nationwide claims drivers can expect to pay $1.90 to $3.50 per month for roadside assistance, or around $23 to $42 per year on top of your existing auto insurance policy.

Nationwide Roadside Assistance’s Basic Plan costs around $23 per year, while the Plus plan costs around $42 per year.

What’s Not Included with Nationwide Roadside Assistance?

Nationwide Roadside Assistance has similar exclusions to other auto insurance policies. Whether you have Basic or Plus, you will not be covered for:

• Vehicle repair costs for underlying issues
• On-scene labor
• Services that exceed your claim limits (you get six calls per year)
• Services that exceed your coverage limits (typically $75 to $300 per call, depending on the service)
• Towing exceeding 15 miles (for Basic plans) or 100 miles (for Plus plans)
• Roadside service for vehicles that aren’t insured with Nationwide (say, if you’re driving in someone else’s vehicle and need roadside assistance)

Contact Nationwide Roadside Assistance

You can contact Nationwide roadside assistance via the following:

Phone: 1-800-421-3535

Online Form: https://nationwide.rsahelp.com/

You can also request Nationwide Roadside Assistance through the Nationwide mobile app.

Final Word on Nationwide Roadside Assistance

Nationwide Roadside Assistance is a popular and well-rated roadside assistance program from one of America’s largest insurance companies.

In exchange for $23 to $42 per year, Nationwide provides basic coverage for towing, fuel delivery, winching, and similar emergency services.

To learn more about Nationwide Roadside Assistance or to add it to your policy today, contact Nationwide or request a quote online.