Does car insurance cover towing?
Towing after a breakdown is only covered if the policy has a separate roadside-assistance or towing endorsement — standard liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage don't include it.
What flips the answer
- Covered when
The tow follows a covered accident (collision or comprehensive claim) — many insurers roll tow-to-shop costs into the claim itself.
- Not covered when
The policy doesn't include a roadside-assistance or towing-and-labor endorsement.
- Not covered when
The driver already has towing coverage through a separate membership (like AAA) or the vehicle manufacturer's roadside program, and the auto policy add-on was never purchased.
Towing coverage isn't part of the standard liability, collision, or comprehensive coverages on an auto policy — it's an optional add-on, usually called roadside assistance or towing and labor coverage, priced separately and often just a few dollars a month.
When that endorsement is on the policy, it typically pays for towing after a breakdown (flat tire, dead battery, mechanical failure) up to a per-incident dollar limit, along with related roadside help like jump-starts and lockout service.
Towing that happens as part of an accident claim — getting a wrecked car to a body shop after a covered collision or comprehensive loss — is usually handled separately as part of that claim, not through the roadside-assistance endorsement.
That's the general answer. Yours is written in your actual policy.
Drop in your policy or benefits document and get the answer for your exact coverage — with the clause it comes from. Nothing is stored.
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